Growing outside, effective Deer and rabbit treatments.

[Frankster]

Alright, 2 plants got nabbed today, but it looks like the 4 legged type. Help me here people, I want to nip this in the bud so to speak, and yes, I'm actually growing close to the deer and rabbit trails, so I know this is going to be an issue going forward.


I see Plantskydd, Bobbex and Deer and Rabbit spray, they look like there effective.

Any advice? Please share.

My cat usually only nibbles, so I stick a pant in front for him for that purpose, but he's not a problem. But when I go out there and the entire plant is missing, that's a problem.

 

[GrowHobo]

Man this is one I’m real interested to see how it goes for you because I feel your pain I grew up in whitetail country in the Midwest. The only thing I personally know that really works is a fence unfortunately. I once had something dig up a fairly large plant and eat the potting soil but when I was a kid but we always had the most success raising them to 16 inches or so inside before putting them out. I’ve known people to use mesh bags of dog hair tied to the pot to varying degrees of success to keep the little stuff away.

 

[Frankster]

Man this is one I’m real interested to see how it goes for you because I feel your pain I grew up in whitetail country in the Midwest. The only thing I personally know that really works is a fence unfortunately. I once had something dig up a fairly large plant and eat the potting soil but when I was a kid but we always had the most success raising them to 16 inches or so inside before putting them out. I’ve known people to use mesh bags of dog hair tied to the pot to varying degrees of success to keep the little stuff away.

Yea, I'm from deer country also. In, N. Illinois, I've seen 400 lb whitetail bucks outside my room where I grew up, but we do have our fair share of their smaller cousins out here as well. Elk and Moose are farther out, so luckly, just deer and rabbit, but they are everywhere out there, so I'm concerned. Most of the one's I've set out so far are around 4-6 inches, not willing to chance the bigger plants yet, but at some point, that's the plan and I want to have measures in place before then.

Maybe motion detectors with flashing lights, but that's a risk in and of itself, promoting discovery by the 2 legged critters.

For now, I spayed some "bug eviction" and it smells like strong garlic.

Bug Eviction

All Natural Bug Repellant No Kill- outstanding repellent! smells natural Concentrate- 1 gallon makes 64 gallons of repellant The Best Insect Control for your garden and Lawn

www.gsplantfoods.com

 

[11Hick11]

Here's your sign! Just put it outside.

 

[Frankster]

So this is my gig, PUTRESCENT EGG SOLIDS is the remedy of choice here. I'm sure it's probably not good for flowering plants, but if it's sprayed around the patch, I think it will help.

Apparently, rotten eggs is disgusting to deer.... (who would guess) Fuck the $69 remedy for a gallon... I can make barrels of this shit at 1.5% eggs to water, and a little garlic juice.

But it might draw vultures, do vultures eat reefer?


The EPA has declared that putrescent whole egg solids do not pose any unreason- able adverse effects on the environment when used according to the label. Putrescent whole egg solids are used as an active ingredient to protect various plants, particularly shrubs and trees, from damage by deer, elk and beaver.

https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/56137/putrescent-eggs-MRP-NYSIPM.pdf?sequence=1

 

[Dr.Green55]

For our vegetable garden we use meat meal for deer that keeps them out really good, rabbits we use Bobbex that works ok

 

[GrowHobo]

That’s awesome!! Better get some old rubber boots out lol. I will say I don’t recall ever having lost a plant in flower to anything with more than two legs. The natural stink seems to do the job by then. Still gotta worry about bugs though.

 

[Aqua Man]

Neither can eat plants from the dinner table.... just sayin

 

[ImpulsiveGrower]

I used to use a granular product that worked for most animals and I never had a problem. Out of 20 outdoor plants I had one get topped for me by a deer LOL. Turned out better than the plant next to it that wasn’t topped and it was the same strain so thanx deer!! I also would regularly pee around my patches bc animals stay away from human urine...

 

[Frankster]

Neither can eat plants from the dinner table.... just sayin

 

[Frankster]

I used to use a granular product that worked for most animals and I never had a problem. Out of 20 outdoor plants I had one get topped for me by a deer LOL. Turned out better than the plant next to it that wasn’t topped and it was the same strain so thanx deer!! I also would regularly pee around my patches bc animals stay away from human urine...

Yea, I suppose human urine is effective, but only to the point where there afraid. I've had deer outside my screen door and whole groups of them would stand 6-10 foot away, because they came to feed in the wintertime, and I had put things out. They can get really bold, but it's usually driven by feeding/hunger or the rut, for the most part, I believe. But it's certainly a feeding time for them right now, and their targeting new growth, especially.

The problem is, the best places tend to have deer on them. It's not much different anywhere you go. Anywhere with good soil drainage, and water, sunlight are going to attract those kinds of animals.

 

[Frankster]

Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for Plantskydd Repellents - Plantskydd

Plantskydd Repellent SDS Sheet PDF Download links: SDS – Plantskydd RTU Pre-Mixed Liquid (PDF Document) SDS – Plantskydd Granular (PDF Document) SDS – Plantskydd +Plus Wettable Powder Concentrate (PDF Document) SDS – Plantskydd Powder Concentrate (PDF Document) Powder Concentrate Active...

www.plantskydd.com

Active Ingredient:

dried blood (porcine and/or bovine) 99.84%


Inert Ingredient:
vegetable oil 0.16%

 

[Frankster]

My guess is anything rotting or dead, blood, eggs, carcass, "ded things", they can smell them, makes them paranoid, (like strong weed) because they know they are on the menu, and they don't eat meat. Genetics say get far away....

The FRANKENSTEIN monster is coming, HIDE!

So the smell of rotting carcass means Cougar, wild cats, wolves, coyote especially when your up in the mountain spot.
Good, I've got plenty of porcine blood and can spray it like no tomorrow, and it will make things GROW

Where's that dogshit strain when you need it.
I want a strain that smells like dead carcass, so the deer leave it THE FUCK ALONE.

 

[lvstealth]

get your barber to save a few bags of hair, scatter it around. you can also try used socks, just wear socks, then put them on a pole around the area

only other thing i can tell you, feed them on the other side of the yard!

 

[redshift75]

My guess is anything rotting or dead, blood, eggs, carcass, "did things", they can smell them, makes them paranoid, (like a strong weed) because they know they are on the menu, and they don't eat meat. Genetics say get far away...

The FRANKENSTEIN monster is coming, HIDE!

So the smell of rotting carcass means Cougar, wild cats, wolves, coyote especially when you're up in the mountain spot.
Good, I've got plenty of porcine blood and can spray it like no tomorrow, and it will make things GROW

Where's that dogshit strain when you need it.
I want a strain that smells like a dead carcass, so the deer leave it THE FUCK ALONE.

I would have to disagree with this. deer do not care about death in the slightest. In fact most animals that impact farming and agriculture dont care about death(at least like we do when someone we know dies). When I was getting paid to slaughter deer for CWD management. We had stacks of deer in a truck with dozen or so laying in a field and they still kept walking up in herds every 30 minutes. The fields were stocked with corn spreaders spreading for days prior. they don't have the same sense of death as humans. They care about a direct death in their herd... maybe... but year after year deer get shot in the same spot as a dead deer in many places. 100% in my experience deer don't give a damn about death. Dead cow in a field deer still grazing. I process animals from the field regularly and still get 20+ deer a day minimum in my fields. I have to factor in about 20% or better loss to deer and have year-round management permit for them. Isn't much that works. but is lots of wives tales and myths. Most things aren't effective long-term. Because they only work when a deer isn't hungry. eventually, they will be somewhere those deterrants don't matter when they are hungry and smell something good. They care about getting the good stuff before other animals do. if every field would be saved by only shooting 1 deer and leaving it to rot would be amazingly effective considering the numbers some harvest to stop crop damage. Even long term to crop damage permits they still most times eventually tell you, to get fencing. Really the permit comes into play when nature and other animals bust your fencing and you need to overlap that time. but its way more effective using birdshot in the air than shooting the dozen deer that will come through all night. Cause it really has to have them actively damaging crop not considering it. Would be really unethical if you see a deer and can run it off to just wait and shoot it... At least in my opinion.

even a farmer on a tractor with a rifle doesn't phase deer at times. they came right into my field while I was plowing this week.

strictly to ops point and my opinion dealing with this as a farmer.

I think the biggest thing to factor in is deer herd size. do you have a few deer somewhere or do you know deer are coming through every day looking for food? higher pressure from herd numbers generally means more desperation to scavenge for food at times. Which tends to be the flowering period or certain peaks during veg as cannabis hits sweet spots when other natural sources are running bare and in between fruiting/blooms. and your plants being maintained are obviously a much better option for that small area.

Honestly avoid spending much cash on this cause it's a worse problem and money pit than nutrients, amendments, all growing techniques you can buy combined. (edit: think about it the usda gives farmers millions of dollars for this each year... year after year.)


the best deterrent is cheap bags of deer food plot seed, spread the seed in other areas. Deer rather forage for easier higher-quality food. than any ganja. JUST GIVE EM WHAT THEY WANT! i say. Its a small price to pay in the barder with nature to share their habitat. That's probably why I've never had rabbit damage either. neighbors with no food plots and no apple trees. Jumped right through his greenhouse plastic to eat his bud. At least for me, they try to get in my garden vs bother with the bud. Edit: well they also grew crops and it sustained a tear from wind damage which deer took advantage of promptly. For me, They see the ganja protected and say let's opt for the better stuff behind the other fence or better yet the stuff 20 feet that way with no fence. i only used a cheap $4 roll of deer fence and some zip ties. compounded with an $8 clearance bag of deer food plot seed that was like 20lb bag good for 20k sq feet spread in patches around the area. i get one of those bags almost every fall clearance at one of a handful of stores. I do 8x8 plots all around or random spots Rake up some dirt sew the throw and grow seeds down, throw some compost over it or under it. I kind of rake it all in over the grass... Deer will be so focused on those chard and such they won't even care how sweet the ganja smells.

That's really all anyone needs to do for gardens that get deer damage. but even then depending on your actual crops for food. Can still be a better menu option than the other stuff. But to the ganja question, most food you grow will be a first-choice pick over bud to a deer.

so if you're growing bud next to a 200-acre cornfield. The odds are they won't care about your bud at all. But it could be at a stage in development where it's a better option than the corn to deer if the stars align properly. because scavengers scavenge.

 

[Frankster]

get your barber to save a few bags of hair, scatter it around. you can also try used socks, just wear socks, then put them on a pole around the area

only other thing i can tell you, feed them on the other side of the yard!

I don't use a barber, and even if I did, I haven't cut my hair in over 11 years. LOL, but maybe I could visit one here somewhere, and take away their excess hair.

 

[Frankster]

I would have to disagree with this. deer do not care about death in the slightest. In fact most animals that impact farming and agriculture dont care about death(at least like we do when someone we know dies). When I was getting paid to slaughter deer for CWD management. We had stacks of deer in a truck with dozen or so laying in a field and they still kept walking up in herds every 30 minutes. The fields were stocked with corn spreaders spreading for days prior. they don't have the same sense of death as humans. They care about a direct death in their herd... maybe... but year after year deer get shot in the same spot as a dead deer in many places. 100% in my experience deer don't give a damn about death. Dead cow in a field deer still grazing. I process animals from the field regularly and still get 20+ deer a day minimum in my fields. I have to factor in about 20% or better loss to deer and have year-round management permit for them. Isn't much that works. but is lots of wives tales and myths. Most things aren't effective long-term. Because they only work when a deer isn't hungry. eventually, they will be somewhere those deterrants don't matter when they are hungry and smell something good. They care about getting the good stuff before other animals do. if every field would be saved by only shooting 1 deer and leaving it to rot would be amazingly effective considering the numbers some harvest to stop crop damage. Even long term to crop damage permits they still most times eventually tell you, to get fencing. Really the permit comes into play when nature and other animals bust your fencing and you need to overlap that time. but its way more effective using birdshot in the air than shooting the dozen deer that will come through all night. Cause it really has to have them actively damaging crop not considering it. Would be really unethical if you see a deer and can run it off to just wait and shoot it... At least in my opinion.

even a farmer on a tractor with a rifle doesn't phase deer at times. they came right into my field while I was plowing this week.

strictly to ops point and my opinion dealing with this as a farmer.

I think the biggest thing to factor in is deer herd size. do you have a few deer somewhere or do you know deer are coming through every day looking for food? higher pressure from herd numbers generally means more desperation to scavenge for food at times. Which tends to be the flowering period or certain peaks during veg as cannabis hits sweet spots when other natural sources are running bare and in between fruiting/blooms. and your plants being maintained are obviously a much better option for that small area.

Honestly avoid spending much cash on this cause it's a worse problem and money pit than nutrients, amendments, all growing techniques you can buy combined. (edit: think about it the usda gives farmers millions of dollars for this each year... year after year.)


the best deterrent is cheap bags of deer food plot seed, spread the seed in other areas. Deer rather forage for easier higher-quality food. than any ganja. JUST GIVE EM WHAT THEY WANT! i say. Its a small price to pay in the barder with nature to share their habitat. That's probably why I've never had rabbit damage either. neighbors with no food plots and no apple trees. Jumped right through his greenhouse plastic to eat his bud. At least for me, they try to get in my garden vs bother with the bud. Edit: well they also grew crops and it sustained a tear from wind damage which deer took advantage of promptly. For me, They see the ganja protected and say let's opt for the better stuff behind the other fence or better yet the stuff 20 feet that way with no fence. i only used a cheap $4 roll of deer fence and some zip ties. compounded with an $8 clearance bag of deer food plot seed that was like 20lb bag good for 20k sq feet spread in patches around the area. i get one of those bags almost every fall clearance at one of a handful of stores. I do 8x8 plots all around or random spots Rake up some dirt sew the throw and grow seeds down, throw some compost over it or under it. I kind of rake it all in over the grass... Deer will be so focused on those chard and such they won't even care how sweet the ganja smells.

That's really all anyone needs to do for gardens that get deer damage. but even then depending on your actual crops for food. Can still be a better menu option than the other stuff. But to the ganja question, most food you grow will be a first-choice pick over bud to a deer.

so if you're growing bud next to a 200-acre cornfield. The odds are they won't care about your bud at all. But it could be at a stage in development where it's a better option than the corn to deer if the stars align properly. because scavengers scavenge.

I think what you say applies to many parts of the country yes, and I don't think deer are scared of the dead bodies per se, but the ones out here are certainly vigilant of the 200 lb cougars sitting up at my mountain property, and even the much more common 60 pound cats lurking pretty much everywhere. They are scared of wolves, and even packs of coyote. Those things attract dead animals, and the deer have a excellent sense of discriminating smell, and they tend to use it.

I agree with much of what you stated, but I think you don't give deer the credit of being intelligent creatures, because they don't think like a man does. I think there far more alert, than your giving them credit for...

They might not process it the same way, no doubt, but when a deer sees a dead body, or a relative die, it know's what's happening, and remembers it. It's has a mental capacity and feeling, emotions, just like any other mammal. I've seen hundreds, maybe thouands of people die over the years (over twenty years) with my past profession, and I don't process it the same way people do either. That's for certain.

 

[redshift75]

I think what you say applies to many parts of the country yes, and I don't think deer are scared of the dead bodies per se, but the ones out here are certainly vigilant of the 200 lb cougars sitting up at my mountain property, and even the much more common 60 pound cats lurking pretty much everywhere. They are scared of wolves, and even packs of coyote. Those things attract dead animals, and the deer have a excellent sense of discriminating smell, and they tend to use it.

I agree with much of what you stated, but I think you don't give deer the credit of being intelligent creatures, because they don't think like a man does. I think there far more alert, than your giving them credit for...

They might not process it the same way, no doubt, but when a deer sees a dead body, or a relative die, it know's what's happening, and remembers it. It's has a mental capacity and feeling, emotions, just like any other mammal. I've seen hundreds, maybe thouands of people die over the years (over twenty years) with my past profession, and I don't process it the same way people do either. That's for certain.

last year we filled our bobcat tag trapping also got a martin fisher, Deer season was ruined by a pack of wolves during day time in the open fieldbut they still managed to scavenge apples every night. I definitely know they will avoid them. But I honestly am of the belief considering last year they shared the field with a bear many nights to eat food. They only care about the scent when fresh and when it appears to not matter. i think deer living in the habitat have to smell them so often that if it is effective is really dependent on certain situations. repellents are far more effective in dense areas and scents far more effective in open areas. it might be different in the mountains where the animals have an advantage and again it just breaks down to your habitat. the deer in the north woods are different than in the mountains. Just like many places you cant grow food plots like I can just turning up the ground with a rake.

But to those scents most of them I can get trapping. Would I suggest going out and paying someone for them. No. An I think that's the point overall I was going for. Those things are money pits and not effective long term in the face of hunger 24 hours a day, because they in no way address the root issue of the problem. That is deer needing an alternative food source. I know people for years who put out 50lb bags of feed corn near their food plots as an alternative when growing in colorado to deal with the deer. i would say that's far more effective and cheap putting corn across the other side of your property to draw them scavenging that area. here its $4 a bag. Between that and a bag of salt for $5 can keep em going for a few weeks scavenging. Salt lasts longer than corn. Can get real creative and get salt, molasses and such and mix up a good 300lb batch of feed that lasts me about 2 months or better through archery and hunting for about $30-50 if I buy it all at the right time.

You can make a pvc deer feeder but I don't suggest it as someone who has had to slaughter CWD deer for no reason other than panic. so if possible i suggest a motorized spreader and moving it frequently if you want a hands off regular feeding nightly approach if someone goes that route.

 

[Frankster]

last year we filled our bobcat tag trapping also got a martin fisher, Deer season was ruined by a pack of wolves during day time in the open fieldbut they still managed to scavenge apples every night. I definitely know they will avoid them. But I honestly am of the belief considering last year they shared the field with a bear many nights to eat food. They only care about the scent when fresh and when it appears to not matter. i think deer living in the habitat have to smell them so often that if it is effective is really dependent on certain situations. repellents are far more effective in dense areas and scents far more effective in open areas. it might be different in the mountains where the animals have an advantage and again it just breaks down to your habitat. the deer in the north woods are different than in the mountains. Just like many places you cant grow food plots like I can just turning up the ground with a rake.

But to those scents most of them I can get trapping. Would I suggest going out and paying someone for them. No. An I think that's the point overall I was going for. Those things are money pits and not effective long term in the face of hunger 24 hours a day, because they in no way address the root issue of the problem. That is deer needing an alternative food source. I know people for years who put out 50lb bags of feed corn near their food plots as an alternative when growing in colorado to deal with the deer. i would say that's far more effective and cheap putting corn across the other side of your property to draw them scavenging that area. here its $4 a bag. Between that and a bag of salt for $5 can keep em going for a few weeks scavenging. Salt lasts longer than corn. Can get real creative and get salt, molasses and such and mix up a good 300lb batch of feed that lasts me about 2 months or better through archery and hunting for about $30-50 if I buy it all at the right time.

You can make a pvc deer feeder but I don't suggest it as someone who has had to slaughter CWD deer for no reason other than panic. so if possible i suggest a motorized spreader and moving it frequently if you want a hands off regular feeding nightly approach if someone goes that route.

Yea, I fully agree, most of that's going to depend on how hungry and thirsty they are, and where they have to go to fill that void. There programmed to survive and live to see another day, but they will be jumpy in those kinds of environments and seek to take care of business, then find a safe space.

I don't think bears are much of a threat, but maybe occasionally. But certainly cats, wolves and other predators. I think that kind of information can be leveraged to effect, if it's used properly. I also think there creatures of smell, and that if you can stink up the place sufficiently, with the smell of blood and carrion, it probably puts them on sufficient alert. I want them on edge anytime they come in those area's, so they move along...

I think a mixed approach is warranted with this subject, and should be approached from multiple angles. Then just find what's working best. Feeding in other spots might be helpful, I'll agree with that for sure.

 

[detroitjoe]

Why not try urine.

Preditor urine.