Deer and your garden

[dj1701]

How do you keep deer from eating all your fruit and vegetables?

Thanks
Dave

 

[DGZRT]

Go big or go home

 

[oosik]

We had a four foot mesh fence around our garden. Right next to the garden was our orchard. Half an acre of the sweetest alfalfa I could grow. We always lost some apples to the deer and raccoons. Nothing worth getting your shorts in a twist. The deer enjoyed the alfalfa so much - they never bothered the garden.

 

[scootr]

Sounds like meat and potatoes.

 

[dj1701]

Go big or go home

Nice but won't work for me.

 

[DGZRT]

Nice but won't work for me.

A short fence and Marigolds planted all the way around it . Deer and Rabbits don't like the smell.

 

[ArlyA]

Gosh we hate them stinken deer. We call them "city rats" and wish somebody would shoot them. (we live in town, you can't) They eat everything we grow and eventually gave up. Can't believe people post pictures of them in "cool nature photos" thread.

 

[Eagle1]

No deer near the gardens

 

[Eagle1]

Gosh we hate them stinken deer. We call them "city rats" and wish somebody would shoot them. (we live in town, you can't) They eat everything we grow and eventually gave up. Can't believe people post pictures of them in "cool nature photos" thread.

But man they taste so good...... and watching deer in the woods is just fun. I spend way more time watching deer than I should.

 

[kenmbz]

7 foot chicken wire and stapled to ground to keep groundhogs out around a 12" raised metal bed.
I find anything less than 6 feet or electric the deer laugh at.

I had a bigger garden and just gave up. Either wrap it completely or go small and high like I did

Deer around here will even eat forsythia and holly, so not much they won't go after.
Groundhogs will eat Marigold flowers, I found that out the hard way.

 

[DGZRT]

View attachment 801079
No deer near the gardens

Unless your dog likes

 

[dj1701]

Gosh we hate them stinken deer. We call them "city rats" and wish somebody would shoot them. (we live in town, you can't) They eat everything we grow and eventually gave up. Can't believe people post pictures of them in "cool nature photos" thread.

You funny Guy.

 

[JJT]

Two years ago the garden was decimated by deer, for the most part they had left it alone for 20+ years.

Last year I installed an electric fence, with a solar charger. Worked great, best garden in history. It goes back up next week.

We have a dog, they ignore him. He's too old to give chase.

 

[Eagle1]

My dogs don't have to chase (they ignore deer in the woods) but no deer wants something bigger than a wolf coming near them.

 

[MF243RedTop]

7ft 5 strand electric fence... Cheapest and easiest way to keep them out

 

[ArlyA]

Where people receive real snow, fences require quite a bit more $$ and effort.

 

[DKCDKC]

I built my garden years ago by filling in a flat area on a hill near the house - so there are uphill slopes on three sides. I then planted Jerusalem artichokes (Sunchokes) on the hills and it grew beautifully with no fertilizer and only water overflow from the garden. So I have essentially a hedge around the garden about 6 to 7 feet high. Deer won't try to jump uphill, apparently, when they can't see ahead. I have a few dogs around sometimes too. But never had any deer issues for 20 years - and I usually have 20+ deer harvested by hunters on my land round the house every year. So there are deer. I know it's weird and not planned, but it works for me. Groundhogs, now, are another issue.

 

[sea2summit]

Something about shutting up, shoveling and shooting.

We've got LGDs that keep most of those problems under control but that's not the best option for a lot of folks.

 

[Jrasband]

livestock guardian dogs are extremely effective and you don't have to build a prison fence

 

[lman]

Gosh we hate them stinken deer. We call them "city rats" and wish somebody would shoot them. (we live in town, you can't) They eat everything we grow and eventually gave up. Can't believe people post pictures of them in "cool nature photos" thread.

Move out of town and teach your dogs how to protect your garden. I live in deer country but my German Shepherd keeps deer, groundhogs and coons away from the garden.