Scott: You have a wonderfully clear understanding of the deer overpopulation issue. Thank you for adding some extra clarity. I also like your idea of the use of salt licks for "birth control." That way no one has to shoot "Bambi." Pam: The cages are quite easy to make, except for one or two points. First, the rolls are terribly heavy. At Southern States here in Winchester, they load them in my Suburban with a forklift, but a very strong young man can lift one. I jockey them back and forth to roll them out and am careful to get out of the way when I get them to tumble out. I never buy more than two rolls at a time to leave room for this maneuvering. I brace them in the Suburban with bricks. After that it is pretty simple. Find a place with some room to piece-by-piece unroll them for cutting. I use some small bolt cutters to cut the wire, securing the free end with weights to keep it from rolling up on me. The next step might be difficult for you, depending on the strength in your hands/fingers. That is twisting the cut ends--just 3/4 of a turn, really--to secure them. I do this at only three points--more is not necessary. I do the top in one direction, the middle in the other, and then the bottom back again, to add a bit of stability. And each side at each level I twist in the opposite direction. Wearing heavy gloves makes this easier. I am 70 with some arthritis in my fingers, so I am not that strong either. My guess is you could make the same number I do, but it takes just a bit of practice. Of course you could use some kind of soft tie wire to secure them--that would not take any extra time. The way I do it adds some stiffness and makes the rolls keep their round shape better. But using the tie wire with a one section overlap should be just as good. That would just require about 5% more wire per cage. I cut each cage at the 19 section point--that makes cages about 3 1/2 feet across at the top (although I am not completely sure the sections are exactly the same with all brands of this wire), which is wide enough to give protection. A very few times I have had deer put their head/tongue through and nibble anyway. In a few cases I have put extra wire--chicken wire around the upper part to prevent this. I also put the larger openings at the bottom--to accomodate the anchoring rocks and to make the openings higher up harder for the deer to poke their heads through. Finally, you really need the taller wire--anything less than the 46 inches will not be enough. Yes, I put these around the trees and just leave them there until they are not needed. Keeping in place them until the trees are 6" caliper is perhaps overdoing it a little. The risk is less after they are 4", but I have had some scraped minimally up to 6". If the bark gets thick, that affords some protection a bit earlier. Black Walnuts at about 4 inches are fairly safe. Tough lower branches at the "rubbing level" can add extra protection with hardwoods. With pines the deer will simply strip all the lower branches off to get to the trunk. --Spruce

Thank-you both for your input! I kind of figured the roots were still intact but I was hoping it might multiply this year...no hope of that! No groundhogs that I have seen....but someone bit the head and flower bud off my trillium too :( AND I just put out 4 clumps of wintersown columbine so it better not touch them or else!!! I'm very sorry to hear about your columbines!

Spinach and lettuce are probably your best bet right now. Pea plants are not frost sensitive but the flowers are, not usually grown as a fall crop because of this. Carrots generally take a long time and are sown mid summer for a fall crop. Bok choy might work out for you, too, radishes as well. Almost September is pretty late for fall sowing in northern Colorado. Most crops grown for fall harvest are planted by mid July really. Cover crops/green manure are always an option though, to get the soil ready for next spring.

Stunning pictures. I am not surprised the deer came on to your deck last year - here, in a suburban neighborhood with houses on every 1/4 acre lot, they climb up my one story tall brick front stairs, walk onto our old wrap around front porch (c. 1905), and eat the plants growing in pots right next to my front door. The Big Horn Sheep have probably been going through your area long before your house was built - YOU actually moved into THEIR neighborhood. Glad much of the area is protected. It certainly is wonderful that you can see all of the wildlife. Jackie