It’s apparent that I have a herd, or maybe an extended family, of deer that live in the woods just below and behind the abbey. During the day, I sometimes see them moving around just inside the woods, mostly hidden by the foliage. But at dusk and just after dawn (and no doubt during the night) they come into the yard and eat whatever they want.
This is the first buck I’ve ever seen in the yard. He was with a young doe. I don’t know much about deer family relationships, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re yearling siblings who still hang out near their mother.
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We have a couple herds, each having about ten deer apiece. I regularly see one buck per herd. I watch them rest in the shade in the heat of the midday, then move in the early evening. I haven’t hunted in nearly twenty years, but now I understand why my grandfather always got us out for the afternoon hunt around 2.
I see deer occasionally – doe & fawn last week. So far, so good as plants have been left alone. Last year, the front row of the hosta bed attracted deer. I edged the bed with “monkey grass” this spring and that may have solved the problem. Planting marigolds to the rear of the bed with vinca (aka periwinkle) must deter them also. Surprisingly, another area in the yard with coleus, impatiens, zinnias & lambs ear have remained unscathed. (May have neighboring dogs to thank for that.)
Lantana is planted too close to side of house to entice deer. Even though lantana is an annual in this zone, the plants survived by cutting back almost to ground level in late fall and heavily mulching with pine needles. Really enjoy your blog.
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