News Articles January 2005 Deer Management in American Christmas Tree Journal (Oct. ’04) discusses how Pennsylvania Christmas Tree Growers deal with the challenges imposed by the state’s vast deer population. “In certain regions of Pennsylvania, the economic loss resulting from deer browse has become so prevalent that Christmas Tree growers limit the tree species they grow or must implement expensive control practices. . . . Control methods generally center on effective deer herd management. . . . However, hunting antlered bucks does little to reduce deer abundance sine the reproductive capacity of the deer population remains undiminished. . . . Because of the overabundance of deer in Pennsylvania, exclusion may be the most effective long-term solution to serious deer damage. . . . Pennsylvania growers experiencing high levels of deer browse have had good success with permanent five-to-seven-strand high-tensile electric fences. This fencing system is expensive to build, but requires little maintenance. Most importantly, it has kept the deer out.”
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