The Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus) is a significant North American conifer. Deer consume this tree, particularly when their preferred food sources become scarce. This browsing behavior presents a common challenge for landowners and forest managers seeking to protect young pine plantations and landscape trees. The primary issue stems from the animal’s need for sustenance, especially during colder months.
Seasonal Browsing Habits
White pine is not a top dietary choice for deer, which prefer high-quality, easily digestible foods. Its needles and twigs contain resins and are lower in nutritional value compared to deciduous foliage and forbs. This preference shifts dramatically when preferred summer and fall foods (forbs and mast) become unavailable due to winter snow.
Deer are then forced to turn to woody browse, making white pine a winter browse of last resort when the animals are under high nutritional stress. They commonly target the tender terminal buds and the new growth on the ends of branches. Young saplings, especially those under six feet tall, are particularly vulnerable because their entire structure is within reach. Damage pressure is highest in areas with dense deer populations and limited alternative winter forage.
Recognizing Deer Damage on Pine Trees
Identifying deer damage is distinct from other herbivores. A key indicator is the ragged, torn appearance of the remaining twigs. Deer lack upper incisor teeth, so they clamp down with their lower teeth against a hard upper palate and tear the vegetation away instead of making a clean cut.
The height of the damage is also telling, typically occurring between one and six feet from the ground. Damage above the snow line is common during winter, as deep snow packs allow deer to reach higher. If the terminal leader—the main upright shoot at the top of a young tree—is browsed, the tree’s vertical growth will be stunted or permanently deformed. This loss of the central leader can result in a bushier, multi-stemmed tree.
Protecting White Pine Trees from Deer
Protecting white pine requires a strategy focused on physical exclusion and taste deterrence. Physical barriers are the most reliable method for young trees because they completely prevent access. Individual tree tubes or wire mesh cages, at least six feet tall, should be installed around each sapling to ensure the vulnerable terminal bud grows beyond the reach of deer.
For larger plantings, temporary winter fencing made of high-density polypropylene mesh can be strung up, ideally reaching seven to eight feet in height. A simpler, inexpensive technique is “bud capping,” which involves stapling small pieces of paper, such as cut index cards, over the delicate terminal bud cluster in late fall. This protects the single most important growth point, even if the lateral branches are still browsed.
Repellents offer another option, working either by creating an unpleasant smell or an unpalatable taste. Commercial repellents often contain ingredients like putrescent egg solids or capsaicin. These treatments must be reapplied frequently, especially after heavy rain or snow, to maintain their effectiveness. Planting less palatable species as companion plants may also slightly reduce pressure on the white pines, but physical barriers remain the most effective defense against determined browsing.