How to Get Rid of Deer

Contrary to what Bambi might have shown in Disney movies, coming across deer in your yard isn’t a pleasant experience. At best, deer can be a major cause of wrecked gardens, eaten plants, and vegetation gone awry. At worst, having deer on or near your property can be a cause of personal injury or car accidents.

Though they may be cute to look at from afar, you shouldn’t be too thrilled about seeing deer in your home. In fact, you should make an active effort to prevent them from entering and making a mess. There are several ways to dissuade deer from coming onto your property. These below are the most common ways to make it happen.

Make your property smell bad for them.

Deer, much like dogs, have a very sensitive sense of smell. This can lend itself to be a blessing for homeowners. Deer can’t stand a lot of the scents we can’t even pick up on, and will avoid them like the plague.

The easiest fix when it comes to getting rid of deer is to mix three eggs with 20 cups of water in a large bucket. Then, use the mixture as a spray throughout your yard once a month (or after it rains). You won’t be able to smell the sulfur from the eggs, but the deer will…and it’ll make them run.

Avoid planting things that attract deer.

The easiest way to make any pest leave your place alone is to take away their food. No food, no deer. If you have plants that are known to attract deer, such as fruit trees or vegetables, getting rid of them will quickly solve your pest problem once and for all.

Of course, that’s not always doable. If you’re a huge fan of having your own vegetable garden, getting rid of your favorite plants won’t make you happy. That’s why most there’s another way to protect your plants…

Add deer-repelling plants to your garden.

If you can’t stand to take away your edible plants, that’s not a problem. Another solution that you can consider is to add plant life that’s known to repel deer. Some of the more popular deer repellent plants to add include:

Lavender
Poppies
Foxglove
Black-Eyed Susans
Thyme
Rosemary

If you have vegetables, flowers, or fruits that deer love to eat, try to plant them near deer-repelling plants. Or, better still, plant “repellers” that surround your crops. Deer typically won’t get anywhere near the plant barrier you make.

Add items that spook deer.

Another easy way to get rid of deer in and around your yard is to add things that scare them away. After seeing negative things in your yard for a while, deer will learn to avoid your home. Some of the easiest ways to spook deer away include:

Letting your dog run around your yard for long periods of time. Deer and dogs don’t mix. The minute a deer hears the bark of a happy dog is the minute they’ll choose to leave.
Adding water sprinklers to your lawn, and regularly turning them on. No one likes to get spritzed with water at random, not even deer. Sprinkler systems that are regularly turned on often act as one of the most effective methods of repelling them long-term.
Add dog-shaped decoys. Don’t have a dog? No problem. Just add a cardboard cutout of one to your property. Even seeing the shadow of a dog is enough to make most deer avoid your home.
Tie shiny mirrors to your plants and trees. Deer are startled by shiny objects and often mistake them for predators. Since they find mirrors confusing, they tend to avoid them.
Spray your yard with commercial deer repellent. If you’re not a fan of mixing your own deer repellent, don’t worry. You can pick up large bottles of professional-grade deer repellent at your local hardware store.

Remove bird feeders from your yard.

Bird feeders can be both a blessing and a curse. They’re a blessing because they attract beautiful birds to your yard. They’re also a curse because deer tend to gravitate towards them, wreck them, and eat the seeds inside.

If you want to get rid of deer, or at least dissuade them from coming near your home, you’re going to have to make a change. Take down the bird feeder—at least for the time being. It’s a quick way to reduce the chance of seeing deer nearby.

Keep deer out of your yard in the first place.

The easiest way to keep deer at bay permanently is to bar them from even entering your area. Believe it or not, this is actually easy to do with a fence. The only thing you need to do is ensure that your fence is too tall for typical deer to be able to jump over.

Deer won’t be able to jump over a fence that’s eight feet or more in height. The fence you install doesn’t have to be wood or stone. A tall chain-link fence is more than enough to keep them at bay.