Deer Ruining My Tree!

I lost my daughter a little over a year ago. I bought a small sugar maple and planted it in my yard this spring in memory of her. It was doing great until yesterday I notice the bark rubbed off on one side. I know it to be caused by a buck because there have been deer in my yard pretty consistently. If this continues, he will kill the tree.

I have two questions:
1. What can I do to deter the deer from rubbing? I thought of spraying it with skunk essence.
2. What can I do to save the tree?

Put a fence around it.

As long as the bark isn't removed around the entire circumference of the tree, you should be able to save it using some tar like tree stuff. Something like pruning seal.




I would put a small fence around, close enough to the tree a deer wouldn't be able to jump it. Something like this.

T posts and wire making a cage around it

mulch around the base of the tree with wood chips to keep the weeds down since you also will not be able to mow close to it

about the only way to give small trees a chance in thick deer territory

if the rabbits start chewing the base you may also need some chicken wire around your cage down low

I used concrete reinforcing mesh to make fences around my new apple trees. 5 feet tall, about 6 feet in diameter. Just bend some hooks and hook the ends together. No need for posts or stakes.
Rabbits will go right through the fence, so I added chicken wire like GCP suggested.

choot em lizbeth choot em
Dennis

Get a 2-3 foot piece of plastic drain tile. Slice it down the side and wrap it around the tree. They will stop rubbing and it will also help to prevent SW split in the winter.