'Deer rub' hurting northwestern Lower Michigan fruit farmers

SUTTONS BAY (AP) — Some fruit farmers in northwest Lower Michigan are hoping to buck the trend of deer harming their orchards.

Large bucks are rubbing their antlers against fruit trees, stripping the bark and killing the stock. It’s a natural act called a “buck rub,” or “deer rub.”

It’s a particular concern for farmers in Leelanau County, where cherry trees are an important part of the local economy.

“On one day we found seven trees damaged,” longtime farmer Don Gregory told the Traverse City Record-Eagle for a story Saturday. “In the past, we haven’t had anywhere near this type of problem.”

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