Now that deer season has arrived, hunters may wonder, "Where did all the deer go?" Deer are like many things in life; you can’t find one when you want it.  However, try to keep deer from eating plants around your home or garden, and you may have more deer than Santa Claus.

Many times during the year, I receive calls from homeowners having problems with deer feeding on plants. As the population of Dawson County continues to grow, natural areas are being replaced with residential and commercial development. As natural areas are being developed, nuisance deer problems have increased. There are a number of commercially available repellents on the market, but they tend to wash off with rain and must be reapplied frequently to be effective. Unreliable results have also been obtained from other so‑called "home remedy" repellents, such as soap and human hair.

Planting plants that deer do not like to eat may help with the problem of deer browsing. Please remember though -- very few plants are totally deer resistant.  Listed below is a list of plants known to have a high degree of deer tolerance:

Trees: Crape Myrtle, Leyland Cypress, Red Maple, River Birch, Southern Magnolia, Sweetgum
Shrubs: Boxwood, Gardenia, Hollies, Juniper, Sweetshurb, Butterfly Bush, Viburnum
Annuals: Alyssum, Cornflower, Dusty Miller, Forget‑Me‑Not, Marigold, Parsley, Poppy, Verbena, Snapdragon, Wax Begonia

It may also be helpful to know the plants deer eat. A few of these plants are as follows: Candytuft, Camellia, Crabapple, Daylilies, English Ivy, Hibiscus, Hosta, Hydrangea, Pansies, Blackeyed Susan, Roses, Tulips, Vialas...and the list goes on and on.

For more information, please contact the Dawson County Extension Office at (706) 265‑2442.