Warsaw Couple Share Frustration About Deer Eating Arborvitae Trees
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
Paul and Judy Tinkel have been living on Ranch Road for the past 13-1/2 years and constantly battle with deer eating their Arborvitae trees, flowers and vegetables from their garden.
The Tinkels, 1507 Ranch Road, have seven Arborvitae trees behind their three-acre property that have been partially destroyed due to deer eating the leaves on all of the trees. Their home sits in front of a wooded field and Kelly Park. Deer tracks can be visibly seen in their yard and the field leading up to their home.The Tinkels grew the four larger Arborvitae trees themselves 12 years ago, and the other three smaller trees four to five years ago to provide privacy and shade for their home.
The Arborvitae trees are evergreen trees or shrubs from the cypress family. They are found primarily throughout eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Arborvitae trees have scale-like leaves that are soft to the touch, rather than prickly, and prefer colder climates to warmer ones. Its leaves are one of the most popular evergreens eaten by deer and other mammals during the winter.
The Tinkels said the deer have jumped over their chain-link fence to get to the trees, flowers, and vegetables.
Paul said he has a videotape of hundreds of deer on his property since he and his wife have lived there.
The Tinkels said it is not uncommon for deer to be on their property year-round and especially when there is snow on the ground.
Paul said he has contacted city officials about the deer problem on his property.
"The main thing I want to accomplish is to try and get the city and DNR aware of what is going on, and the loss we have sustained with our trees, flowers and vegetables," Paul said.
He said he agrees with the city's deer hunt, but thinks there needs to be additional actions taken to reduce the deer population in the county. Paul suggested continuing the city's deer reduction effort and giving the does a contraception vaccine.
He said he invites city councilmen and DNR officials to come to their property to see the damage deer have done to his property.
Paul said back in the '60s and '70s, he did not see deer in the county, but he thinks in the last 35 years, the deer population has multiplied due to deer reproducing.
The couple has a dog they are afraid to let out at night in the fenced area in fear of the deer.
"It's disgusting, especially when you work hard to plant a flower garden, and then every year you know the time your day lilies are going to bloom you know they won't be there," Judy said.
They also planted two holly trees and put a net over them, but the deer picked through the net and ate the holly leaves.
They said the have spent hundreds of dollars on sprays for their plants, but it is a constant battle because the deer eat them.
