I appreciate the offers. Not sure "harvesting" deer here is legal. IMO if a deer is a pest and if it is owned by the state we ought to be able to either recover damages or protect ourselves. Sadly, the law doesn't seem to reflect this point of view.
Two years ago coyotes used to travel through the seasonal wash that is the bottom of my garden almost daily. Haven't seen one for a few months. Three days ago I saw a pair of knee-high bobcats in the same location. Not sure I know how to get them to pee on my fence. But it seems silly to pay for what nature sometimes provides for free. (Bottled water anyone?)
I've heard that human pee will deter deer, too. I'm pretty sure that's not the case in my garden. (It's a pretty secluded place, BTW.)
I tried grinding up chile pequins once and the effect, if there was any, was short lived. But that was when I was battling voles and pocket gophers. Might be worth a try.
I expect the spray thing to work well since the deer visit at night or near dawn when the air is about 45F. I think being hit by water when it's that cool outside would make a deer a little unhappy. But if it doesn't work, I might try another one of your suggestions.
