How NOT to deter deer.......

Hello all! After reading other threads on the subject of keeping deer out of gardens, I just had to share my efforts at detering deer. It was not successful, but sure makes for a funny story......

Several years ago I rented a plot at our county community garden which is between two rivers and surrounded by wooded areas. (Major deer corridor) Hoping to fill my freezer with purple hull peas, I planted seven 50' rows of them. This is akin to opening a candy store for deer. I tried everything to keep the deer away. And I mean EVERTYTHING! I started by staking the corners and running string around the peramiters of the plot tying plastic Wal-Mart bags and plastic ribbon every 12". Even adding helium filled mylar balloons later. Nope - they just thought these were party decorations and, based on the hoof prints, several would attend the party at a time.

Next, I tried soap chips, cheap perfum, etc. Nah - this just added "ambiance" to the party. After being told the human scent in human hair would deter them, I had my hairdresser save bags and bags of the stuff he swept up off his shop floor. (that was kinda weird spreading other people's hair about my garden) Well, of course this was another failed attempt so the next advice I got was to pull out the big guns. I needed a stronger human scent......urine! My husband was required to pee into jars so I could "sprinkle" it around the garden and up and down the rows every few days. (the first pee of the morning is supposed to be the strongest - I was really getting into this) If he ever dared join me at the plot he was asked to use the "direct application" method!

Well, I'm here to report I DIDN'T GET A SINGLE SERVING OF PEAS from the combined 350 feet of peas planted!!!!!!!!!! But I did hear there was a bumper crop of deer that year...... =)

Debra "Peas leave me alone" Fuqua

Debra,
This is too funny! ROTFLOL!
JoAnn

JoAnn,

It wasn't funny then, but I can laugh about it now. I had several bad experiences with that garden that are laughable now - like the bumble bee in my pants that stung me 8 times! Before driving home to treat the area, I had to know the bee was no longer in my pants. The only person around to help was this nice retired gentleman with a neighboring garden. I was a little embarrassed to ask Pete if he would "look in my pants" to be sure the bee was gone. But, I guess he liked what he saw - he gave me a cantaloupe!

Once home, I discovered one of the bee's barbed legs was still caught in my underwear. I glued it onto a page of my garden journal as proof of my story! Still have it today!

Debra

Debra-that is just Too funny. I have heard of all of those methods-some work for folks-maybe different parts of the country?
I was seen running-in high heels-with a flyswatter-after the squirrels who were deadheading my Unopened tulip buds. That was a very Long time ago., still makes me laugh.
The things we do for gardens.

Marcia,
That's quite a visual! You gave me a good idea for a new thread - funny gardening stories. Hope you will share yours there, too. See ya there!
Debra