I'm like trembling in my boots. Please find the attached letter I just received regarding your pathetic little attempt at forcing a truce. I did X out parts of the address, I don't want to do all your work for you.
Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources
Division of Wildlife
PO Box 487
Xenia, Ohio 48218
October 3, 2008
Mr. Michael P. XXXXXX
176 XXXXXXXX
State Route XXXX
West Union, Ohio 45693
Dear Mr. XXXXXX,
I am in receipt of your letter dated October 1, 2008 describing the threatened seeding of your property with bar soap in an effort to displace wildlife from your property. Please understand that as a state wildlife biologist I am unable to offer you any information as to the legalities of such actions by the perpetrators, I am able to give you information regarding any attack of this nature and the subsequent affect on said wildlife.
While bar soap manufactured under the brand name of Irish Spring has indeed been found to be a deer repellent, I am happy to inform you that this effectiveness has been determined to be regional in nature. There is nothing inherent to the chemical makeup of the product that is a true deer deterrent. There are several products commercially marketed that do incorporate many chemicals that are natural deer deterrents, but soap products generally do not fall into this category.
Studies have shown that scented bar soaps have only been effective as deer deterrents in mainly southern states. This aversion to bar soaps in these southern states has been a "learned" behavior specifically by whitetail deer and does not seem to affect other species. The effectiveness of the aversion increases the further south you travel and culminates with the highest aversion rates in the state of Arkansas.
While this was not fully understood up until 1995, it was correlated with another study conducted during that year recording the bathing and grooming regiments of individuals within these states. It was discovered that whitetail deer were able to differentiate the odor of normal resident individuals versus those from northern states via the odor of bath soaps. While this differentiation was not significant in states such as Georgia, Virginia, Florida and both North and South Carolina, it was most significant in Tennessee with the highest degree of differentiation taking place in the state of Arkansas. Once again, this correlated perfectly with the study of bathing and grooming habits regarding the individuals within those two states.
In conclusion I have determined that the act of seeding your property with bar soap in any effort to displace whitetail deer, while insidious in nature, will have little to no affect. Such an act would be most affective in the two states mentioned above but would have little effect here in Ohio based on the bathing and grooming regiment studies on file.
If I can be of any further service or should you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact myself or any of the resident biologists here at the Dept. of Natural Recourses.
Sincerely yours,
Sidney Hightower
Resident Biologist
Ohio Dept. of Natural Recourses
Ohio Division of Wildlife