I believe you have the right idea. I can't tell you an exact time as deer in each part of the country are different due to various climates. I'd suggest you contact your state's fish and game department for more information.

I'm in Northern VA and the deer have just settled into their fall browsing routes....I put out apple cores on the grass to distract them away from the seedlings I planted this spring....don't think this is going to be very effective :( !

Call your county extension service or just do a little research (hunting forums, websites) to find out when the female deer goes into heat in your area. That triggers the bucks to change courses. Also the change of seasons will cause the deer to eat different vegetation. Doe in heat, pregnant doe, fawns, antler growth, etc. all trigger different eating habits for the white tail.

When they're hungry enough, like after the 20 inches of snow we just had, they ignore the deterrents and will go where there is food, like under my bird feeder and up against my house, eating stuff off their path.

Amen, Susan. Just had two small patches of Galax that I have had for a while wiped out, as well as other small patches of Gaultheria and Shortia. Never happened before.

Now I am also having some critter digging out huge yellow jacket nests! Never had that before, either, and we are wondering if we have a bear nearby. There were some spotted 30 mi. away this past summer.

Oh, Christmas traffic on the road has eliminated four deer this month. Hate to see them go this way.