experience with shorter deer fences?

[bck]

Hi folks,

I'm in Maryland and need to put up some deer fencing around my garden bed. I know that official recommendations are for 8-10 foot tall fence.

However, I'm wondering if that is necessary for a smaller garden size, like 10'x10' or 16'x16'. I know that deer don't like jumping into small enclosures - has anyone had success with a 4, 5, or 6 foot fence for smaller size gardens?

Thanks!!

 

[bj taylor]

hi bck, welcome :watering
i'm kinda envious of your deer problem. I have no solutions, never having had to deal w/deer in my garden. it will be interesting to see the answers you get. there's a huge body of knowledge that visits this forum. it's great

 

[boggybranch]

Just thinking....Deer like to be pretty close to a fence before jumping, so....if you strung three stands of hot wire, four feet in front of the fence, it might be enough to make them decide to go over to your neighbor's garden, instead.

 

[baymule]

My grandfather lived on 40 acres surrounded by thousands of acres of forest. His garden fence was 5' high. But he nailed a 2x4x8 on the fence posts. At the top of the 2x4's he strung a cable all the way around his garden. From the cable, he tied cable streamers that over lapped the wire fence. He spaced them about a foot apart. The deer would not jump through the cables and never got in his garden. Extreme? Yeah, maybe, but it sure worked!

 

[so lucky]

Wouldn't look very good, but I have read that if you slant the fence outward, the deer can't jump it. Good luck on your endeavor, and welcome to TEG.

 

[journey11]

That small, I don't think they would try to jump into it. They don't have good depth perception. You can also just trick them with a couple lines of braided fishing line. One pass around the garden at about 3' high and another about 2 foot out from the first, 18" high. It freaks them out that they can't see it (they think their legs will get caught). That has worked for me out here in the country and on a large garden. Or get electric fencing and run three strands. Keep it on all season. 8-10' high would be for folks under heavy deer pressure, but still not needed for such a small plot.

Oh, and

 

[897tgigvib]

Howdy! Sounds like if you use several of these ideas in combination you'll stand a good chance. Course...Deer. One never knows what they'll do to get greens. Over here a garden has to be fort knox to keep the deer out.

 

[GrowLightGuy]

A friend of mine has a small garden with a 5 ft fence and they hop right over it without a care in the world.

 

[MontyJ]

Deer can jump high and deer can jump far, but they can't jump high and far at the same time. For my smaller garden, I made the fence about 6 feet high, then at the top of the posts I nailed 2x4's at an angle outward. Deer can easily jump the height, but they can't clear the distance. I have a pic of it somewhere. My buddy calls it the stalag.

ETA>>>You can see the fence in the background here. The small garden runs adjacent to the chicken run. The post over DD's left shoulder is a corner post.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

No scientific proof, BUT, last year the deer started munching on the sweet potatoes. We put up small metal posts and strung the green baler twine around it two times. No more trouble. Don't know why but we had been told by some others that it worked and it did. Some say maybe an oil on it or something but it worked for us at about 3 feet high. We will use again this year and see if it was just a fluke or really works.