Now the bad news. It used to be that a person would be concerned only about protecting young fruit trees and shrubs from the ravages of deer, mice or rabbits. Now almost every tree and shrub is fair game to these hungry natives of the wild. Other creatures simply take the buds off trees such as lindens, ash and maple. Putting up exclusion fencing or barriers made of hardware cloth is perhaps the most effective approach, but also the most difficult for the homeowner to implement.
Some repellents work by scent, some by taste.
Taste repellents, which are more likely to be readily available, repel the animal after it has tasted the plant material. Both types of repellent must be reapplied about every two weeks. Live trapping is sometimes effective, but creates the problem of properly removing and releasing the live animal in another area. As to poisoning, this should be done only as a last option, where absolutely necessary. Using poison can endanger pets and children, and disposing of the poisoned animal can also be a problem.