JoAnn ...
I did do some research ... of course, I did some research ... I guess you have figured that part out about me by now ...
we have black tail deer and mule deer in Trinity County and they have different eating habits than the white tail deer found in the east. So what may be deer resistant to white tail deer is deer candy to the deer out here. I think when nurseries say a plant is "deer resistant", you just have to test it before you go all out a buy a lot of that plant for your garden.
Also, I think deer born and raised in town and taught to feed in people's gardens don't recognize that our garden plants are plants that are not what normal deer in the back country would not consider to be food. There is a large meadow across the road from my home with a lot of species roses growing in it. During the drought, the starving town deer often tried to tear down my deer fences to get to my roses and never even tried to eat the uncaged species roses that were readily available to them. They didn't even recognized that the meadow was filled with plants that normal deer would consider food. They were raised to feed on peoples gardens.
Since we had cougar problems last year, my neighbor above me finally brushed and fenced his property and we no longer have the large deer herd that has always grazed up there, so I think that has a lot to do with my having fewer deer, too.
The town deer herd has simply gotten way too large and is totally out of control, but for now things are looking pretty good for my part of town.
