COMMERCIAL VERSUS NON-COMMERCIAL REPELLENTS OF WHITE-TAILED DEER: A FIELD TEST

Abstract

Vegetation damage from white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, in both agricultural and urban settings, is estimated to be in the millions (U.S. dollars) each year. In response, numerous deer repellents have been developed to deter deer browse on vegetation. This study used 16 captive deer subjects to test six different repellents (i.e., Deer Away Big Game Repellent SprayTm, Hot Pepper WaxTM,Deer GuardTM, Sulfur Repellent, Hot Sauce Repellent, Bitter Repellent) and three modes of action (i.e., fear, pain, taste). The goals of this study were to determine both the effectiveness of individual repellents and the relative effectiveness of commercial repellents versus their non-commercial counterparts. Results showed that Deer Away Big Game Repellent SprayTM, Deer Guard, and non-commercial Sulfur Repellent were the most successful at deterring deer browse, respectively. Given that much of the research on deer deterrents is contradictory and generally disregards non-commercial, repellents I employed a field experiment on captive deer to test multiple repellents, both commercial and noncommercial, over a short period of time. Results from such a controlled design should contribute significantly to the growing body of literature on white-tailed deer control.