We see deer every day in our neighborhood. If I left a gate opened, my garden would be toast in a matter of hours.

But I went to take some trash out, and there were freaking huge deer walking down the road like they owned the place.

What is next? Should I expect bears to come ambling down the street?

back yard...

I've had the raccoon business, and now the damn deer. I love my cat dearly, she is awesome, but I'm thinking I need a big old lazy dog that doesn't do much, but gets angry when you get in her yard.

I had deer in my yard this year for the first time ever. Lovely to see.

It's not like they're alligators and you're at risk for life and limb. And humans have stolen so much territory, we should share.

Don't feed the birds. The bears will associate your house with free food.

Thank the GODDESS of all Holy things there aren't bears. I would pass out if there was a bear in the yard. There is enough to deal with in just deer and feral hogs. Please don't even think about a bear being around!!!!

Think I'm kidding about feral hogs being a problem around here?

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-sports/2014/01/wild_hog_population_exploding.html

I know it is "hunter-centric" but we have a true issue here.

"marsh surrounding Hancock County"

back in town in college

But yeah, make sure your garden is fenced off, or you'll be helping provide munchies. I keep having to shoo off possums that are eating the birdfood I put out when I take out the dogs at night. The feral cats in the neighbourhood killed off all of the wild rabbits in the area, I'm surprised they haven't gotten the possums.

Possums are kind of awesome. They are marsupials, and therefore have such a low body temperature that they can't get rabies, and they limit the spread of Lyme disease (they kill off the ticks that carry it, presumably because they are uglier than the ticks). Unfortunately, they are unattractive, and have a very short lifespan for an animal their size. They only live about 2 years, at best.

how bad can they be?

Something was wiping out the lettuce plants we put in our raised bed garden. I walked out the back door one day to see a big fat critter munching on my lettuce! He jumped off the raised bed and ran under the back gate. Since then we put a four foot fence around the garden.