From time to time I have 4-6 deer wandering around my yard and the neighborhood. Outside my fence, I have planted lilacs, mountain laurel, Rhododendrons, Rose of Sharon, Forsythia, Yews, Arbor Vitae, Bayberry, Frasier Fir, Dwarf Alberta Spruce, White Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce and high bush blueberries. No deer problems. I have planted Holly and Andromeda with similar success. Pines, birch, hemlock, all appear and grow naturally. The deer never touched any of them. They do make a special effort to find and eat Hosta. Deer will graze on grass, but leave Vinca, low blueberries and Pachysandra alone.
On Welch Island, 10 years ago you could see deep into the woods. There was virtually no undergrowth as the deer ate it all, mostly pines. The herd thinned or moved on and we now have white pines 6-8 feet tall, and less, filling in like an invasive species. We have deer, but not enough to do any damage that I'm aware of.
It seems to depend a lot on eating what is available and how hungry they are.
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