We live on Heidelburg Road, and have given up hope for growing tomatoes in our backyard due to the deer problem. We have tried motion-detection noise makers, sprays recommended by the garden centers, cages, and nothing deters these hungry critters. They bent my tomato cages beyond repair, ate my rose bush, denuded my hydrangea, and generally feel my gardening efforts are an attempt to feed them.
I am more concerned with the deer tick problem coming from their presence. It know that Lyme Disease is carried by deer ticks, and with such a heavy presence of deer in our neighborhood, we are at an increased risk for this. While chatting with a person at my car dealership, I was told that there were Bow Hunters who specialize in this sort of problem, and that our Civic Association can contact them to take care of this problem. The only hitch is that the deer are coming from the Greenbelt Park, which makes the deer possibly protected unless they are hunted in our neighborhood, not the park.
I am curious if anyone else is interested in persuing this idea. I have the names and phone numbers of some bow hunters who are eligible for this if there is any interest.