Sunflowers and Deer

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I planted around an acre and a half of sunflowers with the idea of having a dove hunt this fall. The deer have mauled those poor sunflowers to the point that very few of them will head out. Is there any way (short of erecting a 8' fence) to discourage those buggers. I think I already know the answer, but I'll throw it out there anyway for comment. There are a lot of ingenious folks out there who might have an idea.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Guy I know uses CDs hanging around his garden, they move constantly and send flashes of light - he says it helps, I never tried.

 

[Egon]

Strangely enough I have gone through the same senario!

You already have the answere with a fence or the playing Heavy Metal music!

 

[ejtaylor822]

Neighbor recently strung rope around his garden about 4' high. He then tied the orange "line-mans" tape, like used in surveying for markers, about every 6'. The tape is looped over the rope so it has 2 "streamers" hanging down - if that makes sense. It's been up about 3 weeks and the deer have stopped eating his plants.

Eddie

 

[FL4400]

when we plant our food plots we use chicken manure on them and it helps to keep the deer away until the plants can get big enough to produce. They don't like the smell and it takes a few weeks for it to go away.

 

[BamaRob]

An ample dose of lead poisoning is the only thing I've found that works. And, it's limited in effectiveness. In dry years like we've been having, much of the green stuff in the woods gets tough. That makes those succulent sunflower, peas, beans, rose bushes, etc. look that much better to the deer.

There are all kinds of things you can try.. The CD's or pie pans hanging around, rope/tape around plot, human hair from the barber shop scattered across plot, etc. are all common techniques. Most work for a little while, then the deer get used to it and return to their nightly snack. The most effective solution I've seen was used by a fellow just down the road from me. He plants purplehull peas every year and stakes a hound at each end of the plot. Even with the dogs there, the deer soon learn that as long as they stay out of reach of the dogs, they can eat all they want. They just have to put up with the constant barking of the dogs. Of course using this technique involves daily food/water for the dogs, so that may not be an attractive solution.

Good luck,

BR

 

[bigdeer2000]

had the same problem last year with lab-lab. the deer would eat it before it got mature enough to stand the browsing.this year i put up a temporary electric fence. i bought 12 volt charger because i had a couple of deep cycle batteries and the 12 volt charger was cheaper than solar charger. i think you could fence 2 acres for less than 150.00 4 t posts 24 small metal electric fence posts, small roll wire 1 ground post, plastic fence clips, fence charger. i used single strand set up and the deer did break the wire twice in 6 weeks.took the fence down last week,diidn't save the wire but will be able to use the posts next year.

 

[Dishpointer]

Do a search for Plotsaver. It looks like a cloth ribbon that gets put up like a rope fence and is sprayed with some sort of deer repelant. My neighbor uses it and it works.

 

[PBinWA]

Must be something to do with the available food supply or the type of deer. Around here the Mule deer don't touch my sunflowers. I've got thousands of them and the deer haven't touched them "yet". They didn't touch them last year either.

I think the lead poisoning suggestion is the only one that is economically viable. Everything else is expensive and not that reliable.

PB

 

[Wesdor]

I haven't tried it myself, but have been told that one way of keeping deer out is to run a double electric fence. You make a fence about 3' high around the perimeter of the area you wish to protect. Then place another fence as high as you can get it, about 4' in from the first.

The concept is that the first fence is too low for them to get under, the second fence is too high to jump over and they are too close for the deer to clear. Deer can either go straight up or clear a long distance, but don't seem to do both at once. I hope my description is understandable.

One thing to consider is that deer have trouble seeing the regular electric fence wire, so you might want to consider the ribbon fence wire that is sold for horses.

BTW - lead poisoning is the surest way to keep them away.