Any Camellia experts?

I am furious with my 4 "resident" Roe Deer.Last night, due to our heavy snow having been here for over a week making finding food difficult, they decided to seriously attack 4 of my Camellias. While they have nibbled my Camellias in the past they have decimated 2 of them this time and these have NO leaves left at all. I could hardly believe my eyes as mistook these to be some other short deciduous shrubs but no they are stripped clean.While they have recovered from minor attacks in the past, do you think they have a chance to recover, now that they have no leaves? I am near to thinking I will take up the offer of having the deer shot, if only they stuck to eating my Ivy, Viburnums and my now half bald Golden Yew. At the rate they are demolishing my garden I'll have little left come The Spring. Prior to the devastation last night they'd polished off ALL the flower buds on about 20 evergreen Azaleas and 3 Pieris. For certain my garden is not going to be a blaze of colour in a couple of month's time. There is absolutely no way I can stop the deer as I am surrounded by farmland and it would cost a fortune to erect fencing high enough around the 5 acres of ground we have. Have been told that human hair dangled around might help but will need tonnes of it I fear to make even the slightest difference.Really cheesed off!

 

I tend to think the camellias will survive but probably not flower this spring.

Dont knock living in the countryside, five acres is great.
Despite the drawbacks.

Or perhaps you would prefer 50ft square back yard? With no deer problem.

 

Silu,
I am a Camellia lover and I feel your pain - sorry.
The only thing I can suggest is - can you visit a local barbers to get their sweepings?
Jenny

 

How disheartening :-(

Would a single strand of electric wire help at all - I use electric poultry netting to keep the foxes off the chickens, and it seems to work. Just a thought !

 

probably cheaper just to feed the deer...

 

Good idea and tried that, put down oats/cattle cubes and large bale of hayledge ....untouched! Obviously my "supermarket" is far more tasty...grrr. Time will tell if the 2 completely scoffed Camellias survive or not. I'm lucky to live in proper countryside and suppose I have to accept the few down sides. I'm no "townie" and used to lambs visiting each Spring but they don't really do that much damage unlike Rudolph and his mates.

Tried that a couple of years ago with zero success, these deer can jump quite high and appear a lot cleverer than any horses/ponies I've known. Reckon they'd get into Colditz if they wanted to.

Off to the hairdressers on Monday to get a sack load of hair, if I get even a modicum of success I'll let you know and thanks all for the suggestions.

 

I agree with you Silu, the electric wire won't work. What about getting the deer transported to a different area, or do you have any deer farms around you that might take them.

 

I am just recovering from a fit of the giggles imagining me trying to lasso 4 deer. Reckon by the time I might actually achieve capturing them I would have trampled down what remains of my garden. I've had enough trouble/little success trying to capture numerous lambs in the past and they don't shift as quickly as these visitor do. However, good idea Sheal, we do have a deer farm not that far away, they might be interested in adding to their herd, it's worth a go.

 

I wasn't expecting you to be chasing round with a lasso Silu. I thought perhaps somebody else could round them up and transport them for you.