I hope it keeps them away. We are over-run with deer here.
Pam

I had to go pick up my son at 2 a.m. last night after he went to the midnight showing of the Bourne Ultimatum. I was dismayed at how many deer were walking through yards as I drove through the neighborhood.

I'm probably going to really make some people mad at me, but I just don't understand the people that build their new houses in the deer's territory and then complain that the deer are around. Didn't they know that the ground they are now developing on was once home to deer and other wildlife? Wasn't that the draw to build there?

Don't get me wrong, I can understand the frustration when all your valuable plants are chewed to the ground, but that is something you should think about before you decide if you want to live in a place that was once home to deer and other critters. They don't know they are not welcome anymore and they are just doing what comes natural to them and that is trying to survive in an ever decreasing habitat.

I would love to wake up in the morning and see deer in my back yard. And yes I probably would be quite upset when they ate my plants, but the joy of living with and around nature would far outweigh the consequences...or else I'd move back to an area that does not have a deer population.
I am jealous that I don't live in or by the woods, that is my life's dream, but I don't see it happening. So forgive my rant and try to help me understand what was the draw to live where you now live knowing that perhaps the area was recently a haven for wildlife.

And when I am using the word "you" I am in no way singleing out anyone here. It's just a general term.

And I truely do not mean offense to anyone here.

Janet

In areas with large properties, even though they were developed and those houses are 100 years old there are more deer browsing in the areas than there were 50 or so years ago. The deer population is on the rise in spite of loss of habitat. It is now illegal to shoot a rifle within most cities, there is no breeding bear population in Iowa. Occasionally there are reports of a cougar sighting, but not enough to keep the deer out of the city back yards.
Janet, I don't know where in Illinois you live but surely youa re aware of the enormous numbers of deer in the forest preserve along Lake Cook Road. Certainly you are aware of the food shortages for them and the increases in mumber of deer per square mile.
The problems are not so much that we have usurped the deer's terretory but rather that we have eliminated the preditors and the deer population is bourgeoning out of sight.
Linda C

Janet, I don't want to argue about this, but there are other things going on which has contributed to the over-population of deer - there is more to it than just humans taking land. Most states' DNR's keep the deer population high so that pretty much every person who hunts will get a deer if they try hard enough. Man being the deers only predator for a long time with man trying to control the deer population has created a huge problem; starvation and disease are common because there are too many deer competing for what food is available.

The problem started when nearly all the wolves were killed off. Wolves are the deers only natural predator. With the wolves gone, the deer populations kept increasing. Now that the efforts to increase the wolf population has been successful, the situation might improve. However, people are already getting upset with wolves killing livestock and pets so who knows how it will all turn out.

Same here in PA. The deer have eaten everything but the ferns in the forests. The hunting license pay the DNR salary so even attempts to control the herds have fallen by the wayside.
If you live in an area over run with deer, you know it's not just a matter of living in their habitat, but that there aren't enough natural predators and unchecked population growth.
Pam

I resorted to 6 ft metal farm fencing to re-direct them away from my hosta beds. Working so far. Eventually will go with it around the whole yard, once the neighbors get used to it and my new trees are tall enough to shade a bit more.

Home brew formula for Deeraway: use a couple of eggs mixed into a blender with water, add garlic powder or oil or crushed garlic and hot pepper oil or powder. Spray every couple of days and they will go eat somewhere else

Looking at adding a new Indian spice that is higher in sulfur level and SMELL

Bruce Banyai

So far so good, the Hosta are all in tacked.

We did get rain yesterday and some this morning so I hope the woods will regain wild growth so the dear will have their own food supply.

Janet - We have had this house for 30 years which is located close to our Meto Park system. Yes, we have had to deal with dear but my point was to test the product not to dear bash.

As others have pointed out, it's not just impeding on their habitat that is at fault but various other events that have developed over the time that has effected the population.

Liquid Fence is working for me, bad smell and all.

Deb

I live in a neighborhood where most of the houses are 30-50 years old. There are lots of mature trees and a lake, but there is also a highway not to far away, a Goodwill, McDonalds, etc. So not a place you would expect to see dear. Yet every once and a while we see them just walking down the road, one time it was even a huge buck. My DH goes to work at 2am and he sees dear all the time. I am knocking on wood, because so far they have only gotten into my garden once and munch on some hostas. This is totally off topic, but I did see a flying squirrel in one of my trees last week!
Jen

I hate deer!!!!!
Nationwide Ins has had to fix our truck twice and just 2 months ago a big one run into the side of my car.
The insurance agent was beginning to wonder if we don't hit the deer to fill up our freezer.
NOT SO!
Our deductable isn't cheap.
They're dumb animals.
We have a 6' fence surrounding our 5 acres with a gate and the stupid things jump the fence to get in!
One of these days I'm going to take up deer hunting.