Muntjack Deer

[Chantenay]

Something has been eating my PSB - I assumed gangs of armed mice or rats, or leaping martial arts rabbits had got past my bed protection, but a new neighbour reckons it's muntjack deer. This is my 5th season and I've never seen 'em, but he reckons he has seen hoof prints. Anybody know owt about these little sods? I thought rabbits were bad enough....

[Chantenay]

[triffid]

Muntjac will eat just about anything we do. I seem to remember that they don't like ginger...  ::)

I think the only solution if you've been invaded by these little beggars is sturdy fencing. >:(
I know that they'll burrow under fences if they can, and can jump fences up to four feet (1.2m) high, so it'd have to be properly staked and strong.

[Chantenay]

I've now seen a picture of one - shifty-eyed creature if ever I saw one. Is there much meat on them?

[debjay]

might be enough for a couple of bambi burgers ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

There's not a lot but they're perfectly edible. Look for the prints of small cloven hooves.

[Mrs Ava]

They will graze your runner beans down to ground level as they germinate.  Can be a problem on our allotment.  My problem is, I will sit and happily watch them munching away as I loves them.

p.s.  I also loves them on the barby!  :P

[jennym]

They trot along our road in the dead of night, first time they were seen here, thought they were a pack of greyhounds! (similar size). They can do awful damage to young trees, though fortunately the plot is well protected.

[bombus]

I get them in my garden from time to time. I have seen them in the first light eating the leaves of one of my Roses. As I've never had that much damage done,  I've never done anything about them, anyway with luck they may eat a few weeds. ;)

[Chantenay]

I realy hate to admit that I may have been slandering rabbits (furry eating machines with good PR), but from what people are saying it could have been the putative bambi-burgers that decimated my beans last year. Strains of the deer hunter can be heard floating over Warwick.

[teresa]

not sighted on our lottie thank goodness, but we do have a peacock problem at times ( not me thank goodness )would not like to argue with one  ;)

[Bambi.1]

We've had them coming into the garden for years,but they never seem to do much damage,maybe the dog barking helps with a quick exit LOL!

[Barnowl]

They're meant to be good eating and you're allowed to shoot Muntjac all year round, but how you do that safely on an allotment heaven knows. Also,  they could have young at almost any time of year.

Deer fences are pretty costly.

Apparently movement triggered sprinklers put them off but that needs a water supply at the allotment. Dangled CDs might deter them.

I'm afraid unless you have an allotment dog the likelihood is you'll just have to live with them, saying "aren't they cute?" through gritted teeth.

[telboy]

Barnowl/Chantenay,
Fully agree with you both.
Very destructive  - but great eating!!!!

[Jeannine]

Now this is from my Rodale book of garden pests and is designed for US deer but apart from the fences it says..

Make an egg spray,2 eggs in a quart of water,blended at high speed,then dilute that to 1 gallon,spray on trees plants etc, the egg will decay and the deer don't like the smell,most commercial deer repellants are egg based.

Tabasco spray,2 tablespoons of tabasco to 1 gallon of water. Spray as above.

Strong smelling toilet soap hung in pantyhose works a treat

If it don't work, it don't work but it says it will !!

XX Jeannine

[cleo]

I love wild life-a herd of deer run from the villages around us and muntjacks sneak in the woods-they don`t bother my garden-oh I am a hypocrite-when the local butcher bags one I`m first up for a haunch ;D

[Chantenay]

Jeanine - I love trying out things like your book suggested. I will try the egg stuff tomorrow, and see if I can persuade another plot holder to try the tabasco - see which works best. I have put a THIRD layer of chicken wire round the PSB and that finally seems to be holding them off, but those sprays sound much easier. Thanks.

[Larkshall]

An electric fence may work out cheaper than wire netting. My neighbour has one for his horses and most animals soon develope a healthy respect for white tape. You can get various types, rabbit, horse etc.