Wildlife in our Lives - Deer

Homeowners are not permitted to remove nuisance deer. For additional information on removing deer causing property damage contact your local IDNR District Wildlife Biologist.

It is illegal to take live deer from the wild unless you are a wildlife rehabilitator who is licensed by the IDNR or you have received a permit from the IDNR.

Deer can cause damage by browsing trees, shrubs, or other plants. Bucks may also damage woody plants by rubbing their antlers on them. Deer are generalists and will eat a tremendous variety of plants. If food is abundant they will feed heavily on plants they particularly like. If food is scarce they will feed on almost any plant.

Habitat Modification

If adding ornamental plantings to your yard, select plant species that are less susceptible to deer browsing. The Morton Arboretum has produced a list of plants that deer tend to avoid. Some of the plants that seem to be less susceptible to deer include ornamental alliums (Allium), daffodils (Narcissus), and wild ginger (Asarum canadense). Also try planting thorny, prickly, or smelly plants. However, this approach does not always work. For example, deer will eat the buds, blooms, and smaller stems of ornamental tea roses. They also eat raspberries, blackberries, and poison ivy. Plant boxwood or short-needle spruces instead of yews or arborvitae. Illinois natives such as black-eyed susan and foxglove do not seem to be preferred by deer. For a more complete list of perennials that are deer-resistant, visit the Gardening with Perennials website. Pachysandra is a good ground cover, and ferns fair better than hostas. Deer love apples and cherries, so you may have to use tree protectors or fences to protect your fruit trees. If food is scarce due to a severe winter, or if the population of deer in your area is high, the deer may eat plants they do not normally prefer and usually leave alone. A deer will eat just about any plant if it is hungry enough.

Exclusion

There are a number of possible fence designs depending on the size of the area to be protected and the population of deer in the area. Specific fence designs can be obtained from your District Wildlife Biologist. For more information about deer fences, visit the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management.

Individual trees or plants can be protected by placing a five foot tall wire cylinder around the plant. Tree protectors such as Vexar, Tubex, plastic tree wrap, or woven wire cylinders can all help protect new plantings. Placing netting over bushes or other plants can also be used temporarily on a seasonal basis to deter deer.

Repellents

There are several products approved for use in deer damage control. Repellents will reduce the damage that deer cause to vegetation but will not eliminate it. The repellant's effectiveness depends upon local deer density, the availability of other foods, the palatability of the plants being protected, and the regularity with which the repellent is used. Repellents may prevent deer from eating the plant, but they will not deter damage caused by antler-rubbing.

Repellents can be expensive and must be reapplied as the plant grows and after heavy precipitation events. Always read and follow label instructions of the product. Some repellents are not for use on plants intended for human consumption. Below are some commonly available repellents. To be most effective, it is best to start using repellents before damage begins. Researchers have found the following products to be effective at reducing deer damage.

• Deer Away® Big Game Repellent (powder or spray) The active ingredient in these product is putrescent whole egg solids.
• Deer Away® Deer and Rabbit repellent (Get Away Deer and Rabbit Repellent) The active ingredient in this product is capsaicin and isothiocyanate.
• Plantskydd™ The active ingredient in this product is edible animal protein.
• Bye Deer® Sachets The active ingredient in this product is sodium salts of mixed fatty acids. To be fully effective, this product should be placed at the top of the plant so that rainwater that dissolves the product will fall onto plant surfaces.
• Deerbuster's™ Sachet The active ingredient in this product is meat meal and red pepper. To be fully effective, this product should be placed at the top of the plant so that rainwater that dissolves the product will fall onto plant surfaces.
• Hinder® The active ingredient in this product is ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids. This product is the only product approved for direct application to plants intended for consumption. However, this product was not as effective in trials as the products listed above.
• Bird-X Yard Guard This device emits an ultra sonic sound wave that only animals can here that keeps animals away from your property.  While some residents have indicated the device works for them, the Village makes no representation to its effectiveness or its effect on domestic animals such as your dog or cat.

Home Remedies

Home remedies are not generally effective, but do work in some cases. Some people have had success in deterring deer browse by hanging bars of deodorant soap or bags of human hair around valuable plants. While bars of soap can be effective, the protection they offer extends only about three feet around the bar. Human hair, blood meal, and bone meal all weather very quickly and lose their effectiveness.