Deer Fence Design

[nate_m]

With as much time and money as I have invested in starting my vegatable garden this year, I figured it would make good sense to take the extra step and put up a good fence. My main enemy is deer. We have a large population around the property that has become accustomed to people and even the dogs.

I have a design in mind that will incorporate a "three rail" fence that is popular around here (southern Ohio) with an electric fence. I hope to have something that looks good to human eyes but means business to the deer.

See the picture for my design concept. I sketched up a side view of what it might look like.
The reason for the angled portion of the electric fence is to provide the "3-D" effect that I have read on this site and others is very effective in keeping the deer from jumping over. This would face away from the garden.

My questions for y'all are:

1. Will this work?
2. Any suggestions for improvement?
3. What is a good way to attach the fiberglass pole to the top of the post?

Thanks in advance for any comments and suggestions.

~Nate

 

[mikim]

I don't know what your spacing is on those lower boards - but I've seen deer go between the wires of a 4 string barbed wire fence -- at a run.

 

[chatcher]

You have deer but no rabbits?

 

[tallyho8]

If those 3x5 posts are landscaping timbers, they usually have a very light pressure treatment and will not last more than a few years as posts. You would be much better off using 4x4s which are more heavily preserved.

 

[ToadHill]

Studies at Cornell show the deer can jump over an 8ft fence so make sure it is high. With the higher attachment facing outward it should be effective. The other system I've seen that works is one with 2 fences the inner is about 6 ft high and the outer is at a 45 degree angle from the base of the inner with wire strands run through it so the deer can't get near the inner fence to jump up.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

You have deer but no rabbits?

I agree with what chatcher is getting at. A 3 board fence looks nice but it will do nothing to keep rabbits, coons and other varmits out of your garden. Unless you are going to put fenceing behind the 3 board. A 2x4 fenceing maybe with a finer mesh along the bottom to keep the rabbits out. And keep the fence line clear of all weeds so you can see if something is trying to dig under (you could lay some chicken wire along the ground to discourage digging but that would be up to you).

I personally just use a 5' woven wire fence to keep the deer out of my garden. It is tall enough that they will really have to have some ambition to want to get in. And there is plenty of other food outside of the fence so they do not bother trying to go over my garden fence. Now I only use 5' woven for a temporary fence. If it is going to be permanent I would sink 12' post into the ground and put up an 8' woven wire fence with a fine mesh over the woven wire along the bottom 2 o 3'. We use 8' woven wire to keep deer into pens and wild deer out and have never had a problem with a deer going over.

 

[BTackett]

We had the same problem in our large garden and bought a 3D coyote archery target and set it up near the garden three years ago and NO deer or Rabbits! We take it down after we turn the garden for the fall. Works like a charm. Cabela's or Bass pro sell them for about $79

Bill

 

[EastTexFrank]

If ever there was an appropriate post, this is it. Because the deer have devastated my garden for the past 3 years, I wasn't even going to put one in this year but the weather started to get nice and I couldn't stand it. I tilled it up last weekend but I'm going to put a full fence round it this year. I've tried just about everything including an electric fence that worked well for a month or so until they worked it out. I watched them jump over the top of the 4' high fence and a fawn go between the wires without touching them.

This time I was going to build a fence almost exactly like yours but with woven wire around the bottom and the electric wire on top. A friend also suggested a commercial spray called "Deer-Off" (?) which has to be applied every 2 or 3 weeks. Another suggested spraying coyote urine around the garden but how do you get them to take a leak in a bucket in the first place?

 

[chatcher]

A short fence has worked for me. Yes, I'm sure deer CAN jump over it, but they don't. Maybe my deer are lazy, maybe scared, maybe have easier pickings elsewhere, or maybe my crops aren't attractive enough to jump for. Last year I had peppers in an unfenced plot and they ate the tops off all the plants. I won't make that mistake again.

My worst deer problem has been with apple trees. Year before last I bought a bunch of varieties of apple trees and planted them in an open pasture. Before I knew there was a problem, deer had eaten them. All of them, down to the ground. Oddly they didn't touch the peach trees. I was frustrated to say the least. I don't want to deer fence the whole pasture, and I don't know an easy way to protect individual trees. This year I'm trying again on a smaller scale and will try small makeshift fences around each tree.

Your design looks good to me except for leaving the bottom part open. If I go to the trouble to put up a fence, it needs to keep the hungry rabbits out.

 

[mikim]

but how do you get them to take a leak in a bucket in the first place?
Frank -- That's not gonna be as big a problem as convincing your wife that the beer you just bought is for the coyotes.....esp since you quit drinking.