These articles are written to apply to the northeastern corner of Illinois. Problems and timing may not apply outside of this area. During the course of winter, rabbits and deer can cause considerable damage to trees and shrubs in the landscape. Shrubs may be chewed down to near soil level. Younger trees may suffer extensive bark damage.
Repellents are one option to consider.
Results of research on different repellents varies with location and even the specific year of the study. Perhaps the most important thing to remember concerning repellents is that they reduce but do not eliminate animal damage to plants. Repellents may be classified as either contact or area repellents. Contact repellents are applied directly to plants and repel by unpleasant taste for the animal. Area repellents are different in that they are applied in the vicinity of plants and usually repel by smell.