Managing Deer and Other Wildlife on Your Land
The United States is home to more than 20 million white tail deer. While that number might excite hunters, it can spell trouble for farmers.
“In some years, farmers spend as much as $2 billion reducing crop damage by deer,” says Dr. Michael Cox, Brand Manager with Helena Products Group.
In addition to row crops and vegetables, the problem extends to other areas, including forestry, Christmas tree farms, nurseries and cover crops. Many turned to repellents over the years to deter deer and other wildlife such as elk and moose with varying levels of success. What was traditionally a messy and unpleasant undertaking was perfected with the introduction of Trico® Pro.
“This was a material that really originated from European markets, where over the last couple of decades at least they have seen huge successes,” says Dr. Cox.
Offered in row crops and specialty markets in the U.S. by Helena, Trico Pro is a natural wildlife repellent derived from sheep fat. It uses a dual-action spray to target the senses of taste and smell in animals. Unlike traditional repellents, it produces long-lasting protection after a single application, and its subtle odor is non-irritating to humans but highly effective to the keen senses of animals. Dr. Cox says it’s already making a big impact for farmers in areas with dense deer populations like the Southeast.
“Many cotton growers who had previously battled an almost take-over from deer in previous years found hope with Trico Pro,” says Dr. Cox. “After using one application shortly after planting when the cotton had already germinated and reached cracking stage, they were seeing a normal stand of cotton. At the end of the season, they were saying, ‘hey, this is the first time we've harvested in five years. Your product really works.’”
Along with consistent performance, Trico Pro also improves application handling and flexibility. It’s easy to spray, and with a convenient, liquid concentrate, it can be applied with hand-held or backpack sprayers in addition to gardening, turf, golf course and farming equipment. Unlike before, farmers can now apply a repellent without worrying about clogged nozzles and other application problems. Still, Dr. Cox recommends a jar test to look at compatibility before applying Trico Pro with other products as a tank mix. He also has advice on the right time to apply Trico Pro.
“What you want to do is number one, prevent the need to replant,” says Dr. Cox. “Number two, prevent any yield loss. You want to be late enough with the application that the crop is up already and out of the soil. The more plant material you get the product on, the better. Still, we’ve seen many situations where application to the bare soil has also protected newly germinating crop seedlings as well.”
In the fall and winter months, Trico Pro is a great tool for protecting Christmas trees and young forest stands that are highly vulnerable to deer browsing and damage as well. To protect your crop investment, contact your local Helena representative for more information about Trico Pro. You can hear more from Dr. Michael Cox on Episode 49 of the FieldLink® Podcast, available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.