Keep Your Trees OUT OF or AWAY FROM ...  A RUT!

This tip courtesy of DeerBusters.com.

Fall is a beautiful time of year and it seems to lift the spirits of landowners, but it's also when your trees are most susceptible to rut damage from those frisky bucks. 

Deer like to move around when it's cooler, so the crisp dawns and twilights you enjoy this time of year usually signal the rut is on. Defining the exact time is difficult, but it's safe to say that rutting lasts from early September through November.

Bucks rub their antlers against tree trunks for two reasons:

   1. To clean off the velvety finish the antlers take on in summer.
   2. To mark your trees as part of their territory.

There are less violent ways to do this - think dogs at fire hydrants - but these bucks go all out, really thrashing and pushing against the trunk until they release their scent.

Unfortunately, though fall may be the best time for bucks to make their mark, it's the worst time for your trees to suffer injury to their trunks. Winter is on its way and the last thing your tree needs heading into the first frost is an open wound. The trunk is more than a post to hold the tree canopy up; inside it is the life system for the tree. If insects and disease enter through the wound made by a rutting buck, your tree can weaken or die. Younger trees, particularly those you've just planted, are the most vulnerable.

One way to protect your tree from busy bucks is to keep them away from your trees, or at least the youngest ones. A great way is to roll vinyl rut guards around the trunks. They also help hold in moisture, which helps keep them healthy throughout dry winter months. Simply wrap the guards around the trunk from the base up.  

Deer fencing can protect the yard around your home that includes your favorite trees. It comes in several types, and the choice depends on how large, permanent and strong you want your fence to be. The standard fencing comes in rolls of varying lengths. Create small perimeters around your most vulnerable trees to get them through the rut season. The fencing is easy to install and handy to have around in case the same bucks come back hungry for fresh foliage in the spring.

If bucks are particularly aggressive or there have been past problems with aggressive deer around your fruit trees, extra-strength perimeter fencing also comes in rolls. The corrosive-proof material stands up to bucks and is easy to install. 

And once this year's trees are safely protected from rutting with vinyl rut guards or deer fencing, don't rest too easily. According to the University of Illinois Extension Service, the territorial nature of rutting means these bucks will likely revisit the same trees next year or the year after! These experts also warn not to try to confront a buck; rutting bucks often are agitated and unpredictable.

For more information and products to keep

your landscape investment safe from deer and other wildlife, visit DeerBusters.com