Fruit tree Help, deer got um.

[shadowwalker]

I had deer scrape most of my fruit trees, rubbing their horns. It took the bark off some real bad. Is there anything I can do for the damage. I put fencing around the trees. But it is kinda like shutting the gate after the cows got out, you know. Any help would be welcome. Thanks, in advance.

[Smoky]

Deer scrapes can be all the way around the tree, if that is the case it will die above the scrape anyway, so just cut it off at the bottom of the damage, it will grow back if it has a good root system. If the trees are grafted, you need to cut them off above the graft.
If the damage is confined to one side, paint or wax over it if it's less than one inch wide, the bark might eventually heal over.

[shadowwalker]

Thanks smoky. Most the trees are 1 3/4 wide to 2 1/2 wide. And only a couple of the scraps are all the way around.Only on apple, cherry, peach, american persimmon,( all total is 11) for some reason. The rest of the fruit and all the nut trees not bothered. Mostly on one side and all the limbs off. At least I will spend a morning or afternoon filling a deer tag. I have wanted them on the place.

[Smoky]

You could try fastening sticks, like tomato sticks to the trees in the summer/fall. Put maybe 4 around each tree, it might help. I had to do that when I had a teenage weed-eater operator, worse than deer, lol.

[DM]

Go out and buy some WHITE tree guards and put them on the tree trunks... You can cut them smaller if needed to put them where they are needed.

I had to do this because a nice buck just wouldn't leave my tree's alone. Finally i put him in the freezer and cured the problem.

We prefer to eat "goverment beef" anyway!

DM

[shadowwalker]

Alittle late but I 4" got black sewer drain pipe. And cut lenghts for the trees, about two feet tall. I then took tabacco sticks and made a fence around the trees and put some 80 pound test fishing line I had and put cans with two marbles in them on two of the sides on lines. If they move any thing the cans rattle. I then built two blinds on the hill overlooking the orchard. With a comfortable place to sit. May be I can get my wife a shot. And at least I have a place for the niece to hunt out of. So she can be hunting "alone". I'll just wait for the shot. And help her drag it back.

[DM]

Alittle late but I 4" got black sewer drain pipe.

The reason my last post said WHITE is, every grower here uses white. If you use blk. it builds up too much heat in the trunk and tricks the tree into thinking it's warmer out in the spring than it really is... In fact, most growers here paint the south side of the lower tree trunks white just for that purpose..

DM

[shadowwalker]

(Slap my head) OH! I see now. I can fix that. I'll take the black ones off and use for something else. Thanks

[wy0mn]

Good advice-
As a deterrent...
Aged human urine sprayed on the trees works well too. I had read of using bars of soap hung in the trees, human hair from the barbershop, even perfumed cotton balls, and even a Tabasco spray. Nothing works like urine. I did this.
Scrapes are on the ground, rubs are what you've suffered.

[clawhammerdan]

I've heard that chicken wire laying flat on the ground surrounding the trees will deter deer. Guess they don't like walking on it. Don't know how you'd mow, though.

[ScrubbieLady]

I had problems with deer eating my small pecan trees. I put tomato cages around them and the deer left them alone. The tomato cages are made from 4" mesh wire and about 5' tall. They are held together with zip straps so I don't have to worry about the tree getting too big, I can just cut the strap to take it off.