Mark VS. The Deer - AKA The WAR of the Roses in Vancouver, Washington
As a real estate agent here in Vancouver, Washington writing a Real Estate Blog, most people would expect me to blab on and on exclusively about real estate, real estate trends, and real estate related topics here in Vancouver, Washington. Of course, if you were to talk to my family and friends, they would be happy to tell you that I would never be able to stay focused that long and before too long I would wander off in search of shiny objects that have caught my attention. Rather than fight these tendencies, I have chosen to embrace them! You will be able to tell when I am WANDERING when you see my signature tag below. This is my way of making friends and having fun.
One of my most "favoritist" things about my part of Vancouver, Washington is the wildlife. On any given morning, I can look out the window and see a variety of animals enjoying our yard. Bunnies and squirrels roam the yard just like pets. Thousand of finches in a rainbow of colors have taken up residence in a large plum tree just outside my office window. I am constantly pulled away from my work by the bright hues and playful nature of the little birds. A family of 5 deer (is a family of 5 big enough to call a herd?) have selected our yard as one of their premier hangouts. Often grazing in the greenbelt that surrounds 2 sides of the house or laying in the shade of our apple tree. We often see them eating apples right off the tree. They usually get the low hanging ones, leaving the higher ones to ripen for us. Recently, our 4 legged guests have started to wear out their welcome; they have started to raid my rose garden! It seems that the new deer delicacy in Vancouver, Washington is very well cared for rose blooms.
Now any one with a first grade education can tell you that a rose bush without any roses is nothing more than a thorn bush! That is exactly what my rose garden is right at this moment. A thorn garden! Lots of stickers and no pretty flowers. BTW, the wonderful rose fragrance comes from the flowers, not the thorns. No pretty smell either!
So, what is there to do? Here is a brief summary of how this battle stacks up:
Me:
Real estate agent in Vancouver, Washington.
Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) who has successfully Negotiated tens of millions of dollars worth of real estate transactions here in the Vancouver, Washington area.
Member of the Agent Leadership Committee at Keller Williams Realty in Vancouver, Washington.
Earth Advantage S.T.A.R. certified real estate agent. As one of only ten in Washington, this fact may be more of a hindrance than an advantage; as a "Green Realtor" can I really use force to chase them out? No chemicals either.
The Deer:
There are five of them. (I am outnumbered.)
The two males have antlers! Large male has 4 points per side.
They can easily jump our fences. (I have to use the gates)
They all have hooves.
They are as cute as a button! If my family were to vote, the deer would easily win over the roses. Heck, if the vote were between the deer and me, the deer would probably win!
The fawn gets extra credit points for cuteness!
As outmatched as I am, I am fully prepared to wage war. Of course, if I lose, I could always plant hydrangeas next year. I have noticed that they don't seem to like hydrangeas!
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Hi Mark!! I love your writing style! Isn't it funny how deer can make a delicacy out of the strangest plants! Ours have been known to wipe out 3 or 4 plantings of green beans. They don't wait for the blossoms, they just chomp down on the new growth when it is just getting to be about 4 or 5 inches high.
I also have a girlfriend who has a funny story about a young tree that a deer would pull the branches off. She yelled and hollared from her deck, the deer looked at her then went back to the tree, ripped off another branch and sat there looking at her while it chewed the branch. Simply spiteful!
Good luck in your battle! I have a cousin who uses a HAVAHART motion activated sprinkler - maybe this will work for you! Keep us updated!
Hello Mark,
I grew up in the Felida area. My parents still live over there. When we frist moved in my mother planted a rose garden and the deer came for diner and never left after 3 years of planting and re-panting rose bushes only to see the deer enjoy them. She sought out my Grandmother for advice. She told her to sprinkle human hair all around her rose garden and the deer wouldn't touch her preicous flowers. So when it was time to re-plant the bushes for the 4th go around she also bought clippers and cut off all my hair along with my brother's as well. The deer didn't come back, but hard to say if it was the hair from our fresh buzz cuts or not that summer Felida Ridge expanded to over 200 homes and the following year we put a pool and a fence in, But grandmother's and old wives tales can't be wrong can they?
Shawn
Good luck on your own private "War of the Roses" as I know how you feel, we have a raccoon that has decided to learn how to get in to our storage closet and steal in the middle of the night.
Guys, Thank you for the tips! How do you think this would work as a "Green" solution? Tigers don't eat roses, do they?
Mark, you think a scarecrow would work? I don't know...might be a stretch. Good luck!
I say keep the roses (and the deer) ... the buds die off is a couple of weeks either way :-)
Really like the post and pics. Good luck with your War of the Roses!
Robert