Fencing Deer Out

[BetterHensandGardens]

Every year, it seems that the deer find my garden faster, and eat it preferentially over the surrounding field and woods. So, this year I want to fence them out.

I'm considering either 6' or 8' graduated woven wire (smaller holes on the bottom and bigger as it goes up) fence. Anyone have suggestions or experience they could offer? I'm tired of feeding the deer.

The garden is really in the middle of an old farm field that we just brush hog to keep cleared, maybe about 1 - 2 acres (size of the field, not garden). Bordering about 1/2 that are woods, and that's where the deer are coming from. This is all relatively far away from the house, so it's not practical for us to watch for the deer and chase them off. I've tried all the deer proofing tricks I could find and they still eat my garden - peas, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn - actually they'll taste everything.

 

[lesa]

I went with 6 foot high chain link. They stand and look into the garden, but so far so good.

 

[Beekissed]

This is an age old question and I can only tell you what worked for my family for 30 odd years of living smack dab in the woods and multiple deer herds.

A single strand of electric fencing about knee high to an average woman...this can be accomplished with a battery charger or solar charged unit.

When a deer can visualize the barrier, it can leap it...and they will. Six to eight feet is no barrier to deer. The single strand isn't easily visualized and must be investigated to establish height.....this is usually done with a sniff test. ZAP!

Never had a single deer in our gardens in all those years.

It only takes one night for a few deer to totally wipe out your garden and the woven fencing will not deter them. Heck, my little short sheep can clear a 5 ft. high fence from a standing position!

 

[patandchickens]

A 6' conventional fence is not going to slow down a deer that actually wants in. 8' will keep out most, but is still not 100% guarantee.

The more visible the top of the fence is, the likelier that deer will jump it. (Although you don't want the fence totally invisible to them, cuz then they just try to run through it and damage it or get stuck)

Also the more easily they can get close to it, ditto. If aesthetics are not a concern and you have the space, a couple lines of 2.5-3' electric about 4' apart *horizontally* (so it is an oxer, in horseshow terms ) is said to keep out nearly all deer and is quite cheap to do if you own a charger.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Mattemma]

I read if you can tilt the fence inward the deer will be less likely to jump it.Doubly fencing is also an option,but I think I would go with the tilt.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I feel your pain. Seems like a lot of those tricks work until it rains or they get used to them, which sometimes takes just a couple of weeks. And some are not practical applications. Spraying your strawberries with a water-egg white slurry may keep the deer away, but I'm not all that anxious to eat them myself.

A five or six foot fence is no barrier at all to deer. They probably have some additional feature working for them where they appear to be effective. Deer like to see their landing spot. Maybe something is acting as a visual barrier? Deer can do height or width but don't do well with height and width together. Maybe something is adding width? Or there might be something else entirely working. I just know I envy people who get a fence that height to work. It is not just height either. Deer can crawl under or through a fence easily.

Electric fence is probably the easiest way to install a fence. I'm not sure it is the least expensive, but it easily could be. A design that tempted me was to put up a 3 strand electric fence. One was pretty close to the ground, I don't remember exactly but low enough to stop most other critters from walking in. The next strand was up 5 feet to form a visible barrier that the deer would want see and think they had to contend with, whether by jumping or going under. The third was about a foot to 18" high (can't remember exact height) but outside the other fence by 3 feet. The idea was that they would get zapped by that outside wire while they were sizing up that 5 foot high strand. I elected to not go this route although the electric power source was handy. You have to keep the weeds, grass, and brush cleared out under the electric fence or it can short out. I could not figure out an effective way to keep that 3 foot wide swath cleared without a lot of work.

I don't know if it will be effective or not, but I went with a 10 feet high fence. I used wooden fence posts and attached a 5 feet high "no dig kennel" fence. This is made out of 17 gauge wire shaped like chicken wire with the holes about 1-1/2" across. A 150 foot roll costs about $160 at Tractor Supply. I got the 10 feet height by attaching 8 foot long 2x4's to the wooden fence posts. I drilled 1/2" diameter holes through the 2x4's at 2 foot spacing before I put them up, then after they were in place I pulled brace wire through those holes. As Pat mentioned, my main concern is that they will not be able to see that brace wire at night and could damage my fence when they jump.

I have not attached an apron yet. I'm waiting to see if I need to, not just for deer but dogs and rabbits. Of course groundhogs and raccoons can climb right over this if they want to but they have not been a big problem yet. Other than deer, dogs have been my biggest four legged pest.

I don't know if this helps any or not. Hopefully out of all our responses you can come up with a strategy that works for you. Good luck!!!

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

Thank you all for your input, it gives me a lot to think about - mainly I don't think I want to pay all that money for something they will still be able to go over!

I like the ideas on the electric, and think I will pursue something along that line....... it certainly seems like it would be more cost efficient.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

My garden is about 3400 sq ft fenced. Since fencing it I don't have trouble with deer. My garden is behind my house and beside the barn. The deer come right up to it but not in it.

My brother has his fenced also but had to add electric fencing to his. He has his garden on his farm. He doesn't live there and the deer (and racoons) have free reign over the farm. It runs on a solar system so he didn't have to run power to it. Once he fenced it he only had trouble with the deer eating what the could reach from the outside. They did jump into it. Since adding the electric fence he only has trouble with crows.