Hello Growers

So many people love to see a family of deer grazing through their yard. Some good-hearted souls even feed the deer to encourage them to come around. My 94-year-old friend calls this the “Bambi Phenomenon”. Buck has lived in these parts for more than 40 years. He has seen so many changes and regarding deer, he recalls the days when deer were shot at when they came around. The deer were considered a food source, most people had a gun and hunting regulations had not been created. People did not need to fence their gardens because the deer were too people shy to come that close. Also, predators were numerous so the population was kept under control.

Buck says; ” Then that movie “Bambi” came out and Disney forever changed the way we look at deer. Nowadays with the reduction of populations of predators, hunting regulations, increased housing density, etc, the population of deer has exploded! This is not healthy for the deer, humans or plant life. I have heard deer referred to as hoofed rats by my farmer friends.

If you want to grow a garden in the outlying areas where deer populate, you will want to fence your garden. You will probably be ok if you live in town. I would recommend fence posts being 10’ and finished fence approximately 7’ high. Once your fence is protecting your precious plantings, you can enjoy the beauty of deer as they cruise your unfenced property.

Good Luck

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