Deer proof fencing

[mrmotto]

We have a small deer herd in our area and I want to grow organic vegetables. How high should I make the fence around my plots to keep the deer from getting in? They ahve no problem jumping over the 4 foot field fence.

 

[zio]

6 ft is the minimum, 7 ft to be safe. Most deer netting comes in both heights. We went with the 7ft stuff for our garden & haven't had any problems yet. But we also used heavy duty wire for the first 4 feet to keep the smaller animals from crawling under or chewing through.

Let's see... netting for the deer... wire for the rabbits... wire mesh under the beds for gophers... oodles of organic remedies for smaller pests & diseases.... I think we'd be better off just sticking to the produce dept.

 

[DaveNay]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( We have a small deer herd in our area and I want to grow organic vegetables. How high should I make the fence around my plots to keep the deer from getting in? They ahve no problem jumping over the 4 foot field fence. )</font>

Take a look at this webpage, it gives some good information about the construction of a wall that will keep the deer away from your valuable vegetables.

Maybe. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Dave

 

[sassafraspete]

I fell for that one dave..... doubt if that would even do it....


sassafraspete

 

[mrmotto]

If I could only talk the Chinese into bringing it over.

 

[BillG_in_TX]

You have any flying deer /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif up there in Oregon?

 

[FL_Cracker]

Why would you want to keep them 4 deer out. Let them in fatten up and mount them on the wall...

 

[DUMBDOG]

We have a four foot field fence around our garden which is next to a game refuge. On top of the field fence we have four strands of barbed wire for a total height of about six to six and a half feet. We have found deer tracks once since putting up the fourth wire. The other day my sister chased out a fawn that still had its spots, must have come though between the gate and the gate post or under the gate which is about twelve inches off of the ground in spots.

 

[Chuck52]

I have my garden surrounded by a fence composed of 52" cattle panels loosely held up with t-posts. To each t-post I wired a two foot piece of pvc. Then I strung two runs of nylon cord to the pvc, with the top run at about seven feet for the most part. I got some cheap plastic marking tape and tied pieces of that to the nylon cords. Even though in this drought the only even damp spot on my property is my garden, no deer have gotten in. I've used this for two years now and have had no problems. I take down my fence in the fall and re-erect it in the spring so I can use my tractor and tiller to work the spot, so I need it to be quick and easy to set up and take down. Works for me. YMMV.

Chuck

 

[mrmotto]

We have all sorts of things here but not deer that fly. I would let them in and let them get fat if they looked like those deer. These are mule deer and does at that.

 

[slowrev]

Virtually all fence is deer proof, they don't usually eat it or anything /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Keeping them out is another issue, need to go at least 6 ft or so and use something they can see well so they dont just get hung up in it.

I have found that using 4 ft high 2x4 welded mesh down low and 1 of the electric horse tape strips at 5.5 and 6.5 ft high works pretty well. The 2x4 stuff keeps out small critters and such and the deer see the tapes and don't try to jump it. Electric on the tape should not be needed.
Ben

 

[DocHeb]

An alternative to vertical fencing is Low-Cost Slant Fence. It isn't clear to me how to mow under it, however.

 

[DrRod]

DocHeb beat me to it -- I was going to point you toward the slant fence. This is essentially a psychological thing for the deer -- they just don't figure out that they need to take a running start to clear it. But put tapes or strips of cloth on it to discourage blind leaps of faith -- they'll tear it up that way. But if you discourage challenges, you can make it out of pretty light materials, even plastic netting.

 

[mrmotto]

Thanks for the info and the humor. I like the slant fence and the 4 ft with electric fence tape ideas.

 

[Boog]

I have a garden in my fenced (4 ft woven wire) yard. Deere and other critters are not a problem because I have the ultimate deer proofer "INSIDE" the fence -- DOGs. I only have one problem - one of the dogs will eat my sweetcorn. At first thought I thought it was coons sneaking in at night when the dogs were sleeping then I found it was the dogs themselves! They don't bother anything else but the corn. Oh, and the woven wire keeps the coyotes out too.

 

[slowrev]

I had a dog that loved sweet corn too. she would go to the garden a nd pull down an ear every now and then. She was a great dog so I figured she deserved it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif She was the ultimate rabbit dog, just sit on the porch and tell her to "go get a rabbit" , and she would come back in a while with a rabbit for me /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Ben

 

[txdon]

mrmotto, I got some of this deer fence from the farmer's Co-Op. It is 8' high. the picture shows the fence around my organic garden. In the center is my water storage tank which is supplied by my solar pump in a spring pond about 300' away- bottom picture. The water tank acts as a water distribution system. I have 3/4' PVC with small drilled holes and cut off valves for each raised bed. The solar panel is turned east so it get a controlled watering each day.
This was one experiment that actually worked. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[JimR]

Use an electric fence set at 3 feet off the ground. Put 6" aluminum strips every 15 feet hanging down. Put peanut butter on the strips. Turn on the juice and let the fun begin.