North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Jim Fruth" <jfruth@tds.net>]

Jerry,
   I live in a wooded part of town where it is difficult to walk down the 
snow-covered streets without stepping on deer tracks.  I've got neighbors 
who attract deer to our area because they put out grain for the deer to eat. 
I have not had good thoughts about these neighbors and I've been known to 
give voice to those thoughts, especially when the critters prune my 
raspberries or munch on my strawberry plants.  Now, after listening to all 
of you folks with your deer problems, I'm beginning to think I've got it 
pretty good.  I generally don't have deer damage every year.  It is not 
unusual to find deer tracks in the garden/orchard nearly every morning but 
they almost never nibble on anything.  Last Fall was the worst damage ever 
when they ate part of a row of strawberry plants - one spraying of Thiram in 
dilute latex paint took care of that.
   Maybe I should start being nice to my deer-feeding neighbors.  After 
hearing your, et. al., problems, maybe, just maybe, my neighbors are 
providing the solution.  Maybe the deer are no longer hungry after filling 
up on the grain hand-outs.  Could the grain taste better than my garden and 
orchard plants.  I heard that ruminants tend to get indigestion if they eat 
too much grain; could that be why they rarely nibble here?  Maybe.  Worth a 
try?

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]

I have tried everything for deer:  1) Fence with a dog inside.  Dog was too
lazy. 2) Hanging Irish Spring soap from apple tree branches.  Deer ignored 
it.
3)  Human urine.  I got tired of going outside. 4)8 Ft height mesh designed
for deer.  Deer jumped it. 5) electric fence with peanut butter--it worked! 
And
it continues to work.  And after about 4 weeks, if one gets in--I putout 
more
peanut butter and they stay away.  If I leave the gate open, the turkeys 
walk
right in and help themselves to my strawberries and apples.  They are not
dumb.  But the electric fence idea with peanut butter on it works so they 
get a
shock when they take a lick-- works like a charm and it's the only thing 
that
does.  Jerry in southern Indiana.