Question
I have several rose bushes that have been eaten back many times by deer. They now all have very thin stems and barely eke out a rose or two. They used to be wonderful rose bushes before the deer started coming around about 5 years ago. Is there any hope for these roses, or should I just toss them and start over again?  This area is very difficult to protect from deer.  I may try putting wire netting on the ground around the plants (which I saw that you suggested), but short of that, I can't put up electrified or high fences around this area because it is my front yard and it is just not possible.  Is there any hope to resuscitate and save these rose plants?  Or should I just give up and start over with a new type of deer-resistant plant? Thanks!

Answer
Roses have their own particular vigour and some have a strong type of growth while others are almost weak. If a rose has good vigour it can withstand a deer constantly eating it down  but most roses just have average vigour and become weaker. There have been tests down on roses in regards to pruning and it's effects on roses. What they found was that if you hard pruned a rose, it didn't have the strength to make healthy roots and will slowly die back. What has happened is that your rose is suffering from lack of roots to sustain the top growth. You could leave only three of the thickest stems, and cut down the rest to the base. This will mean the roots will only have a few canes to sustain. Use a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote 14-14-14 as that will last the whole summer. Meanwhile a foliar spray of fish fertilizer, will make the new growth plus the leaves much stronger. Even then with the rose bush protected with a chicken wire cage, it may not have he strength to come back and make flowers.
I live in a large deer population area and the deer have become used to living off people's gardens instead of wild food. So far I  do not know of any plant the deer will not eat, especially in the fall when they need extra food to get through the winter.
I finally put up a 5 foot fence with a one foot bent over at a 45" angle, to keep them out.  The airforce base near me has this type of fence but in a chainlink and it works very well. When a deer looks up at the one foot of angled wire, it thinks it is much taller and so doesn't try to jump. If something was chasing the deer, I am sure it would sail over the top but they are browsers, so far in ten years have not tried.  People tell me that with the electric type of fence, it has to have one wire close to the ground as the deer learn to flattened themselves out and go under and then a wire as nose lever. Finally you put foil paper with peanut butter on it and as deer are curious, they will sniff the foil and get a really good shock and this keeps they away.
Rose books tell you that deer won't eat Rugosa, not true. They delicately eat all the new growth. Sprays such as an egg mixture, don't work. Automated water sprays also don't work because the deer get used to it and know it won't hurt them. Gardeners tell me a dog is the only answer. A friend of mine got a dog and it slept at night on the porch in a large basket. She came out one morning and found a doe in it. Another looked out the window and saw her dog actually plying with the deer. Once deer get to know there really isn't anything to be afraid of, nothing works except a fence. Everything works for a little while until the fall, when they have to have more food and so get smarter and less afraid.
I have noticed that the species roses I have on my wire fence are not eaten as much as the modern roses. Modern ones are like candy to them.