Deer, Deer

When I was a kid growing up on a farm in the 1950s and 1960s, I only remember seeing deer once the entire time. I was an active kid and was always out and around the farm and local woodlots but I never saw deer. In the past month, I have seen groups of two to five deer several times in my suburban backyard when I look out from the breakfast table.

White Tailed Deer

The white-tailed deer and black-tailed deer populations found in suburban and urban areas across America have increased dramatically since the 1960s. As deer begin to become plentiful, homeowners initially enjoy seeing them and may actually encourage deer to come into their yard by feeding them. Traditionally rural townships becoming suburban may ban hunting or place restrictions on firearm use for safety reasons. Bambi begins to settle in and lose his or her sense of fear for humans. Continue reading

From the Pest’s Perspective

Disease-11-0001-EditWe tend to look at moles, grubs, deer, fungal diseases and other pests from the standpoint of their impact on us and our plants. It is as if their only goal in life is to ruin our garden and they seem to do this on purpose. What do they have against us? We’ve never done anything to deserve this treatment.

From their perspective, they could not care less about us. Their goals are rather simple. They want food, water, protection from predators and a place to reproduce their own kind. If these requirements are met, they do not care whether it is in the woods or in your backyard. It makes no difference to them.

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