deer damage

[drinksloe]

Sika can be very hard to deal with esp if in numbers and can travel vast distances in no time, also tend to be on the go at very first/last light.

A very clever deer.

 

If ur going to use guards u would need to be 1.8's or similar to red hieght.

 

Wot's the purpose of the trees? Do the have any commercail value?

If only for conservation won't really matter too much if lead shoots are nipped. Will just give u strange shaped trees

Possibly u could plant some willow round edges as some deer tend to favour them for fraying and eating but that is usually in commercial soft wood plantations, anything would taste better than sitka

 

 

I have seen 2 single strand electric fences about 2m apart work to keep red deer off grouse moors but doubt it would work as well for sika plus if tree other side might be too tempting for them.

 

Really u need to get on top of them if u can, might need neighbouring landowners to help the way sika live/move about

[corco2000]

Just to update...ive been down stalking morning and

noon.no sign so next step is trail cam to figure out

when there passing and get numbers down.

Hazels are important as i make green wood furniture

as hobby.alders i dont mind too much.

But if they go near oak section...thats a differnt matter

.thanks for all great suggestions.

[drinksloe]

They do tend to be very first light and very last light, verging on nocternal.

Was a few of us up north stalking them all sat out waiting for them to emerge out of the big timber on to a flat, no sign when far to dark to shoot. By time we walked back to motor and drove past, had a quick shine with lamp and eyes all throu exactly where we hd been waiting for them.

Have heard of rangers swearing they've seen them stick they're heads out of trees and look straight up at the high seat/doe box before emerging, seeing if anyones there. Very clever beast's

 

Could go out at night with a big foxing lamp to see if there about at night which could be likely. Not sure law in Ireland but illegal in the UK to shoot on the lamp without a special license, and not a good idea with sika anyway as so clever get very lamp shy very quickly

Edited February 8, 2016 by drinksloe

[growforest]

Sika will be difficult to manage by culling, because they are practically nocturnal and they are clever at concealing themselves. Manpower for culling may be more costly than tubes or fencing. You could try a variety of approaches. I'm convinced willow planting works to give the deer other browsing options. It seems to be more palatable than oak... I've used small coupes of fencing to good effect where cost is an issue. Is there a Coillte yard or office nearby where they might have a pile of used deer fencing that could be reused? For Sika you need heavy duty fencing. If your woodland is big enough, consider running a couple of wide, curving rides through in two directions if you havent any open spaces, so that you can create a central glade (maybe with good willow browsing) to provide a good spot for regular culling. I do some forestry work in Kerry and have seen the deer population rise considerably in the past years - appears to be no coherent plan for a sensible cull.

[gooseflight]

What type of spray and repellent are you talking about?

 

I've heard stories that deer don't like the smell of garlic and if you put a garlic clove in the hole when you're planting the tree it keeps the deer away. Anyone tried it?

Yes, garlic spray. I "re-purposed" an organic, garlic pesticide. The electric fencing and spray combination was effective in keeping roe off half an acre of hazel/alder.

[needenginerunnin]

corco2000 do you have a zoo near to you?

not a wind up, I am being serious.

[Goaty]

corco2000 do you have a zoo near to you?

not a wind up, I am being serious.

 

 

I'm intrigued. Do they let the big cats out on one of them extending pooch leads?

[corco2000]

Dublin zoo....they won.t give me a tigger!!

Have put word around for grolouch....inards from deers. ill dump around

the place might put them off. trail cam. arriving weekend.set that up and then get them

.will keep you posted.

[corco2000]

I can stick willow around perimiter handy enough will try that also.as i use

good bit if willow.thanks all for advice once again.

[drinksloe]

Grow forest makes some good points about planning shooting rides, if u do that think about ur normal winds so u can get into ur shooting position with wind in ur face easily.

U can also go a stage further and plant a deer lawn (load of plants deer like, Kings cover crops amoungst others willl sell it) to attract deer and hold them in ur culling area.

Probably not so relevant with hard woods but we used to brash deer glades, brash SS up to 6ft high so deer think there in cover but u can still cull them

Know 1 forest company would not plant trees on certsain soil types and left those areas for deer culling

 

I take it the zoo is for loin/tiger poo/urine?

 

Never heard of gralloch's working to keep them away and seen deer very near recent gralloch's if that's where best grazing is