What stripped every last pine needle?

[David wv]

I have never had any issues with animals while over wintering conifers, until now. Deciduous, yes rabbits trim back any of my young maple, birch and a few others, normally not a huge problem for my young trees. It grows back. But this made me so mad. Something stripped every last needle off of several pines that I had been working on for the last several years. Yeah they were not anything close to great but still, it is very discouraging. My fault for not protecting better but I never dreamed something would eat pine needles or other conifers. I am assuming it was deer during this last snow/ ice storm, got really hungry. Whatever it was also basically stripped a couple yew trees, which I thought were poisonous and animals never ate. They also stripped some but not all the needles off of some young JBP and a few other things. Also ate some shimpaku and eastern red cedar.
This is the first winter at a new location but only about 10 miles from where I lived before and it was a much more wooded area. Just sharing my frustration but has anyone seen this before?
The two worse ones, a native virginia pine and a dwarf mugo. .

 

[David wv]

Just as a reference, this is the virginia pine this fall before I reduced the sacrifice leader.

 

[JeffS73]

Gutted for you David! Deer can and will do this. Are there any buds left? It's a long shot, but in the UK I've seen Scots pines bounce back from this in the Spring.

 

[Betula1]

Agree with Jeff - hungry deer will do this!

 

[Gabler]

Deer are a bigger problem in less wooded areas where they've learned to forage in gardens for food. Keep your shotgun near your back door in case they come back.

 

[penumbra]

It may seem counter intuitive to some, but our deer are well fed and seldom bother our exotic plants. We have seven deer that we see and feed every day. Since we have been feeding them regularly, they are tending to bother our desirable plants less. We also are surrounded with several acres of natural grazing area.
They really did a number on your pines. Sorry friend.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

This has happened to me on the past as well. I use deer and rabbit spray which seems to work.

 

[Dav4]

This time of year in the northern hemisphere, deer will literally eat anything. I was quite surprised to realize, when I moved to high deer population SE Michigan, that I've got to protect every landscape tree in my yard except boxwood and juniper.

 

[James W.]

Venison will eat eat tips of spruce and pine, especially young plants. I have had them trim my yews, too. Never had a problem with juniper, that's a new one to me.
Spruce and pine buds are (supposedly) nutritious for humans, too.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

There are deer tracks in the snow all around your trees Sorry but I've never seen deer as numerous as out here on the east coast. In the midwest they were there, but far fewer numbers and they were very skittish and kept far away from human habitation.

 

[leatherback]

Venison

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

There are deer tracks in the snow all around your trees.

Nice observation.

Okay, we know the cause, what's the best way to protect against death by deer?

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I spray with deer spray.

 

[WavyGaby]

I spray with deer spray.

Does it work? Hows it smell? Ive got a group of 5 regulars

 

[coachspinks]

This year the deer stripped a saw palmetto in my yard. I've never seen that before. I think it happened when we had 2" of snow on the ground so their options were limited.

 

[Ininaatigoons]

Spray is stinky stuff! Especially until it dries. After a day I can't notice it, but I'm not putting my nose up to it either. I use it from fall until spring. When there are plenty better options for them.

 

[penumbra]

I use fox and coyote urine granules where I don't want wildlife.

 

[crab apple]

This year the deer stripped a saw palmetto in my yard. I've never seen that before. I think it happened when we had 2" of snow on the ground so their options were limited.

Sounds like a hog, they eat palmettos around here anyways.

 

[David wv]

There are deer tracks in the snow all around your trees Sorry but I've never seen deer as numerous as out here on the east coast. In the midwest they were there, but far fewer numbers and they were very skittish and kept far away from human habitation.

Yeah, I saw the tracks along with rabbit but there are tracks everywhere around the house, I see deer in the yard pretty much daily. Just didn't expect them to eat pine needles and such. I see all kinds of young pine saplings growing naturally that they don't touch. Lol the mysteries of wildlife differences from one area to another, who would imagine.

 

[David wv]

It may seem counter intuitive to some, but our deer are well fed and seldom bother our exotic plants. We have seven deer that we see and feed every day. Since we have been feeding them regularly, they are tending to bother our desirable plants less. We also are surrounded with several acres of natural grazing area.
They really did a number on your pines. Sorry friend.

I kinda like this idea. I like seeing and having them around but they gotta leave my tree's alone. Lol