Tree Talk: Dodging the deer

In North Dakota, November is celebrated for a number of holidays including Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and another that is steeped in tradition – Opening Day of Deer Season. More than 58,000 hunters were successful in harvesting nearly 40,000 deer during the 2020 N.D. deer season. That’s a lot of sausage!

Trees and shrubs are important habitat for deer, providing cover and food. Between May and August, most of a deer’s diet consists of forbs, and the tender growing stems of trees and shrubs. During fall and winter, crops become an increasing component of their diet. As winter snow melts in the spring, newly emerging shoots of grasses and sedges are the favored food. During all seasons, woody plants provide needed cover. Trees are also used for antler rubs – a way for males to provide a visual cue to other deer that another buck is present in an area. A South Dakota study revealed that bucks preferred trees one to four inches in diameter and were aromatic species, with smooth bark and no thorns. Favored species included chokecherry and juneberry, while bucks avoided using green ash, hawthorn, boxelder and wild plum.

Deer are herbivores and will eat a variety of plants, depending upon how hungry they are and what’s available. If you live in a rural area or a near a wooded area, like a park within a community, deer may become unwelcome visitors on your residential property. Some of their favorite snacks include hostas, roses, tulips and leafy garden vegetables – not to mention newly planted trees, especially fruit trees.

Here are some ideas for protecting plants from deer and other plant-predators:

Scare Tactics. A good watchdog is an effective scare option, since canine predators like coyotes and wolves are natural enemies of deer.

Offensive Products. Using liquids with an offensive odor or taste is the least expensive way to repel critters, but with varying degrees of success. Some products contain eggs, hot peppers and garlic (‘Deer Off’) or blood-meal (‘Plantskydd’), and are sprayed directly on plants to make them unpalatable. Homemade recipes include similar ingredients. These solutions must be applied frequently as plants grow or as rain washes it away. For those who prefer a voodoo-vibe and like to keep neighbors guessing, tie and place cheesecloth bags filled with scented soaps or human hair (visit your local hairdresser for floor-sweepings) around favored plants to repel the critters.

Landscape using Non-Preferred Plants. Some plants have their own repellent built-in. Deer are more likely to stay away from highly aromatic plants, including herbs like catmint and lavender. Deer avoid plants with fuzzy leaves like lamb’s ears. Distasteful plants include bleeding heart, crocus, daffodils, lily of the valley and spotted deadnettle. Woody plants that are aversive to deer include potentilla, elderberry, sumac, juniper, Russian olive and spruce. Still, if they are hungry enough, deer will consume whatever is available.

Use Fencing. The most effective, but also the most expensive means of keeping the deer away is physical exclusion. Trees can be fenced individually using woven wire or plastic snow-fence, at least four feet high and kept in place with steel posts. To fence an entire garden, keep in mind that deer can jump barriers. The Northern Hardy Fruit Evaluation orchard at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center features an eight-foot tall fence, which effectively keeps deer out and the orchard plants free from predation.

Using an integrated management system - incorporating a variety of these deer-dodging techniques - will keep deer in their habitat and away from yours.