How to keep deer out of the orchard?

[DUMBDOG]

We have a small garden (40 acres) that had a 3 wire fence around it. Every third post had a metal conduit put on it. Moved the three wires up at 54, 62 and 70 inches. Put up a 47 inch woven fence at the bottom. Kept most of the deer out. The few that got in during the growing season came in through the three wire gate.

We will have to do some more work in the spring, like wire to space out the barbed wire, and repair areas where trees came down but it will work again. We are next to a large game management area.

The downfall is that a turkey can fly over the fence and they do, they like to take a taste out of each item like tomatoes and cucumbers.

 

[DocHeb]

An intriguing fencing method is described at: Low-Cost Slant Fence Excludes Deer from Plantings .

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue">The downfall is that a turkey can fly over the fence and they do, they like to take a taste out of each item like tomatoes and cucumbers. </font>

Well, that's not what I wanted to hear. The last time I was out at our property, there were 30-40 turkeys standing across the road waiting to cross into my woods... maybe I'll switch from vegetables, to wild meat! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[MMM]

I've had fair success running a top and bottom conductor on fence. I chased one doe around the orchard that refusedt to jump out. I guess she got a taste of juice crawling in or jumping over.

 

[DocHeb]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The downfall is that a turkey can fly over the fence and they do, they like to take a taste out of each item like tomatoes and cucumbers. )</font>

Turkeys and pheasants will peck holes to get at the juice of the vegetable/fruit as a substitute for water. My grandfather used to have problems with birds until he put pans of water around for the animals to drink.

 

[DocHeb]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( but let's be realistic... how many $$ worth of produce will you have to produce over your lifetime VS the $$ of a huge fence )</font>

If we had to do a strict financial accounting I don't think many of us could ever produce anything for a profit, huge fence or not. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[DUMBDOG]

It should be better than this year as the irrigation system should be up and running. Hate to leave out water that is not moving as it promotes the skeeter population.

As far as producing for profit, we are trying, once all of the equipment depreciataion is figured in, it makes it tough to do. However the appreciation of the land would also figure into the computation. Sometimes it is better that I forget about my accounting background. Besides minimum wage is not to bad once you figure the fresh air and exercise. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Glenn9643]

Mac,
I think I'm going with a 2 conductor fence as described at this site, to keep deer out of purplehull peas. That and the added peanut better might work.

 

[PBMAX]

no problem glenn, when reading the post it popped in to my cell that they had been studing deer repelling solution.... As much for some ritzzy parts of town as for farmers. trying to find a soltion for folks that like to watch the deer but also like having flowers on there plants....

Penut butter on an electric fence... hmmm that has some great possiblites... /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If anyone is really curious as to just how good deer are at getting thru/over a fence. I followed a doe down the road a couple a yrs back at 15mph. After running a good half mile ahead of the f150. She swirved left and jumped 6' (the 1st 4' was to clear a small hill the fence was on) in the air and at the same time laid flat on her side.(head to the left and 4 hoves to the right). While diving between the upper 2 rows of a 3 row barbed wire fence. Never slowing up... still whishing today I had a camcorder.....

 

[Glenn9643]

Paul,
You're absolutely correct about the deer's ability to get through or over a fence. The link above says "Perhaps the deer perceive the fence as a barrier of ever increasing height that they cannot breach. But that's speculation. The important thing is that is seems to work." about the design posted there, and I've seen others similar.

I talked to some friends about the rotten egg based repellent and learned that some local farmers have been mixing their own to keep deer out of their soy bean fields. They mixed the whites from four eggs to one gallon of water and from I hear it works well. The yolks must be removed because they'll stop up the sprayer nozzles. I'll probably try this because it's surely cheaper than the commercial mixes available.