Deer in the garden

[Mick F]

We have many of them, and a couple of weeks ago, I snapped a female in the garden.
This evening, she's there again and I took a better shot of her.
Standing outside, she sort of looked round, but didn't scare off. No doubt if I moved nearer, she's have been off on her heels.

We see them loadsa times here, and it's nice to see a regular.

[Si]

Nice.

I remember being at a campsite near helman tor, they had a pool at the bottom of the hill and one evening i went down there to sit on a bench. I looked round and a deer had just wandered out of the woods and was stood next to me, sipping water....not a care in the world!

Whereas on the first mbt tace i ever did atledbury, halfway roundi had an ossing gurt stag launch it self across the singletrack at me...dodged round him and overtook about 30 riders such was the adrenaline surge!

[Redvee]

Fresh venison?

[Mick F]

She was here again this afternoon, but she objected and stood up when I opened the back door ...................... whilst Radio4 was blaring out.

[old_windbag]

She was here again this afternoon, but she objected and stood up when I opened the back door ...................... whilst Radio4 was blaring out.

Deer have an aversion to Archers.

[Mick F]

She was there again this morning. Same exact spot. She was there during the Today prog on R4 so she must like current affairs.

Not there now, and the radio is off, so I went out to see her spot, and it's quite well dented and flattened. I'm going to keep an eye out for her this afternoon maybe during You and Yours, or The World at One.

[Bonefishblues]

I think that must be an Ibex or similar, judging by the cliff it appears to be standing on

Steep down your way Mick!

[Mick F]

Yes, steep!

Our drive is about 25% up, and the garden slopes sideways at maybe 30% at the steepest. It's a bugger to cut the grass, so I may have to train the deer to eat it.

[Psamathe]

I keep deer out of my garden from year or two ago. They were getting too destructive. Previously had just one and level of damage was "frustrating"; then he/she found a mate and damage increased; then group of 3+ and now they are everywhere. They would wander around the garden eating shrubs, damaging fruit trees - so they were banned from the garden. Now they seem to keep hanging around the gate and ditch.

Ian

[axel_knutt]

The only time I've seen a deer in the garden was at High Close hostel, I saw it from the kitchen window as I was getting breakfast. I saw a muntjac running along the pavement at the side of a busy road in town once.

[mercalia]

yum yum
get out the gun
yum yum

[Psamathe]

yum yum
get out the gun
yum yum

I have thought of that or rather thought about inviting the neighbouring farm to (I don't have or understand guns). Trouble is (I assume) you need to get the deer positioned where you can have a safe clear shot and with roads and paths around used by dog walkers that could be difficult.

They have loads of pheasant shoots in this area but they get to chose where the pheasants are and where they are and can (hopefully) take safety precautions.

Ian

[ambodach]

Too many new houses built around me now or my freezer would be full of venison. Strange when they are destroying your garden they are wild animals and uncontrollable and belong to nobody. Shoot one and an owner pops up on the spot. They are just large destructive vermin and also a cause of many road accidents. Nearly got taken out by one when I was out on my bike yesterday.

[Mick F]

A friend of ours had his written off by a Dartmoor pony. The animal jumped off a bank onto his bonnet and it was good that he wasn't driving very fast. He was ok, and so was the pony, but the car came out of it quite badly.

[old_windbag]

They are just large destructive vermin and also a cause of many road accidents.

You're talking about car drivers I guess.

too many new houses built around me now or my freezer would be full of venison.

But now you can fill your freezer with humans, apparently it tastes like pork.


I think the statement of too many new houses speaks volumes of what is the most damaging and overpopulated species. Deer aren't a problem..... the problem is man getting rid of all the primary predators in the bigger scheme of things and upsetting the whole balance of something that wasn't broken. But if wolves or lynx were re-introduced then you'd all be grumbling about the "threat" they pose. We as humans are the cause of so many misplaced species and invasive plants..... yet we throw the blame on those species.

Enjoy the deer, even accept that you may lose some plants, or sit down and think of how you could make your garden non deer invasive. Many would love the opportunity to live in an environment as close to such wildlife. It seems the ones who do are the ones who grumble about it all. Move into the middle of the city and have drunks waking you up at 2am, cars screeching and racing each other, scrambler bikes marauding around the estate, and the threat of being burgled every time you leave for a holiday or business trip. There are a lot who live with such who would see everyones wildlife problems in a different light.