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Muntjac deer eating plants

Woody12Woody12 Posts: 5
in Problem solving
I have a part woodland garden with a big wild area, I love to see the muntjac deer wandering around and laying in the sun.  However, they are eating my perennial plants which is a bit soul destroying and costly. In no way do I want to harm them but is there any deterrent that I could use, ie spray, that may just keep them at bay. Similar to the cat spray to deter cats, not that I have ever used it.
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  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    nope. And they eat anything so there aren't any 'muntjac proof' plants, either. You either have to fence them out, which isn't easy, or accept the losses, I'm afraid.
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Or invest in a shotgun and a bigger fridge. >:)
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    They simply adore roses & viburnums (I know!😬)

    The only way I could keep them out was to put gates / fences / hedges around the boundary. One occasionally finds his way in (probably when we've not shut the gate before dark) and he can clear the 6' hedges with ease when disturbed in the garden. However, the presence of a physical barrier seems to keep them out most of the time.

    Wabbits on the other hand....🤬
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • Woody12Woody12 Posts: 5
    Thank you for the comments. No magical remedy then. As for the suggestion of a shotgun. I have an unprintable answer to that!
  • rebeccamM6CA_Gn6rebeccamM6CA_Gn6 Posts: 133
    Perhaps if you give them more “food” type stuff in the wild part of the garden they might get full bellies and not wander into your perennials? Just a suggestion 💁🏻‍♀️ Not sure what that food might be, but I agree it’s wonderful to see them. Shotgun indeed - not funny 😒
  • sj.batessj.bates Posts: 1
    it's not funny, it is realistic and would be environmentally useful. I have read that even culling 30% of muntjac will only hold the population static and they destroy any biodiversity in 'wildlife' gardens, - have stripped mine COMPLETELY bare of ivy, brambles and any other ground cover and shelter areas around pond as well as decimating ornamentals and veg. Better people eat them and can continue to  grow good, save money and food miles. Only alternative is give up on almost all plants in garden and eat expensive bought food or processed plastic packaged stuff from supermarkets. It is virtually impossible to keep them out.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    It might be realistic but it's not very practical is it unless you are a proper butcher with a gun licence. Even then, you might get fed up of eating venison all the time. 

    I do agree with you however that they do need culling to keep the numbers down.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    We have roe deer plus the occasional muntjac, and there are definitely things that don’t get eaten.  Looking out my window at the moment I can see snowdrops, daffodils, primula, hellebores, vinca, aubretia, lithodora, Iberis ……. All untouched despite nightly raids from bambi.

    Do muntjacs eat a wider variety of plants?
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Muntjac are the only animal I've seen to eat Euphorbias. 


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    Muntjacs will eat most plants, even stuff the roe don't touch. I thought my agapanthus were safe as generations of roe have never bothered them in 25 years but the muntjac ate them to the ground. >:)
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