The deer in my suburban neighborhood are not numerous yet and have lots of vegetation to choose from. This is a good thing because municipal restrictions mean that eight-foot deer fencing is not an option.
I have worked out my own system for dealing with our most frequent visitors, Mr. Antlers and his two-stag posse. Most mornings I go out and assess any overnight damage. Usually the deer munch the leaves off a few hostas, leaving only stems behind. Mr. Antlers, or the resident groundhog, also seem to like members of the campanula family. Recently the deer ate the top two feet of growth off a young Clematis montana.
I treat deer damage by cutting back affected plants and spraying repellent on species that Mr. Antlers et al. seem to prefer. This strategy appears to work—for the moment.
After years of being deer-less, I resent the deer, but there is nothing to be done. They are here to say and so—I hope—is my garden