Protection from or Deterrants for Deer?

[Bill Guenthner]

My wife saw a cougar crossing the road on her way home one day and the neighbor has a picture of one eating one of his chickens, but the Fish & Game folks said there were no cougars in the area!

Once in every few years someone will spot a bear in our area but they are extremely rare, which is good.

 

[Raul-02]

Seems there is something about the aroma that deters deer.

There is absolutely nothing on the planet that smells worse than Irish Spring.

 

[California]

There is absolutely nothing on the planet that smells worse than Irish Spring.

I found that out today.

I bought Irish Spring and used the bar like it was chalk, rubbing it everywhere the raccoons (see photo in post 84 above) get under the house and scratch for bugs, waking us up. I applied it where they scratch, and at every entry point I could reach. Not just on the ground, also on the top edge of every low opening so they will get the smell in their pelt.

That smell is nasty! Washing my hands after applying it didn't get the smell off. Washing the dishes, still no! I can still smell it on on my hands.

So far (midnight as i write this) I haven't heard a sound from under the house.

We shall see....

 

[hunt4570]

There is absolutely nothing on the planet that smells worse than Irish Spring.

Febreze!!! Its worse!

 

[PILOON]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, joined this thread late. Irish Spring Soap (original scent). We drill a hole through a bar and hang them from trees and bushes at "deer nose height" with a zip tie. It works.

I did mention it earlier on.

But to enhance the deterrent I shave it and make little bags with window screening (simply stapled) and a plastic roof (stapled) so that rain does not dissolve the soap flakes.

And WVBill, glad to have found another that has had positive results.
Surprised that this technique is not more widely known.

 

[California]

Reviewing the wifi cam this morning, none of the predators appeared under the house last night. Irish Spring scraped on the entry points seems to have worked.

However. For the first time the camera showed a rat, running on top of a suspended gas pipe.

I need to apply Irish Spring in top of the plumbing under the house. That hadn't occurred to me.

 

[WVH1977]

There is a motion detection system that shoots water at the deer. I know someone that has it and says they don't have any issues anymore.

 

[WVH1977]

I don't normally have too many issues with deer but crows will clean you out as well. Same with raccoons and squirrels. Had a groundhog eat my entire patch of lettuce one time. Really set me off.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I don't normally have too many issues with deer but crows will clean you out as well. Same with raccoons and squirrels. Had a groundhog eat my entire patch of lettuce one time. Really set me off.

Yep.
Step 1: Plant corn
Step 2: Crows, turkeys, chipmunks dig up corn
Step 3: Go to step 1

 

[oosik]

We had a garden and an orchard. We NEVER found anything that worked 100% of the time nor lasted that long.

Around here if you must keep deer out - ABSOLUTLEY. Eight foot high heavy mesh fence with minimum two foot, three foot is better - top mounted outrigger. Two or three strands of barbed wire on the outrigger.

Now - what are you going to do about the coons that will climb the fence. And the moles, voles, pocket gophers and chipmunks. And the entire "crew" that will dig under the fence.

We kept a garden for four years. We learned - the "wild creatures" have no desire to share. We got tired of keeping a garden for the "wild creatures".

We did keep six apple trees. We were usually able to get all the apples we needed. It was simply because neither the deer nor the baby coons could get at all the apples. It certainly wasn't for their lack of trying.