Deer damaging bird feeders

Half-cocked

It looks like Sika deer have recently moved onto our pheasant shoot. The local ranger has confirmed this. On Sunday I found one of our feeders with the spring stretched out past the point of no return and all the corn dumped on the ground. Deer tracks all around. Has anyone tried using those spikey things you put on the bottom of the spring to deter deer and do they work?

(And yes. I will be undertaking a little deer management to help protect my pheasant feed:D)

DR6.5

We get a lot of trouble from sika deer one feeder i was topping up on the weekend was lifted out of the stand and had puncture holes where a stag had a go at it.

we have used the the guards that your talking about they didnt stop the deer, what we do is to fence the feeders with sheep wire and also the metal stand that the feeder is placed in has a metal guard that the spring sits into to stop the deer getting at it.

Ill get a picture of the feeder & post it for you.

dr6.5

Half-cocked

Thanks, sounds like a plan. More work to do.....

deeksofdoom

Get yourself a section 31 or is it a section 32 one of them is a licence to shoot dear year round, the other one is the 'Offences against the state act'.

Then all you need is a deer shooter.

CJhaughey

Section 42, but you have to prove that the deer are causing problems, maybe have a chat with the local NPWS ranger and see how receptive they are to the idea of a section 42.
It is not a license to shoot year round, it is for the purposes of controlling nuisance animals out of season or with other methods that may be illegal such as lamp etc. The form is pretty specific as to landowner, area and method.
It is really to be used if there is no other method such as fencing etc that will prevent the damage.

tudlytops

It is really to be used if there is no other method such as fencing etc that will prevent the damage.[/quote]

Absolutely - shooting dear because they are upsetting the bird feeders, crazy.

Half-cocked

I'll just deer proof the feeders this season. Next year I'll get a hunting license, I already have the artillery. Our land owner is eager for a freezer full of venison and will give the necessary permissions. I wouldn't bother with a section 42, I don't want to shoot pregnant/suckling animals.

By the way, a section 42 isn't just applicable to out of season deer. I know a farmer who had to get one so that he could legally scare flocks of brent geese off his winter cereal crop!:rolleyes:

ronn

i seen a spring feeder yesterday in dma sports in ashford, it looked like a boat fishing reel, round bars with the spring in the middle,