Skip to main content

Deer

Garden pest

Description​

Deer are browsing mammals that feed on many garden plants. “Deer” refers to several species in the family Cervidae, rather than one species with a single scientific name. They eat tender leaves, shoots, flowers, seedlings, and fruit, and may browse woody shrubs and young trees. Feeding is often most noticeable on new growth, but damage can occur throughout the growing season and in winter when other food is scarce. Repeated browsing can leave plants misshapen or stunted and may prevent them from flowering or producing fruit. Deer can also trample beds. In autumn, males may rub their antlers against young tree trunks, stripping bark and sometimes severely damaging the tree. What deer eat varies with the season, local food supply, and individual animals, so a plant left untouched one year may be browsed the next. Deer damage is primarily a problem of lost growth and physical injury, not a plant disease.

Symptoms​

  • Stems chewed or cut through
  • Stunted growth

How to Identify​

Look for missing shoots or foliage with ragged, torn ends, often well above ground level. Deer lack upper front incisors and tend to tear vegetation rather than make the neat, angled cuts typical of rabbits and rodents. Cloven hoofprints, oval pellet droppings, and narrow paths through vegetation provide supporting evidence. Newly stripped bark on a young trunk may result from antler rubbing. Slugs and insects more often leave holes within leaves, while disease usually discolors or kills tissue without removing entire shoots. Height and feeding marks are useful clues, but a trail camera can confirm the culprit when several animals visit the garden.

Prevention​

A properly installed fence is the most reliable protection. For a whole garden, a fence about 8 feet (2.4 m) high is commonly recommended; keep gates closed and secure gaps at the bottom. Protect individual shrubs, young trees, or small beds with sturdy wire cages that leave room for growth. Use trunk guards where antler rubbing is a risk, checking that they do not constrict the tree. Choose less-preferred plants when practical, but none is reliably deer-proof. Commercial deer repellents may discourage browsing; apply them to susceptible plants according to the label and renew them as directed, especially after rain or new growth. Motion-activated sprinklers can help in small areas, though deer may become accustomed to them.

Treatment​

First, prevent another visit: cover a small planting with a sturdy cage or close gaps in an existing fence. Remove broken stems with clean pruners, making cuts back to healthy tissue; avoid stripping off leaves that can still support recovery. Water damaged plants when the soil is dry, and give them time to regrow before deciding whether to replace them. Protect browsed seedlings with individual guards or replant them behind a fence. For a young tree with rubbed bark, fit a trunk guard without pressing it against the wound; extensive damage around the trunk may need assessment by an arborist. If physical barriers are impractical, use a deer repellent labeled for the site and plant, following application and harvest instructions. Where permitted, a correctly installed and maintained electric fence is another exclusion option. Avoid poisons and do not attempt to relocate deer yourself.

Plants Affected​

American Beech, American Chestnut, Arborvitae, Bigtooth Aspen, Black Ash, Chestnut, Chinese Chestnut, Chinkapin Oak, Cork Arborvitae, Cork Hemlock, Daylily, Douglas Fir, Hemlock, Hosta, Jerusalem Artichoke, Lily, Pin Cherry, Thuja, Tulip, White Oak

Not sure this is your problem? Try the problem diagnoser.