While everyone likes to see wildlife occasionally, you don't want to see it as a regular visitor in your strawberry field. This paper will cover the most damaging animals, how to identify damage, and practices to minimize damage. The white tailed deer is the most wide-spread and problematic wildlife pest of plasticulture strawberries. Since the near elimination of the deer's natural predators and a decline in hunting, the deer population has exploded in many areas.
Deer are browsers that are attracted to the tender growth of strawberries in both spring and fall.
Browse damage can severely reduce fruit set. Deer are most often observed feeding at dusk, dawn or during moonlit nights. Plants that have been browsed will have jagged leaf edges or stems, as deer have no upper teeth and must tear the plant parts. A variety of tactics can be used to minimize deer damage. One of the most practical tactics is to allow hunting wherever permitted and to encourage hunters to take does.