The sorrow of sowing invasive deer food

Laurel likes deer. She also dislikes barren slopes filled with dead, decaying blackberry vines. So last year this combined like and dislike led her to sow deer food on part of our property.

Fortunately, not a large part. Big enough, though, for us to spend much of yesterday and today pulling up the damn stuff.

Laurel thought that it would only come up once. Since this vegetation, a "deer greens" blend of brassica and purple top turnip, isn't very attractive, that was the hope when it sprouted and grew rapidly. The deer liked it. We didn't, so hoped that it'd just make a one-time appearance.

With the weather warming, that hope was dashed, even though the blend supposedly is an annual. As spouts began to appear, it dawned on Laurel that she'd seemingly unleashed an invasive plant on the land that we'd just cleared of the invasive Himalayan Blackberry.

Often leaving well enough alone is the best approach. Especially when dealing with nature. Left to its own devices, bare rural land in western Oregon has no trouble replanting itself.

I'd reminded Laurel of this when we stood and stared at the plot that finally had been cleared of what had previously been filled with really expensive blackberries. But wives, like our president, are the deciders. She wanted green growth, now.

Well, we got it. Along with sore backs and knees today.

So, think twice before you spread deer food around your property. I guess this is pretty common. Not being a hunter, or even a meat-eater, until I Googled "deer food" I didn't realize that planting food plots to attract deer is an accepted practice.

Our motivation was to do something nice for the deer. But I suspect a more nefarious reason is involved when the ad copy for a planting mix says "Best of all, every buck, young and old, will carry a heavier rack and more body weight!"

Well, our neighborhood deer will have to adjust to being a touch leaner from now on. Hopefully they aren't able to read certain news stories. We want them to believe that thin is in.

Comments

[Hen-picked-Herbert]

"But wives, like our president, are the deciders. She wanted green growth, now."

"So, think twice before you spread deer food around your property."

You should also think twice about who wears the pants in your household. Just because your wife wants to do something stupid like feed the deer, doesn't mean you have to follow her around like a hen picked husband. I know, I was once a hen picked hubby.

Just like the electorate can decide who the Presidents are at election time, so can husbands decide to grow a pair and practice common sense when it comes to things that their wives want.... especially things that their wives want NOW.