Even in a crowded subdivision with tiny quarter-acre lots, I still sometimes get "attacked" by deer. They feed on my roses and chokeberries every winter, but tend to leave my garden alone in the summer and spring. And this, actually, makes me one of the lucky ones. I hear so many stories of gardeners losing rows and rows of hostas, roses, tulips and shrubs to mini-herds of deer. Most of them say, "I don't know where they come from or where they live, but they show up in my yard all the time."

You don't have to live in the woods to have a Bambi problem. All deer need is a wooded or protected area in which to sleep—perhaps the one down the road from you. They use the woods or wildlife preserves like hotels then "eat out" at the Joneses garden every night.

To address this common problem, the University of Illinois Extension recently launched a new website: Living with White-tailed Deer in Illinois. Extension Specialist Jane Scherer said, "We are pleased to launch the new website, which was done in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, U of I Extension, and the U of I Office of Sustainability. Laura Kammin served as the development coordinator for the project."

This new, extensive website provides information about white-tailed deer natural history, IDNR's strategy for managing the deer population, damage prevention and abatement techniques, public health and safety information, what to do about injured or orphaned deer, how to co-exist with deer and the role landowners and hunters can play in managing Illinois' deer population.

It's a free source of valuable information worth its weight in doe.

—Michelle Bryne Walsh