# Deer in yard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 26, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867 "2005-06-26T02:03:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/1 "2005-06-26T02:03:09Z")
It’s very dry, and I’ve seen a doe several times this week, perhaps looking for water. I was sitting on the porch watching the hummingbirds, a saga in itself, and she walked in front of the barn about 50’ away, nervously chewing on some tall weeds. After she left I put some water out. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/2 "2005-06-26T02:53:18Z")
She came over to my house too. My wife showed her to me this morning and we watched her feed on grass for 20 minutes or so in the back of the property. My dog, who normally barks at deer, didn’t utter a peep. He must like her. I didn’t put any water out though. There are streams for that type of thing around here. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/3 "2005-06-26T03:03:12Z")
What flight to ya’ll reckon she took from AR to MA? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mike1dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@mike1dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike1dog)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/4 "2005-06-26T03:10:50Z")
I’ve had rabbits in my yard. If I walk outside, they just stand there and stand really still. I could probably shoot one, but since they just stand there, it wouldn’t be very challenging, and I don’t want to eat rabbit anyway. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/5 "2005-06-26T04:08:52Z")
Grandfather told me that I shouldn’t shoot a rabbit standing still because it may be sick. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/6 "2005-06-26T04:33:56Z")
The house I used to live in (in West Virginia) happened to be on a deer path. Every night, about 20 or 30 of them would come walking down through our neighborhood. I never once had to trim my bushes the entire time I lived in that house. The only real down side was that it was impossible to have a garden, although the guy who lived 2 doors down from me happened to have a brother who was a barber. He would hang bags of human hair on all four corners of his garden, and his was the only untouched garden on the whole hill. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/7 "2005-06-26T14:54:55Z")
Our house has woods on two sides. We regularly see deer in our yard. Once I was sitting quietly on our screened in porch and a doe was about 6 feet away munching fallen apples. Crunch, crunch, slurp. Slimy green slobber slipping out of her dainty mouth. We also get wild turkeys, who roam through the neighborhood as if they owned it. Not to mention the ordinary groundhogs and squirrels. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/8 "2005-06-26T18:24:28Z")
I have deer who come within 10 feet of my house. Nothing, but nothing, has discouraged them from eating my flowers and vegetables. Not peeing around the area, not hanging hair bags, not bars of soap, not walking towards them yelling and waving my arms, not even shooting them with birdshot has made the slightest bit of difference. They just walk (sometimes run) off a few feet and go to eating again. I think they think they are cows. I am resigned to it now. I didn’t really need those tomato plants. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/9 "2005-06-26T18:28:48Z")
> [@Cub Mistress](#): > > not even shooting them with birdshot Er, as in shotgun? That probably isn’t legal… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/10 "2005-06-26T18:37:55Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Er, as in shotgun? That probably isn’t legal… 🙂 The game warden suggested we give the birdshot a try. Birdshot is what people use around here to run off free roaming dogs from around their livestock. I haven’t done it in quite a while, as it didn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/11 "2005-06-26T19:43:49Z")
I saw a doe yesterday with triplets in my back yard. Sure are pretty. Sure wish they didn’t think hostas were some sort of deer spring mix. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/12 "2005-06-26T20:00:05Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Sure wish they didn’t think hostas were some sort of deer spring mix. Ouch! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/13 "2005-06-26T20:49:01Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > I saw a doe yesterday with triplets in my back yard. > > Sure are pretty. Sure wish they didn’t think hostas were some sort of deer spring mix. Deer: Rural rats. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/14 "2005-06-26T20:53:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What flight to ya’ll reckon she took from AR to MA? > 🙂 C’mon, what flying equipment do you usually think of in connection with flying deer? (Hint: think Tim Allen) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/15 "2005-06-26T20:59:18Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > C’mon, what flying equipment do you usually think of in connection with flying deer? I thought the Fat Man spent Summer drinking beer and scratching himself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/16 "2005-06-26T21:10:52Z")
You see deer: I see venison. 😛😛😛 ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/17 "2005-06-27T00:19:48Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > You see deer: I see venison. 😛😛😛 That’s what I was thinking – too bad it isn’t hunting season! (This is assuming it would be ok to shoot the deer in the neighborhood. With a bow and arrow, I mean.) Actually, in the metro Atlanta area, there’s a group of hunters who do this to get rid of nuisance deer. They eat up all the expensive landscaping plants on some of those expensive houses and golf courses here. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/18 "2005-06-27T00:26:28Z")
> [@Cub Mistress](#): > > I have deer who come within 10 feet of my house. Nothing, but nothing, has discouraged them from eating my flowers and vegetables. Not peeing around the area, not hanging hair bags, not bars of soap, not walking towards them yelling and waving my arms, not even shooting them with birdshot has made the slightest bit of difference. They just walk (sometimes run) off a few feet and go to eating again. I think they think they are cows. I am resigned to it now. I didn’t really need those tomato plants. ☹ Did you try blood meal? ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/19 "2005-06-27T04:45:51Z")
We just got back from a week in a very isolated cabin. My daughter counted 227 deer over 6 days. I’m sure some of them were counted twice. One night, I woke up about 4 am and went onto the cabin porch and almost ran into one. It screamed at me (really) and ran off. At least I think it ran off as I was squeaking myself and heading back indorrs. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867/20 "2005-06-27T04:47:09Z")
‘indorrs’ is the correct way to spell ‘indoors’ in a very small section of the country… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-in-yard/309867.md?page=2)