I'm sorry to hear about your shrubs - that does sound like a lot of work!

I feel your pain. I started buying shrub, and evergreen trees and bushes that they do not eat.

https://www.thespruce.com/deer-resistant-shrubs-2132574

Highly deer resistant shrubs--Spireas*, Iteas, Clethras, Diervillas*, Ilex verticillatas, Pieris, usually Kalmias, Caryopteris, Callicarpas, Physocarpus, Buxus, most Viburnums, Exochordas*, Abelias, Philadelphus

I don't know which are hardy in your zone, and some of these might not be available in local nurseries, but you can do some research. *These, especially, have new cultivars that are very, very nice.

Why do you need to spray - disease issue?

I only plant shrubs I know are known to do well in my general area, and follow the "right plant right place" rule, and I avoid disease-prone shrubs and trees (e.g. crabapples, most roses, etc) and those that tend to look scraggly. For examples, rhododendrons are gorgeous in bloom, but they just don't do well over the course of time in my area -- pretty much every one I've seen in the landscape looks terrible due to a paucity of leaves.

I also tend to view the flowers as a bonus - the shrub border is there to provide the "bones", the grounding for the house and rest of the planting. There are some shrubs I plant specifically for the flowers, such as some types of hydrangea and rugosa roses (any deer who is dumb enough to try to take a bite out of a rugosa branch deserves what he gets...), but for the most part it's about foliage and form - so I don't get too bent out of shape if the flowers take a hit.

A well-planned shrub border should be fairly low maintenance; if it's not, you need to re-think the specific shrubs you've planted. There are so, so many terrific shrubs available. I've not had tremendous difficulty with deer in the past, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to put more thought into planting shrubs the deer don't prefer at this new house, so I'll be watching this thread for suggestions (I did take some rugosas from my other house, I bet they at least leave those alone).

i presumed spraying deer repellent ... ken

I plant deer resistant plants and throw dried blood around. It's in the organic fertilizer section of garden centers and has no smell. I can't stand the sprays. Also, deer browse when shrubs are small and tend to leave them alone once they are grown taller.

Deer do leave rugosa rose bushes alone in my garden, but know how to eat the flowers, which is what I plant them for! Nothing's safe when there's no food around for them, so dried blood is what works for me with little trouble.

Blood meal - the "dried blood" referred to above - may not have a strong scent you can detect easily but it most certainly has a scent!! That's what deters the deer and rabbits. And also what attracts any meat eating critters in the neighborhood.....dogs and cats, raccoons, opossums, skunks, etc., who may proceed to root around in the area and cause just as much garden havoc as the plant predators!

^^ Oh, yea it does! Learned this the hard way years ago...

Duh -- I didn't even think of spraying deer repellants, my mind automatically went to spraying for disease. I'll take my two lumps now... (my advice still stands in general, though)

Thank you all for the suggestions. While I have included some of the zone 4 hardy deer resistant shrubs suggested it seems if the deer don't eat them the rabbits do. Most all are young plants though the Philadelphus and dogwood are over twenty years old and ravaged. As I walk our one mile circle I see few shrubs other than lilacs, burning bush, spirea, and yews.

Winter burn is a concern for evergreens and yews. I can't see how a burlap wrapped plant creates winter interest and is its own labor intensive project.

i visit the arboretum monthly and am amazed that they don't have more damage. Paid staff and volunteers as well as good fencing I expect.

Deer have become more numerous and bolder as development has reduced their habitat in the neighborhood. This was my spring surprise two years ago.

Wow! What was he doing, snoozing after the evening buffet?

Agree re: tarping shrubs - very unattractive. What's the point of planting an evergreen if you can't enjoy it during the cold months? Are there any dwarf spruce or pine that might be able to take your conditions?

There are a few electronic devices that a few of us deer attacked gardeners that we have found helpful. it might cost a little to find which one work for your deer but in the end it is cheaper than replacing expensive shrubs and plants.

Last year I purchased this and I did not have any damage at all. I saw them walk up to it and get shocked....jump.....run.....and the heard followed the runner. If one starts to run they all follow because they know danger happened to the runner.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQRF60/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Gardengal...I have never had a problem with dried blood in 20 years. I live in the woods. No dogs ever come because neighbors control theirs. I like that it attracts meat eaters like coyotes and foxes. They eat the rodents if I'm lucky. Haha. Also, the scent isn't detectable by me and that's important. Those sprays make me nauseous. Blood works.

Yea, it probably does work -- until the local cats decide to dig up whatever they think is under there and destroy the very planting you were trying to protect...

I had great success at my other house with Animal Stopper; they make a Deer Stopper but they smell pretty much the same to me. It has an herbally minty-fresh scent - very pleasant, even when the scent wafts in through the windows on a breezy day. If you find the scent of other deer repellants repugnant, try the Stopper product. I like the granules for ease of use, but I've also used the spray (sprayed the heck out of my emerging lilies with the stuff last year - no damage, not even a nibble). I sprinkled some on my potted perennials that I've taken out of the garage - so far so good, no signs of damage to emerging growth (yet...).

After 20 years of deer eating my plants and trying any cure offered, I have found only a fence, they cannot jump, offers a permanent solution.