Case Study: Preventing deer damage to grape vines, using Plantskydd Deer Repellent

Name: Will Bucklin, Old Hill Ranch

Location: Glen Ellen, CA

December 9, 2014

Situation: Wild Life Friendly Vineyard situated in a Sonoma Valley wildlife corridor. Deer can cause major damage to grape vines throughout the growing season.

“I have been using the product for 3 growing seasons. Our results have improved each year as we become more familiar with the pattern and habits of the deer. The repellent is 100% effective upon application but efficacy is lost when the vines grow out quickly during the spring, so frequent reapplication of a dilute solution is necessary.

“At Bud Break I tend to spray the product by hand using backpacks or a wand rigged to my spray rig. We go at a rate of 20 gallons of water per 1 kg product. During rapid growth we apply every two weeks. Once there is too much foliage to make direct spray effective we start to use the spray rig at 4‐ 5 Kilos per 100 gallons, spraying 40 to 50 gallons per acre, all depending on the growth rate, weather, and available forage. Our vines are under tremendous deer pressure, especially during the recent drought! By June the pressure declines and our applications decrease. I think we made 6 passes in 2014.

“As you can see in the pictures we still have minor damage in the vineyard. I monitor the browsing to know when the product has lost its efficacy. Plantskydd Deer Repellent is an important tool for us and has all but eliminated deer damage to the point that it doesn’t affect production. A deer fence is not a viable option.

Full report and pictures: Old Hill Ranch