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Post by lavandulagirl on Dec 30, 2008 13:39:43 GMT -5
Okay... it's just about New Year's Day, when all of us pull out our garden plans and start re-re-re- working this year's choices. Part of our plans, as gardeners and farmers, has to include pest abatement... deer, bear (!), raccoons, mice... all the four footed forest friends who think our veggies are their own private smorgasbord. So, while I realize this is primarily a hunting forum, I'd love to get all the tips together in one place regarding how we deal with these pests. What do you do that works? What have you heard everywhere that simply doesn't work for you? I'm primarily looking for answers that aren't some form of "shoot 'em", as that isn't a viable solution for our friends in suburbia, and some of us simply don't hunt, so, for example, killing the deer doesn't work for us.
So... give us your tips!
Here's one I recently heard was a good one, and will be trying this year... Apparently, mule deer prefer to jump either high OR long, but not both, so in theory, if you broaden the top of your 8 foot fence (like an upside down L, maybe) they will not jump into fenced garden areas readily.
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Post by Jim on Dec 30, 2008 17:58:52 GMT -5
fox or wolf urine concentrate should prevent some of your critters..Bears....dont know about bears.
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Post by cff on Dec 30, 2008 18:16:33 GMT -5
At one time we produced the base product for this deer and rabbit repelent. I don't think I'm allowed to tell you that this is almost 90 % Blood meal and a few other select items but I'll discuss it in a PM if you need more information  www.deerscram.com/resources.asp |
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Post by canadamike on Dec 30, 2008 19:44:19 GMT -5
the bloodmeal part is well known my friend, some use it pure...
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Post by johno on Dec 31, 2008 0:19:08 GMT -5
One of the berry farms here has barbed wire fences leaning outward at a fairly steep angle, and it keeps the deer out. It would be like climbing a cliff that started leaning outward for us - just doesn't look doable. This is along the lines of lav's theory with the broad top on a fence. Only we have white tail deer, not mulies, but I don't know how much difference that makes...
I've also heard of people putting peanut butter on electric fence. Pavlov's peanut butter heh heh...
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Post by lavandulagirl on Dec 31, 2008 0:58:46 GMT -5
Hahahaha! Peanut butter on the electric fence! Our dogs would fry their tongues off. I'd have to spoon feed them for the rest of their lives, and they'd drool even more than they do now. 
Yeah, our dogs are the retarded, but they are motivated by peanut butter, enough even to climb an 8 foot fence!
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Post by canadamike on Dec 31, 2008 5:23:10 GMT -5
Apparently, they sell some form of metal tubers, there is some kind of flattish wooden apparatus stuck to it at one end, and a little place to put a finger. Inside the tuber, a thing called a bullet is inserted, and I have read that if one does make a click with the said finger at the proper place while aiming, it is the only thing a groundhog will ever understand properly. Some say it works with other animals too. Mind you, if it really was true, I would buy one of these fabulous ''understanding tools''. But you know people...they can say anything, just to make themselves interesting.... |
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jan 5, 2009 12:33:23 GMT -5
Has anyone ever heard of using hops as a deterrent barrier? From what I understand, deer won't eat them. Is that true? I was thinking I could grow them on the fencing. Seems to me, the smell of hops might confuse deer, so that they couldn't smell my lettuces.
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Post by landarc on Jan 5, 2009 14:24:41 GMT -5
Well, you could plant hops around your yard and that might stop the deer, but, how would you keep the marauding home brewer's away? BTW, I need a source for Fuggles.
That using an arm to widen your fence will work for most deer, it creates a visual barrier that they will not attempt to jump. Bears? You just need to ignore them, or leave the dogs out in a run that extends through the yard. For the most part, bears will stay away if they hear barking dogs. You get a mountain lion and that is a different story. Also, deer will eat just about any plant if there is no better forage.
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Post by ottawagardener on Jan 5, 2009 14:58:38 GMT -5
The mountain lion will keep away the deer too. And I think it might keep you away from the plants as well. Speaking of mountain lions, I understand they can jump some ridiculously high amount like 6 feet with a deer in their mouth from a fall stop. The potential.
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Post by landarc on Jan 5, 2009 15:18:42 GMT -5
Dunno about a full grown deer, but, a juvenile one, I believe they could. They can certainly do that with a dog or smaller animal along for the ride. A couple of years ago, a mountain lion in excess of 200 lbs was killed in the Coastal Range of CA. That sucker was huge. The state had hired a professional hunter to track and kill it because it was hunting in peoples backyards and houses.
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Post by lavandulagirl on Jan 5, 2009 15:21:44 GMT -5
Well, you could plant hops around your yard and that might stop the deer, but, how would you keep the marauding home brewer's away? BTW, I need a source for Fuggles. That using an arm to widen your fence will work for most deer, it creates a visual barrier that they will not attempt to jump. Bears? You just need to ignore them, or leave the dogs out in a run that extends through the yard. For the most part, bears will stay away if they hear barking dogs. You get a mountain lion and that is a different story. Also, deer will eat just about any plant if there is no better forage.
So, Fuggles, huh? Making some English style ale? How much would you need me to grow? I'd grow it for a trade in beer, probably. ;D
As to the dogs and bear, I would prefer that my dogs don't even know they exist, as the the old one would wet himself (cows scare him) and the young one would think it was a fun new toy.
Mountain lions... I don't really have a good prey spectrum here, so I suspect they'll spend more time down the road, where there are sheep, mini horses, and llama. Should I get goats, though, I will be more vigilant. I'm pretty sure the last US mountain lion -human fatal attack was pretty close to here.
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Post by landarc on Jan 5, 2009 17:18:44 GMT -5
Yes Lavs, the arm extends away from the fence to the outside. The idea is to make it look taller and wider at the top.
I am not sure what I am making, or when, but, Fuggles has been hard to find, as had Kent Goldings, but, you do not live in Kent, England. I made a nice batch of Chocolate Oatmeal Stout a little over a month ago, but, it has proven to be rather popular. I need to brew again. Soon. SOON!
I wasn't planning on trading, I was planning on creeping around late at night and pilfering them using my new Jedi training.
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Post by flowerpower on Jan 6, 2009 5:59:23 GMT -5
Bob, lemme talk to the BF. I am almost positive there are Fuggles around here. No critters eat the hops. And nothing touches anything in the mint family. The only way to bear proof is electric fence and hope it actually deters them.
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Post by landarc on Jan 6, 2009 11:56:01 GMT -5
California bears are harmless, really, just like big puppies.
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