More Deer Damage Signs

If you still aren’t sure about what is damaging your plants after the last blog, consider these other signs.

Vegetable Sampling - Deer like to sample vegetables.  They will take bits out of vegetables like green tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash. 

Deer Tracks - Deer leave deer tracks that distinctive hoof prints. The deer tracks are shaped like broken hearts and are about 2-3 inches long. Running deer leave tracks much farther apart than deer walking or grazing.  Be aware however that there are other animals that leave similar tracks.  Elk, cattle, llamas, and goats all have similar tracks, but obviously if you don’t have any of those other animals in your neighborhood, the suspects are narrowed down considerably.

Time of Day - Deer are most active just after dusk and just before dawn.  If your damage is being done in the daytime, look around your area for daytime feeders like goats or sheep.
Deer Scat - Scat, also called deer droppings, is a calling card that you will also find around damage. In the winter months when deer are mostly eating twigs and leaves, the droppings will be small elongated pellets.  In the spring and summer months when deer are feeding on lush green shoots, leaves, grass, fruit, etc, the pellets clump together and are left as a mass.