what do deer like to eat?

[noodleknitter]

Funny.

There are 20 dead deer between here, and the U my husband works for, about 35 miles away. Each of those deer represent at least a dent in a car, and 4 of them represent entire families that have been seriously injured.

You might want to remove your family from the earth, for the whole population issue, but I'm betting that you prefer not to. I also suspect you would rather not they be killed in an accident involving a huge creature coming over your hood and into your windshield.

I'd prefer to see them killed quickly and humanely and used for their meat. No different than any other meat product.

 

[slo]

I would disagree.

This story was reported just this past Sunday:

Deer Attacks, Kills His Owner in N.Y.
New York Man Killed by Buck He Kept Penned Up on His Property; Details Unavailable

ELLENBURG, N.Y. Nov 12, 2006 (AP)— A deer being kept in a pen attacked and killed his owner Sunday, state police said.

The buck that killed Ronald Donah, 43, was among about a half dozen deer penned up on his property in Ellenburg, about 180 miles north of Albany, said state Trooper Joseph House.

Details of Donah's injuries and what may have prompted the attack were not available Sunday.

Maureen Wren, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said Donah had a license to keep the white tail deer on his property but did not know why he was doing so.

She said deer attacks, at least in the wild, are extremely rare.

Donah was taken to CVPH Medical Center in Plattsburgh, where he died. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday.

I said they are nice to watch - like from my living room window. I can agree that capturing wild deer and keeping them penned up is a bad idea.

The deer by us come very very close to the house. We watch them through the window and I think they are wonderful for my girls to see. Once my DH or I walk outside they lift their little white tails and run away.

Our house and my neighbors house has been here since 1990 and there has never been a problem with deer attacking someone. I know this for certain because my DH is an EMT in town and he would be the first one called to the residence if there was a situation.

I can agree that I wouldn't try and pet one or approach one - but if you give it it's space and leave it alone, it will do the same for you. Now granted, there may be a crazy one in the bunch, but isn't that the same for humans?! I don't go shopping at night out of the fear that I'm going to be attacked in the parking lot of the mall. I gotta tell ya, I feel safer with the deer than I do shopping alone at night.

Edited to say, this is not a flame, just a simple discussion - Many people know, I don't believe in flaming!!!!

 

[Melwood23]

Deer are browsers. They don't eat grass, but more like leaves, clover, flowers and plants, thus do not encourage them into you yard. They also love grains, mostly corn.


As others have mentioned once deer season is over, put salt lick, deer feed, in the field so you can observe them from a distance. But again if you are in an area that has a deer problem, on over abundance, then you maybe told not to feed them. So you may need to check with your Dept of Natural Resources.

 

[aynt79]

An article from my college a few years ago:here. The deer just freaked out and came crashing through a window.

I wouldn't feed them or put out salt licks. We have a couple of deer in our backyard but as pretty as they are, I'm not encouraging them. They carry ticks and fleas, are totally unpredictable (wild animals), and you don't want to interrupt their natural feeding patterns.

And as someone pointed out, I wouldn't want them anywhere near me during hunting season. There are some irresponsible hunters out there, you don't want to watch the deer get shot or even get hurt yourself. There was a case about fifteen years ago in Maine of a woman shot and killed in her backyard because a hunter mistook her white mittens for a deer's tail.

 

[ozarkmom]

They eat the acorns in our yard and when we used to plant a big garden they always loved the cantaloupe. They're in our yard all the time especially this time of year.

 

[imsorry]

I said they are nice to watch - like from my living room window. I can agree that capturing wild deer and keeping them penned up is a bad idea.

The deer by us come very very close to the house. We watch them through the window and I think they are wonderful for my girls to see. Once my DH or I walk outside they lift their little white tails and run away.

Our house and my neighbors house has been here since 1990 and there has never been a problem with deer attacking someone. I know this for certain because my DH is an EMT in town and he would be the first one called to the residence if there was a situation.

I can agree that I wouldn't try and pet one or approach one - but if you give it it's space and leave it alone, it will do the same for you. Now granted, there may be a crazy one in the bunch, but isn't that the same for humans?! I don't go shopping at night out of the fear that I'm going to be attacked in the parking lot of the mall. I gotta tell ya, I feel safer with the deer than I do shopping alone at night.

Edited to say, this is not a flame, just a simple discussion - Many people know, I don't believe in flaming!!!!

I agree. In the winter we always have a family of four deer that come into our backyard. They love sunflower seeds - we found this out because they always were under our birdfeeders! I love watching them, and as soon as they see us in the window they go back into the woods. I can't stand the thought of people shooting them.

 

[Deb in IA]

There was a case about fifteen years ago in Maine of a woman shot and killed in her backyard because a hunter mistook her white mittens for a deer's tail.

I remember that case well, because that woman's husband is a clinical pediatric psychologist who works in my clinic.

As I recall, in the ensuing trial, the townpeople sided with the hunters, even blaming the victim for wearing white gloves, essentially saying she "asked for it." They were all found not guily of reckless homicide. Her husband, understandably, no longer felt comfortable in the community, and returned to Iowa.

 

[Deb in IA]

I found some more information about that case:

http://www.courttv.com/trials/berseth/backgrounder_ctv.html

And in 1988, a Bangor, Maine, woman, Karen Wood, was bringing the laundry in from her yard when she was shot and killed. The hunter, Donald Rogerson, said he mistook her white mittens for the tail of a deer. Rogerson was acquitted of manslaughter in 1990, but the public debate spurred Maine to pass a "target identification" law in 1991 to hold hunters accountable for itchy trigger fingers.

 

[kaysmommie]

Funny.

There are 20 dead deer between here, and the U my husband works for, about 35 miles away. Each of those deer represent at least a dent in a car, and 4 of them represent entire families that have been seriously injured.

You might want to remove your family from the earth, for the whole population issue, but I'm betting that you prefer not to. I also suspect you would rather not they be killed in an accident involving a huge creature coming over your hood and into your windshield.

I'd prefer to see them killed quickly and humanely and used for their meat. No different than any other meat product.

Gross! I don't eat deer meat and hardly eat other meat for that matter. I think making a comment about my family is uncalled for and a little rude! I'm just not into hunting or people who hunt, but that is my opinion. Maybe people should slow down. I have never hit a dear or had one run my car over and where I used to live they were everywhere. Anyway I'm done going OT.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Plant $60 worth of pansies like I did a couple of years ago - they'll be gone the next day!!!

 

[Mumbling Jumba]

I know that they eat my herbs every year that they can get to them

Seriously though when they are in the rut they can be very dangerous. Me and my DW have been challenged in our back yard by male deer.