It would be an understatement to say that we have a deer problem. On second thought, it's the deer that have a people problem. We've so encroached on their territory that nothing is "theirs" any longer. Possibly even more importantly, we've destroyed the population of natural predators, so the countless herds go unchecked year after year.
My first buck. Got'em with a peanut butter sandwich and a catchpole.
Fat Bear Farm has been a sweet spot for the white-taileds for quite some time. They've been allowed to buffet on our blueberries with no repercussions whatsoever. Our dogs don't roam around the property, viciously defending their masters' cause; Thurgood and Miles spend their nights in soft, cozy beds (either of the dog or human sort), and they barely even lift a brow when we encounter groups of seven to ten does on our twice-daily walks. Furthermore, Ben and I are vegetarians and have not found it in our hearts to hunt them down mercilessly.
Last blueberry season that was the straw that broke the camel's back. We had a late frost, and the berries were struggling. The summer was oh so dry, and there wasn't a lot of other food for the deer to eat. So, they hit our blueberry buffet hard.
No more! No more! No more! We are fully electrified! Ben's Dear Dad made it happen, and we couldn't have done it without him. I am ever humbled by his generosity.
Our strawberries and blackberries share the same patch of land as the blueberries, so they will also be safe from deer. Now that we're protected, we'll be adding root vegetables to this same piece of land (deer especially love tender baby sweet potato vines).
We only have to remain vigilant about the rabbits, birds, and wild hogs.
