EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was authored by Eric Larson.
I spoke at a garden talk about gathering seeds last week and got a question about what I would recommend to solve the damage she was experiencing from the deer in her neighborhood.
As I went home from church last week, I also came close to hitting deer again.
There is a well-worn deer trail along my usual route home. This time of year, one of our essential topics is what we can do about the deer across our paths. Deer don’t go away.
Driving at night with all the deer exposes us to accidents on the road, and danger increases proportionately.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, in November, we are in the middle of the time frame where Ohio has experienced the most automobile accidents because of deer, from October to December.
With does giving birth to twins yearly, the population grows more extensively.
Larger populations of deer mean that we experience the problems of more deer.
Nature can and does self-correct. When I was going to school to learn more about landscaping, my professors mentioned several times how damages from deer were the highest of all. Let’s not miss this astounding fact.
Ohio pioneers experienced deer populations ranging up to 20,000. Just 40 years ago, there were 17,000 deer in Ohio, compared to statistics today, which show 670,00 – 950,000. These deer have caused 109,507 automobile accidents in Ohio since 2019. Fortunately, 95% of all deer-involved crashes only resulted in property damage.
Yet, there were 45 deaths from 44 crashes because of deer. In 2013, 191 drivers lost their lives in the U.S. State Farm paid an average of $4,135 per claim in 2015.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and State Farm, deer, elk, and moose cause $1 billion in damage annually. It is not unusual for a farmer to experience $200 in losses per acre, which cuts into the survivability of that farmer.
Statistics also reveal that farmers in Ohio have experienced 50% of losses regularly related to deer damage. Such losses mean that we all need to address this problem because these costs will affect all of us.
Deer are starving in the woods and raiding our gardens and fields. As time progresses, we shall find that deer will do more damage to our environment. I want people to encourage hunters in the area to help with this serious problem. Hungry deer will find their way into our yard if our yards are the only meal available.
If the natural habitat adequately supports the deer concentration, then damage to our yard will be minimal. If the population is high, damage will happen.
Fortunately, there are many solutions to the deer situation, starting with what we can do and graduating to our communities.
As a landscape designer, I have been battling deer since working in this industry. My first job was to look at what was eating 23 Witchita Blue Junipers at home on Miles Road in Cleveland.
The bottom third of the junipers were defoliated, completely striped. Deer are difficult to address in brutal winters and will eat almost anything.
This homeowner was close to the Cleveland Emerald Necklace Park System, where you would find deer, and they would come up to feed on people’s landscapes. I can make recommendations of what plants to grow in different locations.
One reason for various solutions is that some are more effective than others. The prevailing wisdom is to start with the least drastic solution and advance to harsher treatments if the first treatment does not work.
Deer are more innovative and more resilient than we assume, and they progressively learn every tactic you try. Because deer are smart, our first wave must be the strongest and make it count.
I have had varying levels of success using the following deer management tools. These are some of the recommendations that I encourage. Over the years, I have recommended a variety of trees, shrubs, and perennials as plantings in our gardens to manage deer damage. Large dogs chase deer, which helps reduce the deer’s chance of browsing.
Several repellents and deterrents are on the market with varying levels of success. These repellents can be somewhat effective if appropriately applied. I have heard human hair, blood, soap, and feces from predators at the zoo can reduce damage. All of these must be re-applied at regular intervals.
The best solution to the problem is a product I have tested for at least eighteen years.
“Scare Crow” was originally a Canadian product, a simple concept. This electronic eye hooks up to an outside water source and a hose. When the deer breaks a beam, he gets a shower and dashes into the woods. The “Scare Crow” is the best solution I have seen over all these years. Email me, and I will forward you some of my findings.
If you have any gardening questions, please e-mail me at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.
Soon, this column will be published in a blog on the website www.ohiohealthyfoodcooperative.org. I’ll do the best I can to help.