After 12 years of enjoying sweet, succulent home-grown raspberries, I will go without this year. Why? The deer came through last night and ate every flower bud on the canes. They also destroyed $200+ of flowers. This kind of damage has never happened this early in the year. The deer population is out of control in my neck of the suburban woods and a big contributor is transplated-to-Spokane neighbors who put out troughs of feed year-round just so they can see the fawns. If you've lost a friend or relative on the highway in a deer collision or if you've damaged your vehicle hitting a deer, it's no laughing matter. Yeah, I know -- "they were here first" -- but not in the 1,000s like they are now. So save your money, folks. Stop feeding the deer and make a donation to a food bank instead/Zelda.

Question: Do you consider deer to be cute or an annoyance?

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