Deer can cause significant damage to gardens, orchards, and landscaped areas by feeding on a variety of plants. To determine if deer are the cause of damage, look for signs like hoofprints, droppings, and trails. The most effective long-term control is to exclude deer using fences or plant protectors. Properly installed and maintained fences at least 7-8 feet tall can keep deer out of gardens and landscaped areas. Chemical repellents may also deter deer but must be reapplied frequently and may not work if preferred food sources are available for deer.

1. Deer
Although pleasant to look at in the wild, deer
can be very destructive in gardens, orchards, and
landscaped areas, feeding upon a wide variety of
plants. To confirm deer caused the damage, look for tracks,
droppings, and trails. Excluding deer with fences or plant
protectors provides the best long-term control.
Deer biology and behavior:
✦ Deer often feed late in the evening and very early in
the morning, so you won’t always see them.
✦ They are a special problem in gardens next to
woodlands that can provide cover during the day.
✦ The two most common deer in California are the mule
deer and the blacktailed deer.
✦ Deer eat shrubs, vines, fruit and nut trees, garden
vegetables, grasses, and small flowering plants.
Look for these signs to confirm deer damage:
✦ Hoofprints, 2 to 3 inches long, split in the middle,
pointed at the front, and more rounded at the rear
✦ Piles of small jellybean-shaped droppings
✦ Trampled plants and shredded or ragged foliage, buds,
or terminals
✦ Girdled trunks or branches broken by deer rubbing
against them with their antlers
Be aware of legal restrictions.
✦ The California Fish and Game Code classifies deer as game
animals. If deer are damaging your property or crops,
you must get a permit to shoot them; shooting, however,
isn’t recommended around homes and gardens.
✦ All traps and poisons are illegal and can’t be used.
Protect your garden with fences.
✦ A properly built and maintained fence 7 or 8 feet high
is the most effective control method. Fence height
may need to be extended for steep slopes.
✦ Most existing fences can be made deer-proof by
extending them 3 or 4 feet with mesh or smooth wire.
Be sure the fence is sturdy and fitted to the ground,
so deer can’t crawl under it.
✦ Use wire or plastic plant protectors to
shield individual plants.
✦ Standard electric fences haven’t proven
very effective. The New Zealand type may
be effective but should be profes­sionally
installed and constantly monitored.
University of California
Statewide Integrated Pest
Management Program
Repellents and frightening devices:
✦ Chemical repellents that give off foul tastes or odors,
such as the scent of a predator, can be useful in some
situations.
✦ Repellents must be reapplied at frequent intervals,
depending on what is used and the weather.
✦ Repellents may not work if preferred food sources for
deer are available.
✦ Many repellents aren’t allowed on food crops or can
damage some plants. Read the product label.
✦ Deer quickly adjust to most noisemaking devices such
as propane cannons and electronic alarms, making
them ineffective. However, new devices featuring deer
distress sounds show promise.
Consider deer-resistant plants.
✦ There are plant species deer don’t prefer to eat,
especially when other more palatable plants are
available. However, when food is scarce, deer will eat
most plants including many deer-resistant species.
✦ Consult your local nursery and garden center, UC
Cooperative Extension office, or Master Gardeners, or
refer to gardening publications about deer-resistant
plants suitable for your area.
See Pest Notes: Deer
at www.ipm.ucanr.edu for more details.
Deer fence (left) and droppings (above).
Minimize the use of pesticides that pollute our
waterways. Use nonchemical alternatives or less
toxic pesticide products whenever possible. Read
product labels carefully and follow instructions
on proper use, storage, and disposal.
For more information about managing pests, contact your
University of California Cooperative Extension office
listed under the county government pages of your phone book
or visit the UC IPM Web site at www.ipm.ucanr.edu.
What you use in your landscape
affects our rivers and oceans!
University of California
Statewide IPM Program Cooperative Extension March 2014