Cheap deer fence

[rd_macgregor]

When my brother, then living in rural Virginia outside of Washington, D.C. had porblems with deer in his garden (that his 5 ft fence didn't keep out!), his son took to ambushing them with his paintball gun. All the deer in the neighbourhood had punk hair coloration for a while, but it wasn't a permanent solution; they just kept coming back for more! Still, it was entertaining for my nephew.

 

[NS Gearhead]

That's the thing about deer; they may not be very smart, but they don't give up. Eventually they get used to anything. It seems to me that a fence is the only real solution.

 

[oosik]

When we had a garden, it wasn't so much the deer as the nasty little chipmunks. The deer would "taste" everything in the garden/yard once and leave most of it alone. My wife would get so upset at the chipmunks - they would eat all her strawberries - just a day or so before it was picking time.

What worked best for us - nylon mesh netting, over the entire row of berry plants. Held up off the plants with a wood framework and held down on the ground with long 2 x4's - weighted down with large rocks. This wasn't 100% - but we, at least, got some berries.

I had a quick, immediate solution for the deer - but they were the wife's personal friends. I was reminded many times - it wasn't nice to be shooting your personal friends.

 

[GLyford]

I don't mind that the chipmunks eat a strawberry here and there...I am upset that they take a single bite out of every one. Finish the one you started before you take another...

I need to rework the fencing on my berry patch (straw- and blue-), there are holes on the side that faces the main veggie garden. All the fencing was changed to keep out rabbits, but I wasn't accounting for climbing critters when I did. Need to up my game.

 

[NS Gearhead]

I wasn't accounting for climbing critters when I did. Need to up my game.

I'm going to attach the 2x4 topper about 6" down from the top of the poles, so that if birds become a problem I'll be able to remove the caps, and slide PVC over to make hoops one side to the other, and drape bird netting over that.

 

[GLyford]

Make sure if you do that, that the hoops keep it well overhead.

Even though it's not quite as effective at keeping birds out, I replaced all the deer netting over my berry patch with chicken wire.

The thing I noticed about deer netting is that it sags, and if you wear a ball cap style hat, the little button on the center top with gets caught in it every time. My wife grumbled that she never had problems with it, but then she's five-one...

 

[NS Gearhead]

Screwed on 1.5' lengths to each pole, other then corner posts


This is what it looked like up close


Started on the door frame, but got caught in a downpour. Should get a fair bit done today.

 

[NS Gearhead]

Notice my green 3' mobile work platform. LOL

 

[GLyford]

Notice my green 3' mobile work platform. LOL

If it works, it works. I've done fence work from the bed of a pickup, too.

 

[NS Gearhead]

Door's done


Almost done the 2x4 top rail... just have some brackets to paint where they're getting attatched to the tree.