They topped all my sunflowers, about 30 bean seedlings, mowed down one of my full-grown bush beans, and over-pruned one of my watermelon vines in a single night. I saw some spots where they nibbled at my potatoes as well. These suburban deer are a menace. With as many dogs as we have running around here, you’d think they’d stay away, but no, they don’t care
I’m gonna have to build a fence next season
I was tilling my garden a month or two ago and got to one end, turned around, and casually strolling right through the middle of the plot, literally 10 feet in front of me and a very loud tiller, was a young buck. Completely unafraid of me or the tiller.
On another day, I was using a chainsaw to cut down some buckthorn and that same buck was within 5 feet of me eating the leaves on the trees I just cut down. Again completely unafraid.
I put up a small net around the perimeter a few days before I put my plants in and they knocked it over, tore the net, and bent the poles. There wasn’t even anything in the garden! And to top it all off, there were several fresh piles of poop.
So I put in 8 ft. T poles every 4 feet around the perimeter, doubled up the net, secured it at the top and the bottom, and they haven’t gotten in yet (although I watched one of them biting at it). Unfortunately the neighbors are feeding these deer, so they have almost no fear of people.
I had a cousin get thrashed by a buck in rut once. They have all the necessary bits to really do some damage
Feeding deer is illegal in some places. In Pennsylvania it’s illegal because of the wasting disease that is going through the population. You’d be doing the deer a favor if you called the game warden and reported if it is illegal in your area.