Deer - corn- and electric chipmunks

Posted by jdemaris on July 20, 2006 at 05:29:44 from (66.218.11.143):

In Reply to: OT/ deer in the garden wipeing out the corn posted by wh604 on July 20, 2006 at 04:09:09:

I've had the same sort of problem here for years - but I cannot offer a good solution. I sometimes suspect that the deer - although usually the largest animal in our garden and fields - causes less damage then many smaller ones. We did have a moose come through our corn field last year - but that's rare. Also had a black bear in our blueberry bushes - but the corn wasn't bothered. Also had a beaver drop a tree on to a newly planted field. In regard to the suggestions offered by other posters - I've done them all and more - to no avail. My last effort was electric fence - and - what a joke! The deer go under, over - or through it until it breaks. But - one funny story. One day my dog was chasing a chipmunk - and just as they both got near electric fence - my dog got zapped when his nose hit the fence just an inch from the chipmunk. Ever since that day he shys away from chipmunks - he seems to think they are electified.
And - in regard to chipmunks. They climb our blueberry bushes and pick half for themselves.
We have our own small "kitchen" garden plus 10-15 acres of sweet corn, pumpkins, squash, cabbage, etc. that we sell roadside. So - some of the plants are in sight of our kitchen window, and others are over the hill and out of sight.
Years ago my mindset was - we'll plant enough extra to feed the deer et. al. and still have plenty left over. That seemed to work at first, but not anymore. But . . . in defense of the deer - as far as I can tell - they finish what they start - i.e. if they start nibbling on a good ear of corn, at least they finish the d*mn thing - they don't trash the field. Now - the coons? It's like they're half drunk and mad at the corn and me. They will come - with friends and family - and tear down 20 ears - take one bite, and then tear down 20 more, etc. And, the turkeys? They cause early damage when the corn is in it's two-leaf stage. They either pull it out of the ground looking for the seed, and/or take a dust bath and leave a three-foot crater where young corn had been. And - the woodchucks and rabbits? This year they ate an entire field of broccoli and cabbage - looks like it was snipped off with scissors. I put out some live traps and caught a few possums, skunks, and porcupines also - they're eating something but I'm not sure what. I didn't kill any of them - just dumped them in the woods five miles away.
The New York State Department of Conservation gave me special nusiance permits to kill six deer. I walked up to one field in the evening and a momma deer and two fawns were standing there in the corn - she looked a me without moving and the little ones just kept on nibbling.
I did not shoot anything or anyone - just went back home. So - maybe it's now my fault. I don't have the heart to shoot a family of deer just because they want to eat. The coons - well that's a different story. I wish I still had my Blue Tick hound - I'd do a hunt one of these nights.

Replies:

• Electric Fence for deer... Matt from CT 05:45:18 07/20/06 (0)

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