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Like so many others I moved to the Colorado
foothills from the East. What did I know about deer, and
especially, elk? Of course I wanted to improve my house and
my yard, so like my neighbors I would shop on weekends, perform
landscaping, and plant trees. I really like trees. I might water sometimes, but
for the most part I would go to work, maybe travel out of town,
and slowly watch my newly-planted trees disappear. Not only
did I not fully recognize it, but I didn't understand it.
What was happening? Why was the simple task of planting
trees in the hope that someday they would become bigger and more
beautiful so difficult?
And worst of all, why would I wake up in the morning, look out a
window, and see my aspen trees cracked in half? It wasn't
"browsing," it was downright destruction! Not
really having the time to understand the situation I tried all
kinds of things: makeshift fencing, bottled sprays, home
remedies, and even predator urine. I used to spend hours
browsing through nurseries, home improvement stores, garden
centers, and ranch supply stores. Of course there was the
old standby of t-posts and welded wire fencing... I recall
once spending about $25 for the product "Bobbex" only to
watch the deer eat my lilacs hours after I sprayed them. Not only
did these contraptions and sprays not work, but many so-called
solutions were extremely unsightly. I was tired of my yard
looking like a junkyard. And no, I didn't want to live
behind a six-foot fence, which is still not high enough! The
bottom line is that even after all the effort, expense, and
ugliness of these devices or chemicals, nothing really
worked. And I know that my neighbors, and many others, are
having the same problems. A telling sign is that even state
agencies who "own" the animals and are responsible for
their damage (e.g., the Department
of Wildlife in Colorado) offer no solutions whatsoever for
homeowners. To me it is akin to deforestation. Sure
the animals are worth protecting, but what about the trees? My
research eventually led me to poultry netting, aka, chicken
wire. I had seen some spotty applications and with enough
effort you can find references on the web. I tried it and it helped,
but it required refinement in terms of
fencing/wire size, how to attach it, safety, and the height and width of
the cylinder around the tree. And, for widespread use or
sale, it needed a packaging solution and extensive distribution. That
is my goal, to make a solution available to everyone.
Why? Because I so wish I had found a solution when I first
attempted to grow trees in an area frequented by deer and elk. |
