Deer Solution

My neighbor loaned me her motion activated sprinklers for the deer problem.  I installed one and the raspberry bushes seem to be recovering, at least somewhat. The shape of the bushes reminds me of the trees in the book The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

I've unintentionally tested the sprinkler on the way to feeding the chickens. So far, I've been hit on my back and the side of the head. I hope the deer feel the same way I do when hit with a cold blast of water. I get a little irritated when the sprinkler looks like it's laughing at me after hitting me with a jet of water.  I'll be installing a second one next to the fruit trees in the front yard.

Busy Wildlife

During the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot of wildlife activity in the yard. I've seen the bobcat, the deer, a raccoon and for the first time ever, the big black bear!  Not the little bear I was expecting, but a bear that I estimate to be about half the size of our daughters horse. So about 600 lbs. We think it might have been a male.

While I was loudly whispering for my daughter to bring the camera, she was telling me to get off the deck and come inside. A little role reversal and I didn't get the picture of the bear.

However, I did get some pictures of the havoc the deer seem to be reeking in my garden. I mean really, they were even in the raised beds that are about two feet up and the reason I know this is because they left foot prints. Bad deer.....very naughty.

#@#&!.....Young Bucks

Remember in my last post where I talked about the European pears that took so long to blossom and how I was looking forward to eating them in the fall??? I better get some fencing before there is nothing left.

And The Evidence Your Honor

I feel fortunate to live in a place that has a 1.2 acre open space,  great neighbors, wildlife and is twenty-three minutes from downtown Seattle.  However, the wildlife, namely the deer can be extremely frustrating and destructive. I some times wish I could relocate them to eastern Washington.

There is a look at what the deer did to my spring broccoli.

I find the deer only eat what is within easy reach of their mouths. They are lazy that way.

Luck for me, I sowed more broccoli seeds in late march. There is hope!