DEER: Safe way to keep them out

I just want to say I appreciate A.J. Pedersen’s comments in his Thursday’s letter to the editor. I agree wholeheartedly. “Predators,” really? If we saw a cougar or coyote stalking deer in Dalton Gardens, it would be rare. The dangerous “predators” are those who have been shooting and poisoning the deer in the last couple of years. I will say, the deer are innocent and beautiful to watch…and they were here first.

Dalton Gardens, in the 1800s and early 1900s, was acres and acres of fruit orchards, and there was even a packing plant and a train station. The trains ran through here and transported the fruit. You know the deer must have been around during that time of fruit harvesting. I wonder why those who complain about the deer so much are even living in a beautiful place like this? And I wonder how many are newcomers.

There is a product that is very successful in deterring the deer from your beloved flowers…Deer Stopper. It’s made by Messina Wildlife, and is a mixture of Rosemary oil and Mint oil…the deer don’t like the smell or taste. It’s organic and safe, and doesn’t contain a bunch of chemicals. It would be a much safer way to protect your plants. Do some research on what kinds of plants the deer don’t like, and put those in the yard.

It’s a shame we have to think of all kinds of ways to get rid of them when this is their natural habitat. I will say that this year they devoured my purple petunias, and ate the apples off the bottom branches of my tree (because I forgot to spray!) but there were many more apples still on the tree where they couldn’t reach…and I didn’t look for ways to destroy them.

JEANNE HELSTROM

Dalton Gardens/Coeur d’Alene