Deer fence ideas

[Paddy]

With our 6 peach and Cherry trees looking good, we are thinking deer fencing. Currently, we have 6 ft dia, 5 ft tall cages around each tree. The deer eat anything hanging out the fence. This year, the trees will out grow the cages. And if lucky get a small crop of peaches.

Points to consider; 1) jack Russel with a heart rythem issue, raccoons will want our peaches, and 3) the deer.

I was thinking I could install a 2.5 ft to 3 ft fence with 2 by 4 in mesh size. Then start ele fence wire above, maybe 3 strands? The wire fence should be plenty high to keep the small dog out of the ele charge. Raccoons would climb the woven fence and get hit by the electric fence.

But what would deer do? If the top hot wire was 5 ft, would they just see a fence and jump over? Or would they walk up to the fence and learn quick?

The area is 40 ft by 70 ft. Hoping to avoid the 8 ft tall fence

 

[CADplans]

By dumb luck, I found the perfect answer to deer fence,,
it turns out, deer will not jump from, or to a sloped area,

When we bulldozed the garden, ALL perimeter fencing ended up with a slope at the edge of the garden.

My daughter that is in the pic, is now 35 years old,, there has never been a deer in the garden,, no electricity needed,,,

That fence is just under 5 feet,, and we have had LOTS of deer around for all of those years,,,
the slope is the primary answer,,
if the ground is level, plan on 6 feet or more,, electric does not work when the soil is dry,,,

 

[John Fitzgerald]

If only 40 feet by 70 feet, if you want to keep the fruit trees, I would just put the deer fence up. People who grow gardens around here, and care about doing it, put up deer fences.

Of course, the cost of any fence you put up cannot be recouped in a year or two, compared to the cost of the food raised, unless you are a commercial grower. Two five foot fences will also work, one placed about four feet inside of the other. Deer won't jump in unless they can clear both fences, so they won't. Also, deer won't jump a fence they cannot see over or through, so a six foot privacy fence would also work.

 

[RNeumann]

I’ve seen folks run a few strands of something like fishing line around fruit trees at deer height. They can’t see it and in turn stay away once they contact it.

Of course a proper fence around everything is the ultimate solution- everything else is just a bandaid- coons and dog low and deer high=no climb fence.

 

[jfh28]

tried the fishing line.....worked for a little bit until they figured out that they can just barge right thru it.....it is a constant battle.......Jack

 

[rgr33]

I had severe deer damage in my orchard and vineyard. At first, I tried to go with a cheaper choice or 7 ft plastic 1 inch mesh around the perimeter. The deer quickly leaned to go under, not over the fence, tent stakes at the bottom failed miserably.

Ultimately, I had to go with 6.5 ft woven wire, posts every 10 feet, 2 strands of barbed wire on top for a height of 7.5 feet. No further problem for the last 4 years. For a smaller garden area, I might try the heavy gauge plastic fence at a minimum height of 6.5 feet.

I also attest that deer won’t jump anything that they can’t see a safe landing over, and won’t jump onto a moderate slope on the other side. In my case, it was just easier to go vertical, than to try the other methods.

 

[Mendonsy]

I have had the best luck with a really HOT electric fence charger and the white poly tape. Once the deer get zapped they will stay away from the white tape even when it isn't hot.

 

[PILOON]

LOL, plant lots of hosta as deer seem to think of it like salad, that or desert.

A local gardener suggested that it was my job to drink a lot of beer and that relieving myself near the garden would deter the deer, Seems the scent is what does the trick.
Another trick my wife and friends like is shavings of irish spring soap and so far for 3 years the deer have not nipped the hostas.

 

[RalphVa]

With our 6 peach and Cherry trees looking good, we are thinking deer fencing. Currently, we have 6 ft dia, 5 ft tall cages around each tree. The deer eat anything hanging out the fence. This year, the trees will out grow the cages. And if lucky get a small crop of peaches.

Points to consider; 1) jack Russel with a heart rythem issue, raccoons will want our peaches, and 3) the deer.

I was thinking I could install a 2.5 ft to 3 ft fence with 2 by 4 in mesh size. Then start ele fence wire above, maybe 3 strands? The wire fence should be plenty high to keep the small dog out of the ele charge. Raccoons would climb the woven fence and get hit by the electric fence.

But what would deer do? If the top hot wire was 5 ft, would they just see a fence and jump over? Or would they walk up to the fence and learn quick?

The area is 40 ft by 70 ft. Hoping to avoid the 8 ft tall fence

Most hooved rats (not dear to a gardener) will avoid jumping into an area that small. To ensure they won't, bait the electric fence with little aluminum foil squares wrapped over the fence and slattered with peanut butter. I kept them out of my 50x75 big veggie garden for 12 years with 3 strands of wire on those approximately 4 ft tall teflon fence poles that you can get at TSC or Lowes. Had one jump my fence around the raised beds I went to up here behind the house. Found out it was a hooved rat via my wildlife camera, a valuable asset to a gardener. I baited it like I should have done the first time I put it up. No hooved rat.

Only had a single strand of wire, not electrified at the ends of my raspberry patch. Had to got to the 3 strands there, too: 1st about 2" for the squirrels and rabbits and top one about 3 1/2 to 4 foot and one in the middle. Found I needed the one in the middle, because that's all I had around the big garden initially. Don't have a dog. You need a better dog. From what I've heard, they're better than fences.

During fruiting periods, like for my blueberries, I put out aluminum foil baits with peanut better but fold in some poison peanuts (sold by Southern States for a couple of other varmits but are certified by the extension office for squirrels). The problem is your dog. You do not want your dog eating any of the squirrels. Otherwise, it'll bleed out like the poison does to the squirrels. In most cases, the squirrels won't feel good and will return to their nests and die there. Don't think you want to feed these to your raccoons, because they may die where other animals could eat them and would then bleed out. You could bait a lower level fence with peanut butter just to zap the coons.

If you went to a really tall fence to keep hooved rats out, you're talking maybe 10 ft tall mesh. This is what I've seen at 2 or 3 garden areas around here. That's quite expensive. You'd be better off just to buy the produce you're trying to grow. Those areas I've seen fenced have been whole areas around a house area to protect everything. There, you're looking at A LOT of expensive plantings that it preserves.

Ralph

 

[rekees4300]

The area is 40 ft by 70 ft. Hoping to avoid the 8 ft tall fence

If you going to do something, do it right with the 8 ft. fence. Deer will jump a 5 foot fence like it wasn't even there. Only thing to stop a determined Raccoon is a .22