This is war!

Absolutely,,,,

we have hunting season in November for 9 days and then they have 2 special hunts in zones where the deer are Really thick. It's the only way to keep the numbers at a decent level. They eat farmers corn, gardens not tomention hitting ine with a car,,,,they dop Major damage. Bill hit a deer with his sled this winter. I'm so glad he was ok.,,,was a miracle. Sled, Deer and Human,,,,NOT a good combo,,,usually the human isn't the one to come out of it uninjured or alive even.

what kind of sled? what do you need it for?

Sylvia, Hope you don't take this in the wrong way, it is intended only as an explanation of the situation with deer in some places, especially the east coast. Here, the populations in suburban areas have exploded due to "easy food". However, the food really can't sustain them, they will eat everything in sight...tree leaves and bark, lawns, any green thing in every yard. People have to garden inside of cages if they want to harvest anything.

Eventually, they have to cull the herd (kill some) in order to keep them from starving to death because there are more than what the local foliage can sustain. I know it may sound cruel, but as cute as they are, they are also dangerous. They get so accustomed to people that they don't run. They cause large numbers of vehicle accidents , and can kill people that way. From what I have heard, much of the venison is used at homeless shelters and such. I've been some places where you will see dead deer from hitting cars every few miles alongside the road every day during certain seasons. I know few people who haven't had some encounter with a deer and their vehicle at some point.

Laura

I knowLaura, if you can eat something you kill I can understand it. ....but you know I grew up with Bambi ... and those eyes...
They need to ship some to Texas, they love to hunt, especially Chaney. lol

Sylvia,

A snowmobile,,,sorry,,,I forget Southerners think a sled is a kids sled,,,LOL I have to try and remember that,,,most of the time up here we just call snowmobiles,,, sleds.

I thought that is what you might have meant. I have some family that is near Lake Michigan they have a snow mobile. I never have ridden it because we stay home in the winter!

I have heard of doe attacks before also. They can do a lot of damage with those hooves.

This is what his sled is supposed to look like. Bill flew over the handlebars and hood, flew throught the air, landed and then started rolling. He said he thought he was goin to die when he saw the deer. Then when he landed, he was worried about where the sled was,,,he didn't want a 500+ lb. machine with a studded track coming down on him.

From what one of our friends said, the deer tried to jump the sled and hit it in the hood breaking both it's back legs. I guess the sled rolled 5 times. Like I said,,,,he's VERY LUCKY! If it would have happened a second later, the deer would have jumped right into Bill sitting on the sled and he prolly wouldn't have been in good shape,,,,they are Very strong. Bill was going about 55-60 mph when it happened. His sled is still at the shop being put back together. It's been a few months now.

My goodness, what a awsome machine!! Do you ever ride with Bill? Is that what you use when you cant drive the car? I got a friend in upstate NY who has a Snow Blower that he drives, that is another awsome machine. Kelly I lived in Connecticut for twelve years and never saw anyone with personal snow machine...only the city ...

Sylvia,

Yes, I ride also. Although I haven't ridden for a couple of years. He sold my sled a couple years ago to *upgrade* mine to a newer one,,,,well,,,,that never happened. Then, he bought this 2005 Firecat F7 in August. There was a problem with the secondary clutch and when the trails opened, his F7 was in the shop,,,,soooo, he took the 580 Z,,,his old sled that was supposed to be mine now and went for a ride with his friends.

Got a phone call from our friend Justin asking me if I had talked to Bill,,,said no, should I have? He said well, I got a call and he's broke down up in Hawkin's,,,,about an hours drive from us. Justin said he couldn't find Bill,,,and Bill said he'd be by the water tower,,,,asked him if there was any bars close by,,he said yea, 2,,,I said well, check the bars,,I'd bet a million $ that's where he is. Justin said he looked but couldn't see Bill's sled,,,,told him maybe they towed it to a spot not visible from the street. Also told him to call me when he found him. Well, he found him sitting in the second bar,,,,guess he was there for a couple of hours.

Anyway,,,,I couldn't ride this year cause the Fool blew a piston and somethings wrong with the cylinder,,,,not a small thing to fix,,,nor is it inexpensive to fix,,,so, my sled is sitting int he garage covered up still in need of a cylinder and piston,,,grrrrr

He Better have it fixed next winter. We have trails here that are for snowmobiling. It really is fun. You'll have to plan a trip up here in the winter and we'll go snowmobiling. I'm sure we can borrow a friends sled and helmet for a day for you. We go to all the area bars,,,that's basically where the trails go to. They make trail maps and everything,,,it's Big winter business around here. If we have a bad winter without enough snow to open the trails,,,the business' really suffer. We usually ride on the weekends or at night to take a little ride somewhere close. I keep my Tigger cap in my pocket,,,helmet head is Not pretty,,,,LOL

We don't ride them instead of driving cars,,,it's more of a toy thing,,,LOL

Kelly

On my drive home from Indiana, I think it was in Illinois, I saw six dead deer alongside the highway within 100 miles of each other. Some were just a few miles apart.

I don't think I could kill one, but I know it is more humane to kill one than let it starve to death or destroy property or hurt people.

I'm glad there are people that can take care of it.

Susan
=^..^=

OMG Kelly, I didnt mean to get you stirred up.lol
So Bill likes to party huh? LMBO! Well I sure hope he gets you sled fixed fast or he will be sleeping on the couch next winter. Yeah it really does sound like fun up that way ... I can handle that, but I think I rather hang out with Bill! LOL

Sylvia,

I like to party,,,it's just with the meds,,,I'm a cheaper date than I used to be,,,LOL

C'mon up this winter,,,,I dare ya,,,,roflol

I am talking to one of my EX- boyfriends ... he is from Wisconsin ... cant remember the name...think it was some major city .... he has no idea where Owen is.

edited for OZ

This message was edited May 14, 2006 4:00 PM

GEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZzzzzzz!!!!! Did you all notice that last post "ONE OF MY BOYFRIENDS". I need to repeat the part "ONE OF". And she comes back from Rome and tells us she has no stories to tell us. Bet she has a dozen boyfriends what you want to bet. SYLVIA-----Every mornimng and evening I got a lot of deer on my road here. You are welcome to comne look at them butttt alas we only have 12 unit motel in town and I have no idea where you would park all your boyfriends.

Susan--- There are really to many deer for the area they need to occupy. that is the result of that situation.

Kelly--- I will not comment on the snow mobile are anything else in the love life vein (except Sylvia's overindulgence) because it takes 2 too make a decent relationship not 3 are any other people places are things.

Before you start sending fire and brimstone OZ ...note the edit above. lol

Sylvia---- FIre and Brimstone. ME. Slyvia my only thought about that situation is that I would hope you were having the time of your life. I been married for 44 yrs sylvia but that was not my entire life. I was a wild young man and should have been leashed like any other bad dog.

OZ I can just imagine you back in the days! lol I do have a good time at times Oz, but at my age they far ... few ... and between. BTW ...where is Marie I met this second generation Italian from Omaha NB who loves to garden ... he says... and thinks I am fascinating ... oh yeah ... sure....they all start off like that. LOL

Susan,
That's a big problem around here too,,,that's why they have the extra hunts. They also have a program in which you can donate your deer if you have enough or don't like venison.

Sylvia,
Too funny!!! Most people don't know where Owen is. LOL

oz,
I agree takes 2 to make or break a relationship. Ours is good. Bill's passion is snowmobiling. Mine is gardening. I like to snowmobile, but don't Need to, he likes to garden, but doesn't Need to,,,so it works out pretty well both ways,,,LOL. If I mention new perennial bed,,,he's all for it.

my friend emailed me saying he found it on the map, he is from the Milwaukee area.

When should I expect you then,,,how about Aug. 5th for the Foxfire tour. There's an airport about an hour from me.

How far are you from Milwaukee?

About a 4 hour drive up here from Milwaukee,,,actually, my Mom is closer to Milwaukee than I am. But we do have an airport only 1 hour away,,,,Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee.

There is a product out called hot pepper wax that I just bought online to protect my gardens from bunnies and the small type wild stuff. We don't have any deer here in our yard as we are too close to town, but my older daughter lives further out in the country and she really has a deer problem along with all the other wild life, so I am going to share some with her. If anyone is interested, I will send you the man's address. I bought the big gallon of concentrate and you don't use much at a time.

I've tried the hot pepper wax. By day two the deer were smacking their lips and thinking that they liked their hostas a little spicey. Hope that it works for you.

LOL Marie thats funny!

Marie, you just reminded me of the night I read about using Tabasco sauce to keep my farm yard critters from chewing on my wood fences and the side of my barn. I jumped in the car and ran to town and got two HUGE bottles of Tabasco and painted everything deeply so it would soak in good.

Next morning I went out to find my goats had eaten every piece of wood that I had painted and were asking for more Tabasco. LOLOL

My DH was NOT impressed with what I had accomplished. lol

Gee what a memory!

Hm, well, ok, since I sent my Quarter Horses away to live elsewhere, we've had quite a bit more problems with deer. They are, as you all know, quite brave and bold creatures. They started coming in and munching on pretty much anything they wanted when ever they wanted so, I got some Deer Fortress this year, and haven't see a deer since. I've included the web site for the product here: http://www.deerfortress.com/

I have no interest in this company, don't know anyone that works there, but wish I would have been the one to design it. A few of the local hosta gardens in the area are selling it along with their hostas. I was at the Web Walk way spring sale on April 13th and she was selling it. She said that she feeds the deer all winter (why I'm not sure, maybe so they don't decimate her shrubs), but in the spring when she notices them starting to mess with her stuff she puts out the Deer Fortress and they don't bother a thing.

From my personal experience, Deer haven't been back in my yard since I put the stuff out.

Diann

edited to say "put the stuff out" not "but the stuff out" duh.. :)

This message was edited May 25, 2006 8:50 AM

Oh, here is a link to Honey Hill Hostas, she sells the Deer Fortress, besides hostas and a link to The Web Walkway.. Honey Hill's site is just fun to look at.

http://www.hosta-holic.com/Honey_Hill_Hox.html

http://www.webwalkway.com/

I have no affiliation to either of these places either, but Web Walkway had an affiliation to my a bit of my money a couple of Saturdays ago.... :)

Diann

Does anyone have a good solutions for digging dogs! My Mom has adopted a stray Aussie shepherd. The problem is she loves to dig.

Also my sister is having problem with squirrels. They are wrecking her hosta beds.

blue,

Gosh, I don't know what to do about digging dogs, Mooshka isn't a real bad digger,,,,she only digs ever once in awhile. Maybe if you post that question in the Pets Forum. Someone over there is bound to have some ideas for you.

Now, the squirrels,,,I use the bb, pump it once and aim right next to them to scare them off.

Bluegrass,

My dogs all quit digging in their holes when I filled up the holes with their own poop consistantly. The one dog that I didn't do a consistent poop fill on his holes was always a digger. Good luck!

Lani

Lani,

Good to know!

Kelly

Thanks for the info on the Deer Fortress. I checked the web-site, and it is available at a local True Value Hardware. Pricey, but if it lasts all season it should be worth it. The web-site and my local Tru Value has it for $29.95 and I think that I saw that there are six of them in the box. Now I need to figure out how many boxes I need.

I've read so many things about so many products, that it is good to get a recommendation from someone who actually has something that works.

Marie

Kelly in my past life I was a professional dog trainer for 22 years. Now allergic to dogs. :( I still have five though. Only two small ones in the house though.

I have had some clients who's dogs didn't care if the hole was filled up erk lol

Pepper in the holes can sometimes help. If you have a grocery store that sells pepper in bulk you can douse the hole pretty heavily.

My brain is starting to work now. I have had my morning coffee and breakfast. Now off to the garden before it gets too hot.

Marie, not a problem. ;) This Deer Fortress came out last year, and it sold so hot and heavy that there were waiting lists to get it.. It sold out as fast as it came in. I think it says to put them out every 4 to 8 feet. Well, I'm fairly cheap, so I space mine like every 10 or 15 feet and they still seem to work fine. :)

Diann

Thanks for the distance requirement update. I was starting to think that I'd need to buy it by the case.

Marie

It might also depend on how heavy the deer traffic is in your yard on how far you space them, too. I tried to get them last year, and as I said, they were constantly sold out, so I decided that I had to have a large carnivore mark it's territory in my yard, so I made my husband go out and pee near various flower beds. That seemed to work too. :) (Note, we live in the middle of 10 acres with tons of trees and farm fields on two sides of us and our pastures on the other 2 sides of us, so it wasn't like he was flashing anyone, except maybe an occasional cat.)

Diann

Ah yes.....the 'natural' deterrent. I just can't get up an urge to go digging in pee sodden soil however. Ewwww. And boy pee does have a strong odor. OK.....no more potty mouth here!

Ahem, I did say near various beds. :) I wouldn't want to dig in anything like that either. LOL!

Diann

Well, I do have something new to try now. I'll tell Mom about the pepper first.
Thanks,
Teresa