A Rant on Deer

Sooner or later, if you garden, it always comes around to deer, at least when you live in the woods.  For years we had them around, and through the garden, especially at dayliliy bloom time, but they pretty much avoided the front yard.  Not any more.  Either they are super hungry (probably) or this is a new bunch who didn't read the rules (probably) or we're very overpopulated with deer despite our best efforts to fix that. (surely).
Here's what happened to one of the Yews that is just a couple of feet from the front door.

We do spray, especially in the summer with Liquid Fence or any of a number of other sprays and spread Milorganite around everywhere both as deterrent and fertilizer, but once there is a deep layer of snow on the ground, they just eat anything they see.  Why they can't just make do with the grass that is now popping out where we've shoveled (and looks invitingly green) is beyond me.

I'm not sure how many are running around here, though I did chase a young doe who was about to nibble a Rhododendron over by the greenhouse.  That was just at suppertime.  We rarely have them down by the house in daylight.  She seemed very surprised to see me. Not sure just how many we have and it's either a lot of them or one that runs around in circles a lot.  Here are some tracks from over in the parking lot.

And speaking of snow, we always think about the country being so nice and clean, not traffic, less pollution.  Well, it was a rude awakening when I looked at our snow which had been so nice and white looking like I was back in Philadelphia.  Depressing.  No snow ice cream for supper tonight.