Lewiston, Maine Has a Deer Problem, And They’re Eating My New Trees

Okay, Maine friends. I need help..

I have officially developed a deer problem, and these deer have absolutely no respect whatsoever for my property. How dare they. But also, we live in Maine, so I get it. 

Check it out, I recently planted Emerald Green arborvitaes along the edge of my yard because I wanted a nice little privacy border between us and the neighbors.

It’s not just me! Apparently, Maine’s deer population really is having a moment.

According to deeranddeerhunting, Maine hunters recently set an all-time single-season whitetail harvest record with 55,876 deer, more than 13,600 above the previous year and about 12% higher than the five-year average.

And deer numbers are especially strong in southern and coastal Maine, where some areas have an estimated 15–35 deer per square mile. '

So basically, my arborvitae aren’t being personally targeted by a few rogue deer, they’re just living in a state where the deer population is thriving. I feel slightly vindicated. My trees? Not so much. 

Very cute. Very responsible. Very “I am finally becoming a person who takes care of landscaping.” 

And then the deer showed up. And my brand-new arborvitaes are now the hottest dessert in the neighborhood. 

And just to make things even more complicated, Moondog has decided these trees are also his personal bathroom. 

So between my dog peeing on them and the deer trying to eat them, these poor trees are fighting for their lives. 

I've tried deer spray. The deer laughed. 

I've considered fencing. The deer looked at the fence and laughed in their maniacal deer way. 

Read More: Olivia Pelletier's Wish For Her Cousin Instead Of Herself

Seriously, I swear I can hear their little deer voices mocking me from the woods. 

And this is bringing me back to the last time I desperately needed Maine's help: when Moondog got skunked. I put the problem out there, you guys came through with ideas, and somehow we survived the Great Skunk Incident together. 

Help?