White Tail Deer

Dramatic increases in deer abundance can be attributed to changes in habitat, including reversion of abandoned farm fields to forest and shifts in human population to rural and suburban areas. Both of these trends create the open and forested habitat preferred by deer.

Deer frequently feed on flowers, fruits, and vegetables and the buds and twigs of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Damage to landscape plantings and ornamentals may occur at any time of year but is usually most severe in the late winter and early spring when other food supplies are limited. Damage to fruit trees may cause immediate loss of the crop and residual tree injury that leads to reduced yields in the future. Deer browsing may permanently disfigure ornamental trees.

Deer feeding damage is readily distinguished from that caused by rabbits and rodents. Rabbits and rodents will a clean cut surface where deer will leave a ragged, broken end on the browsed branches. Deer damage will also occur up to a height of six feet.

In some cases, damage can be reduced by selecting plant material that deer don't prefer. Be aware that plant material will almost always require protection if deer are present in the landscape and they find the plant material desirable. No plants are completely deer proof, and hungry deer will consume plants that have little nutritional value.

A variety of frightening devices, including lights, whistles, loud noises, and scare crows have been used to prevent deer damage. Deer habituate to scare devices after a few days of exposure.

Repellents can help prevent deer from feeding on crops or landscaping plants and are most effective when integrated into a program that includes one or more other techniques such as fencing and population management. Apply repellents at the first sign of damage to prevent deer from establishing a feeding pattern.

If deer populations are high, tolerance to damage is low and particular valuable plants need to be protected, fencing alone or fencing plus repellents may be the best option. Fence selection may be based on cost, aesthetics or ease of construction.

Although repellents and fencing are the primary techniques used to address site specific deer damage problems, these methods alone will not decrease large scale damage. Population control should be considered.

Information gathered from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Wildlife Damage Management Program. RN 2/02