During the autumn months, deer tend to move around more frequently. This is because fall is rutting season for bucks. Rutting season is when a mature buck will travel large quantities a day in search of a mate.

In the time leading up to the rut, deer tend to increase their food consumption, so they have enough fat stored for their mating journey. That means that your plants and gardens may be in trouble. Deer are not very picky creatures. Their diet will vary greatly depending on what is immediately available to them. If one of these curious creatures happens to stumble across your backyard garden, your yield may become smaller.

The rut itself tends to subdue a buck's appetite because they spend most of their energy searching for a doe. Since they do not eat as much, they are traveling more frequently. This spells danger to gardens that would not typically have a deer problem. The rut causes deer to stray farther from their typical feeding grounds and stop at food sources along their path.

Having a deer fence around your garden not only protects against the destruction of deer but also smaller animals such as rabbits, groundhogs and raccoons.