Deer problem in Western Oregon?

[iris lilies]

Here is a question that I have to ask the natives:

Are there deer that run rampant around Oregon and that chomp on garden plants? The deer around here are awful outside of the city. Same for the other places I consider moving to.

What is the deer problem like in Oregon?

[gimmethesimplelife]

I lived in Portland for 5 years and I can tell you what ran through my yard were not deer but possums. Seriously. They would come and chow down my plants at 4 AM. I didn't believe a neighbor who told me this was happening and I knew he got up really early so I asked him if he would call me some morning when he saw this. A couple of days later he calls me right around 4 AM and I got up and went outside and sure enough, they were there. Three possoms chowing down on my herbs.....To this day I wonder how they survive in the middle of SE Portland, a city with fairly small lots and I lived nowhere near the end of the city. So I would factor this into Western Oregon. Rob

[bae]

Well, here in western Washington, the deer population is huge, and they are like locusts. Deer fencing is a must.

[CeciliaW]

We live on the Eastern side of Oregon and the deer treat the yards like a buffet. Makes sense to me.

[Simplemind]

Portland suburbs here and we are backed up to a greenway. The deer sleep under the old swing set much of the time. They have eaten much in my garden. We use a motion detector that sprays water and have found it to be pretty effective.

[Tiam]

I'm in Southern Oregon. West of the Cascades. Deer are an enormous problem here.

[RosieTR]

Do they sell cheap deer tags then? Some states will do that for nuisance animals. Here they aren't, so it's actually more difficult to get a deer tag than an elk tag.

[Sonora Shepherd]

We are in Florence, Oregon, on the central coast. Deer are big problem here - they love to eat daylilies. Bears are here all the time. The wildlife people say there are over 350 bears in the city limits.

[Greg44]

Southern Willamette Valley - yes deer are a problem. People who live in the "hills" and outskirts of town all have very tall fences around their gardens. I often see deer when I am out on my early morning runs, sometimes right on the city streets. They like to come down in the fall to eat the apples, etc. that have fallen.

When I was in High School we hit a deer and rolled the small pickup we were in. No one was hurt - except for the deer.

[Tiam]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKQa9davydY