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Do any deer deterrents actually work?

tech1234

Member
For every deer deterrent method I read about there is another person who claims bullshit...

cayenne pepper
Irish spring soap
human- piss, shit, hair
predator piss, shit, hair
fishing line
and even fences

I have a large plot being destroyed and I need something that will work the first time... short of shooting them.
 

who dat is

Cave Dweller
Veteran
Sometimes the shotgun approach (not literally here) is the best way to handle things? Do all of the above that you just mentioned plus foliar sprays of neem?
 

Tynehead Tom

Well-known member
wolf urine, coyote urine should keep does with fawns away.
I am surrounded by deer here, they are in my front yard daily. they do jump the fences into the back but I have 2 x 160 pound + rottweillers so they deer tend to respect the dog's space :D they guard the greenhouse LOL

but wolf urine is one that we have used for years and the only critters I've had issues with have been pack rats and the odd black bear , when I was growing in the mountains a few hours south of here.
 

Swamp Thang

Well-known member
Veteran
A strong smelling solution made of deer droppings ground up and soaked in water for a few hours before filtration by pouring the soup through an old tee shirt, will guarantee that deer never so much as taste a leaf on your precious plants. Reapply as needed.

Unless the deer in your area are overpopulated and thus absolutely starving, they will lose interest in weed foliage when the plants are nearing harvest with the buds starting to really stink with resin, which is when the essence of deer poop spray would need to be stopped, for obvious reasons.

Up until the plants are nearing harvest time, however, frequent spraying with filtered deer dung solution will keep Bambi and other antlered marauders from snacking on guerrilla crops located in deer country.

The above technique is merely a derivative of one that proves highly effective in areas where cattle raid farmland crops. One whiff of their own dung on crop foliage, and the cattle will vote with their hooves and find someone else's crops to gobble.

Make's sense too. I would not be inclined to snack on a nice-looking hamburger, if it happened to reek of human solid waste.
 

VonBudí

ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ
Veteran
I havent tried it with deer but it works long term for keeping foxes away from chickens =socks/tights stuffed with dog/human hair, all the other remedies for keeping deer away from plants wash of after the first rain, leading to folk calling bullshit on spray remedies, cayenne pepper in particular.
 

corky1968

Active member
Veteran
I've read that if you get some blood meal and mix it with water and start spraying the
taller vegetation with it animals like deer and rabbits will go away. Don't spray your plants.

Making a controlled smokey fire once in a while upwind of your plants will drive not only
deer away it will drive insects like grasshopper away. Most animals hate the smell of smoke
even those pesky biting mosquitoes. Make it just before dark when people can't see the
smoke. You only need 20 minutes of smoke and a very small fire to make it work.

You won't see a deer around there for days after a fire.

Do be careful if you make a fire and make sure you out it out with water.
 
S

Stone House

Deer fencing is the best way to go, if you need it really tall you can run strands of wire above your current fence. Check a farm/tractor supply store for more info.
 

plantingplants

Active member
No. They'll eat buds, too.

I might have had success with a heavy coating of the rotten egg spray but you can't spray that up to harvest. You need a fence. Or you could keep every plant covered with deer mesh fencing individually. But sometimes they'll chomp on it through the netting. They don't give a fuck.
 

Lester Beans

Frequent Flyer
Veteran
Fishing line. Cheap and easy to put up. Put one line a foot and a half high. Then two feet behind that another one 4' high then a higher one or two. 3500' of fence for 4$ lol. Works like a charm!
 

Kygiacomo!!!

AppAlachiAn OutLaW
For every deer deterrent method I read about there is another person who claims bullshit...

cayenne pepper
Irish spring soap
human- piss, shit, hair
predator piss, shit, hair
fishing line
and even fences

I have a large plot being destroyed and I need something that will work the first time... short of shooting them.

i bought some shit at walmart this year called Animal b gone. its shit it actually brought something to my plot and dug up one my plants. the only thing i know that is 100% effective is a cage.
 

tech1234

Member
Thanks for the tips guys. This isn't the kind of "plot" you could install a real fence at or keep dogs there long term (although I track mine through as often as I can) so I think I'm gonna do the "do everything" approach - store bought rotten egg stuff, predator granules, hanging coyote piss pouches, then DIY human hair and dog hair bags, brew and spray the deer poop tea, finished off with some black mesh fencing at the "trail" inlets and prob some fishing line looped around...

I think its the drought that were in right now that has caused them to turn on my plants. (first year they have)
 

Lester Beans

Frequent Flyer
Veteran
I have 10 acres fishing lined off. The deer do not like the fishing line, idk if they can't see it or they are confused by it. Whatever lol it works! Get 20-25lb line. Regular monofilament. I wouldn't bother with the rest of the stuff and spending money. The line works, trust me. Keep us posted!
 
I guess I'm lucky. We have one deer here that acts just shy of a pet. It comes up here in the middle of the day and just casually walks around my garden. It ate my grapes, my squash, my tomatoes, my plums, a big patch of weeds called mallow but not the important plants. Maybe the key is to feed them the rest of your garden :D
No seriously though a deer fence is the best way to go. You can use 8 foot tall plastic netting and just string it up on cheap stakes. They don't know they can walk right through it and they wont try.
 
No. They'll eat buds, too.

I might have had success with a heavy coating of the rotten egg spray but you can't spray that up to harvest. You need a fence. Or you could keep every plant covered with deer mesh fencing individually. But sometimes they'll chomp on it through the netting. They don't give a fuck.

Before I put the welded wire up they were chomping right thru the plastic net...they are relentless here
 

The Revolution

Active member
Veteran
Ive found fencing to be the only sure shot way. First thing I do when I prep a plot is put up the fencing, sometimes a fence within a fence. I never bring plants in or do any planting until cages/fencing is up.
 
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