Help deer stripped bark from my JM

Just discovered deer damage to my green leafed NOID palmatum JM. It is container grown and about 4 1/2 feet tall . Trunk is almost an inch in diameter, Bark has been rubbed off the trunk about 6 inches up from base for about 18 inches mostly on one side but near two thirds of way around in some places, There are no branches below or in wounded area.

Can anyone suggest what if anything I can do to 'save this tree'?

It has just begun to turn color and we have not had a frost here yet Today rainy damp low 70s, this weekend a cold front and down to 40, then a week of 60s day and 50's night, It is now protected from further damage and in a sheltered spot. If the top begins to die should I leave it or cut it off below the wound? It is one I have grown from seed, so not grafted.

Any words of wisdom on measures to take to protect my other JMs also appreciated. Thanks.
I can post pic tomorrow if that will help???

picture would help - would just let nature take its course - it could bounce back - shoot the deer.

Here are some pics of damage:

did I mention shooting the deer?

I think the tree will be fine

Doggone Bambi - WHAT a gorgeous maple! Oh, have you thought about shooting Bambi? (snicker, snicker - I second wha's "suggestion")
Get out the Liquid Fence at least.

lol, I doubt that pulling the trigger on one Bambi will do much to protect smaller JMs from damage until the trees are too big for deer to bother with or they find other trees to rub on next fall. ( It may sound crazy, but I would rather work with the deer I know who already know some of my rules than start over with a whole new untrained bunch!)

I have considered a heavy wire cage at least 3' tall and wide around each tree which though visually unappealing would be more permanent than Liquid Fence and could be removed and erected as necessary. I also have lots of that black plastic deer fencing I salvaged from someone's trash which I could drape over the trees or bunch around the trunk area like a 'scarf' or muffler!

Other than that I was hoping for some personal experience with dealing with significant damage to trunks of JMs specific to JMs short of grafting donor bark and hoping it takes. I bought a couple rolls of stretchy 'tree wrap' but don't know if this would create more probs than solve. In lieu of any good suggestions I am letting nature take its course.

I have used deer fencing with great results.

http://www.amleo.com/deer-fence/p/VP-CNDF/

I cut to length the amount I needed and then threaded bamboo stakes through the fencing to hold it up in place. You can also by 4' stakes at Leonard's. Deer usually are sensitive to their noses touching objects. You can also tie some colored ribbon on the fencing so they can see something moving. The fencing is black so it blends in real nice and seeing it from a distance is almost impossible.

I have been in development of a new system called called 'DEER DEVILS' I hope to have them available soon . they are 100% effective and not expensive. once attached they last decades and deer will never attack your trees.

I would love to be a Beta tester. We supposedly have 80 to 100 resident deer in the square mile that we live in. They all are just chopping away. We have a portion of our garden deer fenced, but the rest is open to their munching. They are not shy about coming right up onto our front porch to nibble on an Acer in a big pot next to the door. Cheeky. Patti

David, Kudos to you for tackling this ! What good news!
I'm sure we all have a tree or two we'd like to see to maturity while coming into some sustainable balance of deer population in so many areas now


Are these Deer Devils for rub or browse prevention /protection or both? Do tell us more as you can.

Thanks

Best for rubbing only..... cages made of three ft. chicken wire put in place by small diameter rebar work best for browse protection . although two Deer Devils used together should keep browsers away as well . These will work on any tree . I tend to see rabbits as more of a problem with browsing here than deer... Browsing is a major problem with small grafts and very young trees. older Jms do not seem here to be a preferred food source for deer other than an occasional nibbled branch. But during rutting season they can ruin your tree by rubbing ... not kill it but make it unsightly for several years til the bark grows over the bare spot.. If the rubbing garrotes the bark complety around or 80% then the tree is toast. I will though check with my associate on this to be sure I have my facts correct on grazing protection via Deer Devils.. but I think it is maily for rutting season rack rubbing. D-san

Deer! Hope things are ok.

Any updates on the Deer Devils?
I did lose the tree as too much bark was rubbed off. Wosh there was a way to graft on new bark or pseudo-bark!

I have the same problem with deer rubbing the bark, and the replies above seem the most effective- The ones with the plastic netting. In some of the pictures it looks that the deer have been doing it in other years as well

I haven't been here in a while. But, I do have a problem with Deer damaging my cutting grown Japanese maples. I have a couple of thousand of them planted around my home, they range in size from 1 inch diameter trunk to 3 inch diameter. I have a permit from the game warden to kill varmints that damage my trees. I enjoy sitting on the back porch and using my Ancshutz 1607 to head shoot them, then I give the Deer to people that will utilize the entire Deer. This last year I had to replace 75 trees due to Deer damage. For more than 15 years about 30 years ago we had Deer Chili every Tuesday night form the Deer that I killed on the nursery.

This message was edited Sep 27, 2015 11:05 PM

This message was edited Sep 28, 2015 9:21 AM