Cryptic crossword clue
Was very upset about deer eating large spruce 4-4

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word WELL-KEPT

I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
W
E
L
L
-
K
E
P
T

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "spruce" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case spruce = well-kept.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

Crossword Answer definitions

WELL-KEPT adjective
  1. Neat, tidy, kept in good condition.
  2. (of a secret) not told to anyone.

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