Yea, packs of 2-20 stream in throughout the night. They are smart too as you do not see them dead from car impacts. It’s actually the solo bucks that do the most damage. Funny, they were no where to be found when I had a pit bull. Maybe we need a new thread on deer deterents. My neighbor has motion activated sprinklers that work great if you can deal with them leaking and going off for no reason. Tidbit for you though. The past couple years I have been fencing in areas with fishing line. They absolutely hate fishing line. They feel it, but cannot see it. Just 4-5 strands to 6ft height. The cheapest protection. Sounds and looks crazy but 100% effective. I didn’t use it this year so I could cut the grass easier and paid the price on everything small.
My deer are also smart … they would figure out how to ignore my motion sprinklers about a month into the season. I had over a dozen of them spread around my yard but after five years trying I gave up this spring and took them out. Similarly they figured out how to jump through the fishing line that I ran around my whole property. I couldn’t believe they were doing it until I saw it with my own eyes, they aimed hooves and head between two lines and went for it. Twang!
It worked great here. Stopped all of them but the ones that figured out where the openings were. Most of the trees are out of their range now and I have all but given up on fighting them. Think I will use your solid fence idea to go around the remaining smaller ones. In the beginning I was on a mission to keep all deer out. Years later I know its impossible and deer losses are part of the game. Maybe I should just give them names. In a way they are helpful now though. They pick up all of the brown rotted fruit on the ground. Tree sanitation.
Maybe it’s my location, but the only thing that brown rots for
me are nectarines. I rarely get it on any of my peaches, plums,
and pluots. I don’t spray any fungicides at all.
I have heard of a few other cases where people don’t get brown rot. My guess has been there is something in your growing conditions, e.g. some yeast in your orchard is successfully competing with it or the like. Pluots are all somewhat susceptible so you would normally be getting a fair amount of rot by now.
Peaches: July Prince & Winblo
Plums: AU Rubrum, Santa Rosa, Black Ruby, Emerald Beaute, Luisa
Pluots: Spring Satin, Flavor Grenade, Flavor Treat.