Living in western Durham for 10 years, it seems the deer damage is
especially severe this year. They have thoroughly trimmed the ivy, azalea,
liriope, and many other species.

We see as many as seven deer in the street some nights.

Is the deer population especially high? Or is there a severe shortage of
wild vegetation?

there are few things going on

development pressure where large tracts of land is now houses - near us it
is brier creek and long lake, in total about 1 thousand acres now gone

no one hunts the animals so that every year you get new ones without the old
ones taken out, except by cars.

I believe you are allowed to hunt them on your own property I would have to
ask one of my neighbors...

The good thing is as they develop this land the new homeowners put in fresh
landscaping (hostas, azaleas, etc) for the deer, so I am hoping that the
deer fill up before they get to my house!!

Deer are primarily browsers, they eat new growth and only go after old
growth when there is no new growth, so this time of year they are like kids
in a candy store, eating everything they can!

One other thing is that animals will not cross a brush pile, so the ice
storm has changed their migration paths. If there is a large brush pile or
trees in their way they will go around it and find a new trail looking for
food. I guess they found your house this time!!

Tomotolord

"JohnF" wrote in message
...
Living in western Durham for 10 years, it seems the deer damage is
especially severe this year. They have thoroughly trimmed the ivy, azalea,
liriope, and many other species.

We see as many as seven deer in the street some nights.

Is the deer population especially high? Or is there a severe shortage of
wild vegetation?