How do I keep deer from coming into my yard and eating my plants?

Question

We live in a trailer park and we have had a drought in my state this year. So the deer come out of the surrounding woods and eat my Forsythia leaves from the bushes, etc. In the spring and summer they ate the Day Liliy flowers - they were so nice and orange until they ate them. Grr. They leave behind a trail of their poob in the yard which is supposed to be good for the soil but I worry about them eating my plants. Now it has been raining and I am hoping the deer will eat the new shoots that come up in the woods. I hope deer sleep in the winter. What is there for them to eat in the winter when plants have no leaves? I really don't care but I wonder (no need to answer that). I heard some people actually feed the deer with grain, etc. One lady from Germany told me to put human hair cuttings in the yard and the deer hate the scent of that and stay away. I will try it too. Any ideas please let me know. In the spring I will put a small fence around all my daylilies so I can see thembloom

I loved all the answers. Thanks. I will try the predator urine, the urine, the tin noise makers, the human hair, etc. I found the answer of putting out landmines hillarious. Also the other answer as to put out something similar to landmines that was funny too. I think I will get rid of the deer once I put out things they hate. Hahahaha.

Answer 1

I'm certain it is a nusiance and the best way to prevent it is too plant things they don't like. In the meantime be grateful that your garden and your generosity was needed to keep them alive. At least till deer season. Also that God chose you and your garden to send them to.
That is NOT a joke!

1. Plant what deer don't want.
If you've had trouble with deer, you already know the plants they love: cedar, yew, fruit trees, lilies, and hostas to name a few. Fortunately, there are some plants deer seem to dislike. These include most thorny plants and those with fuzzy or leathery leaves.**** {They also seem to dislike lilac, forsythia, spirea, and potentilla.}****** Other landscape plants they will generally avoid are paper birch, American holly, drooping leucothoe, Colorado blue spruce, and flowering dogwood.

What deer eat (and how much of it) depends greatly on the season, the particular plant, the weather and the availability of other foods. Generally speaking, the more hungry they are, the less selective they'll be.
http://www.gardeners.com/Protect-Your-Garden-From-Deer/default/5027.page

Your deer were HUNGRY if the ate the forsythia!

Answer 2

Here is a book you can get from the library or buy...not too costly $12.95 It is called Deer Proofing your yard and garden. The author is Rhonda Massingham Hart. It covers almost any solution that has been written. I live right in the Manistee National Forest and the deer do not bother my plants. Also deer sometimes get a bad rap. Quite often what is blamed on a deer is damage done by rabbits. Look at how the plants have been damaged. If the plant is ripped and somewhat shredded, deer have probably done it. If it is a clean cut, rabbit. Their poop even looks similar. Good luck with a fence...it will need to be 6 foot or better to keep a deer from getting in. Now here is another suggestion. There is metal sheeting that you put up on a roof or the side of a pole barn. It is a metal sheet with ripples. It makes a house look like it has a tin roof. Deers absolutely do not like to walk on this surface. I guess a waffle appearance describes it better. I have this stuff all around the perimeter of my garden and the deer will not walk on it. Deer eat tree bark in the winter. If you walk in the woods and notice a tree with stripped bark, a deer has probably been to lunch. But, try the book. Use Liquid Fence and you will be broke in no time. The deer disregard it and you will be enforcing or testing their guarantee. Been there, done that, used it, no good.

Answer 3

Do Deer Eat Forsythia

Answer 4

You can't very well replant your whole landscape to alleviate the deer coming in and eating the leaves and flowers. This just wouldn't be feasible, besides, it would be alot of unnecessary work on your part. There are easier solutions to take care of the problem and one of them is with a product called "Liquid Fence". This is an all natural, biodegradable chemical, that when sprayed on the foliage, deters the deer from even wanting to get close to it, let alone...munch on it. The company will even stand by their products and gives a 100% moneyback guarantee if your not fully satisfied, which is better odds than playing "blackjack" at the Mirage Casino...lol. This product sales at some retail stores but I don't know which ones right off hand. You can contact them to find out which ones, or buy it online if this is easier. Iam providing a link with info on this product as well as all their natural repellents below. Hope this answers your question.
http://www.liquidfence.com/all-natural-deer-repellent.html
http://www.liquidfence.com/natural-animal-repellents.html
http://www.liquidfence.com/all-natural-rabbit-repellent.html

Added Info... I added the link for their "Rabbit Repellent" just in case your interested! Remember..all products should be used according to the label directions, and if there not, it may not work efficiently. There's always some people who follow their own directions, hoping to take a shortcut, but with very negative results. Follow the label and they back it up with a guarantee!

**Billy Ray**

Answer 5

It's more than likely that deer will eat your sunflowers if they find them. Exclusion (fencing), scare tactics, and repellents are all options you have to keep deer from them. There are many repellents on the market right now and best success at this challenge is probably using a variety of repellents along with a scare or two such as fake snakes, dogs etc.

Answer 6

The only permanent solution is to plant landscape that the deer do not like to eat.

There are deer scent products you can put out, some really smell bad.

I use foil pie tins, foil streamers tied to plants.

In general, you need to appeal to more than one of their senses, make the plants taste bad, bad smells, motion etc.

Once they really actively feed on your stuff, they are very hard to disuade.

OK, cant leave this out I guess, some say urinate around your plants, thats your call.

j

Answer 7

I know how you feel (kind of...) I have kangaroos that eat all of my plants. Its really hard to keep them out because they can jump over fences! I found a recipe that puts them off a bit, but it really smells. Take 5-6 eggs and break them into about a litre of water. Mix this up well, and put it in a container (with a lid) and leave it in a warm place (outside in the sun) to go off for a few days this takes about 3-4 days.
Mix this brew up with 20-30mL of acrylic paint. (any colour) which will help the mix stick to the plants.
Spray it on your plants. It works by putting off plant eaters because they dont like off protein. Good luck!

Answer 8

A Browning 12 ga. pump

Answer 9

human hair is good, wind chimes, and maybe predator urine from walmart deer hate these. as to what deer eat in the winter......Acorns

Answer 10

Set up land mines?