Control of deer damage with chemical repellents in regenerating hardwood stands

Abstract

Wildlife damage can be a major problem in natural tree regeneration or tree plantings. In the North Central Hardwoods region, white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a significant cause of damage to hardwood seedlings. We evaluated the use of a combination of chemical repellents (Hinder®, Tree Guard®, chicken eggs, and Plantskydd®) in restoring a poor hardwood stand to higher-valued, native trees in Hixon Forest, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Chemically treated oak (Quercus spp.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina) seedlings had less terminal browse damage (P < 0.005) during the growing season than untreated seedlings. Results during the winter will also be presented. Preliminary results support further study of an integrated use of chemical repellents in regenerating hardwood stands.

Parent Publication

• Black walnut in a new century, proceedings of the 6th Walnut Council research symposium; 2004 July 25-28; Lafayette, IN.

Citation

MacGowan, Brian J.; Severeid, Larry; Skemp, Fred, Jr. 2004. Control of deer damage with chemical repellents in regenerating hardwood stands. In: Michler, C.H.; Pijut, P.M.; Van Sambeek, J.W.; Coggeshall, M.V.; Seifert, J.; Woeste, K.; Overton, R.; Ponder, F., Jr., eds. Proceedings of the 6th Walnut Council Research Symposium; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-243. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Research Station. 127-133