Question
QUESTION: Hello.  I live in Prescott, Arizona.  This is a high dessert type of environment, although I live in the Ponderosa Forest at about 5700 ft.  I have a shady area where I've planted hostas.  This area is fenced in to keep the javelina out but something is systematically eating my hosta leaves.  The leaves are either totally eaten or taken away.  I've tried everything from little fences with chicken wire around them, cayenne pepper, every commercial repellent there is and nothing has worked.  It was suggested at a local garden center that it might be pack rats.  So, in an attempt to see if I have them, I put out some tin foil to see if they would take it as I read they like shiny things.  So far, the tin foil is still there.  Also, whatever is eating my hostas may also be eating my Holly bush.  Maybe Deer?  I know we have long ear gray squirrels in the area as well as chipmunks and rabbits but I don't know if they would eat the hosta plants.  I see no signs of any type of skat, either.  Help!  I really want to replant some hostas but am afraid they will just get eaten again.  Thank you.  Diane

ANSWER: Repellents rarely work the way the public wants them too.
I don't have enough information on the damage. I suggest you visit http://icwdm.org and click the inspection link.
there you will be sent through a series of questions that will help you either diagnose the problem or narrow the list of suspects.

That all being said, to take a flying guess, I would say deer or some sort of ungulate.

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Hosta Damage   QUESTION: I checked the inspection link but it did not help.  The damage is that the hosta leaf is being chewed off the stem leaving a raw edge.  Sometimes a portion of leaf is eaten.  I've attached a picture, perhaps that will help.  Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Answer
Still think deer or some sort of vegetarian.  The inspection pages make you ask a series of questions. So at minimum we can rule things out.

I would suggest going back and carefully reading the material. It would ask you is the damage occuring at night or day, or both, are their tracks, scat etc. Context is key.