Gamebird,
I used to use a spray bottle to "discipline" unruly dogs and cats. Worked like a charm. My son even uses a spray bottle to make his bad behaved tropical bird he let's loose in the house mind it's manners. When it sees him going for the spray bottle it flies back in it's cage and hides in the farthest corner til it thinks the coast is clear again, lol.
Outside dogs of any breed hate to be hosed down. If you can manage a motion activated sprinkler for the garden area, it should do the job.
Short of that, I would recommend a greyhound or a shotgun.

Barbara

If a coyote will stand still for me to spray them in the face, I'll do it! :D

A motion-activated sprinkler is a good idea though. I might invest in that next year. How much do they cost? How do they work? I know they sense motion, but is it a hose with a regular sprinkler and an actuator to turn it on if there's motion?

Gamebird,

I hear your pain and would suggest maybe looking at an electrified fence. It is an expense but most critters are habit forming and once they know where you are they not only keep coming but they tell all their friends at the bar. It is an expense but they are effective. Also there is something satisfying about hearing a yelp or a painful hiss in the middle of the night and knowing that cantaloupe did not go unpaid for. You can set them on a timmer so you do not have to worry about the kids getting zapped in the day or yourself for that matter. I get so frustrated and amazed at how I can be in the middle of a city suburb and every Raccoon and Opossum in town knows I got a tomato that will be ready tomorrow so they better come get it tonight. But I guess I should not be surprised as SVB, Cucumber Beatles, Corn Ear Worms and Tomato Horn Worms find me every year in the urban jungle.

Christopher
S. OKC

Gamebird,

Everyone I know who gardens here in our part of the state has problems with raccoons, deer, coyotes, possums, rabbits, etc. and the best solution is a fence.

Some people have success with those motion-activated sprinklers, and some don't. I believe you can find one for about $50 although they sell for higher prices on some websites.

One of my neighbors keeps critters away by playing a radio set to talk radio (music doesn't work) all night long. The radio is in a large zip-lock bag to keep moisture off of it, and is plugged in using one of those big orange heavy duty extension cords. It keeps deer away from his apple trees but not from his okra. I don't know if it keeps coyotes away from his melons.

I second Christopher's recommendation of an electric fence...and you have to have wires low enough that nothing can lay down and scoot or crawl under it, and high enough that the deer can't jump over it.

The only other option is a tall enough fence that deer and coyotes can't jump it. A 7' tall fence works for us, but I would feel better if it was 9' tall cause we have some really large deer.

Nothing we've done keeps the raccoons away because they climb over or under or dig under or something. When we enlarge the garden this winter, the 'new' section of garden space will have electric fencing.

Once critters (and that includes human, animal, bird and insect) find your garden, it becomes an elaborate 'game' with you trying to outwit them and them trying to outwit you. It is not a fun game either.

Dawn

Oh Gamebird - how sad! I know how you feel. It happened to us last year. The deer ate every single sweet potatoe leaf that grew outside our netting fence. Almost like someone took an electric trimmer and just cut them right across. The leafless stems sticking up looked so funny!

I know others have recommended electric fences and I'm sure they work great, but we haven't been able to fork out the $ for those yet either. We've had exceptional luck with deer netting that can be found at Lowes or Tractor Supply. 100 ft length by 7 ft. high is around $14 and is re-usable for several years. Granted, you have to use zip-ties to attach it to tall fence-posts and you also have to use yard staples to secure the bottom. We've had 2 snakes and 1 hummingbird meet their demise in it too. The snakes we trashed in the woods but the hummingbird got buried next to our beloved Spitzy out back. We've also "lured" critters away from the garden area by throwing some our wasted treasures out where they could eat them (like my sunscalded pumpkins that began rotting before I could process them!). A few cukes and maters are out there too. Seems to be working out here in rural Thunderbird Lake! How's the rest of your garden doing?

It may be late for this years crop, but keep it in mind for next year.

Paula

The rest of my garden is doing very well, but I think I'll take your advice and buy some extra deer netting and tack it down over the sweet taters. I used to have some over them, but I had to take it down and put it around my bean teepees so the rabbits or whatever wouldn't eat all the sprouts before they got big enough. I had good sized bean plants there before that got eaten down to nearly nothing in a night, so I think I need to keep protection around them for a while. I should probably tie some plastic sacks on them as well. I hear those distract deer.

Oh, and that reminds me I need to go through Collinsville to my hair stylist and get some hair from her.