Did you know that there are more deer now than when Europeans first settled the North American continent?  We have eliminated their natural predators such as wolves and mountain lions but that is only part of the reason why the deer population has exploded.  The biggest factor in the expanding deer population is that we have created more deer habitat in both suburbia and farming areas.

Deer live along the edges of the woods.  They use the forest for cover and sleeping and open areas for grazing.  Centuries ago, before Europeans moved in, the continent was covered with forest.  There were few “edges” so the deer population remained small.  Native Americans prized deer meat and hides because deer were so few in number. Then Europeans moved in and started clearing the forests, creating more “edges”.  The deer population expanded, but was heavily hunted.  It wasn’t until the twentieth century, when hunting was restricted or even banned in many areas that deer began to increase and become a problem in suburbia.  Houses were built in formerly forested areas.  The new owners provided an all you can eat buffet in their landscaped yards for the resident deer.  More food meant more deer.

You can discourage deer from grazing in your yard by planting deer-resistant plants.  There is no such thing as deer-proof plants because a hungry deer will eat anything.  Fortunately for herb lovers, deer tend to stay away from plants that are poisonous, have strong scents or fuzzy leaves.  Surprisingly, they don’t mind thorns and will happily munch on your roses.