Using deer droppings as fertlizer

[Dov'sMom]

DH decided to plant a garden this spring (though it was more like summer when he got around to doing it...). Because of the ridiculous deer population around here, the garden is enclosed in 9 foot high wire fences, but the rest of our yard is not impervious to deer and every time I'm out there I stumble over at least 4-5 piles of deer droppings. There's got to be a way to get something useful out of them -- any advice?

[philomom]

If you compost them for 6 months or more... you can then put them in your garden. Most manure is too "hot" to put directly on your growing things.

[JamieCatheryn]

The manure of herbivores can be added to the garden after it composts and ages, put it in a pile, add leaves to it this fall to make it better, should be fine to apply by spring.

[janey99]

I would not put this in my garden fresh - I remember an Ecoli outbreak several years ago that was traced to apple juice that had been contaminated in the orchard by wandering deer. I assume after some period of time, any bacteria would be neutralized, but I don't know what that time period is.

Jane