All the green growth on some evergreens have been stripped off as high as the animals could reach. Trees that have been completely girdled have essentially been destroyed. Wrapping the trunk or applying pruning paint to the damaged area will not save the tree. Most affected trees will sucker from the base. However, since most fruit and ornamental trees are propagated by grafting, suckers which originate from the rootstock will not produce a desirable tree.
Many deciduous shrubs have the ability to produce new shoots or suckers at their base.
Because of this ability, many severely damaged deciduous shrubs will eventually recover. Girdled stems should be cut off just below the feeding injury. The key to the condition of damaged evergreens is the presence of growing points or buds on the injured branches. Branches that have had all their buds devoured by hungry animals will not produce new growth this spring. As a result, some small evergreens may have been completely destroyed.