The Battle Has Started

[RonMar]

This works ! 90 pounds of deer scaring energy. The deer sense her and stay away just like UPS, FEDEX, and DHL . Jay

Yep, a four legged fur covered cruise missle can deter a lot of things Self contained, self launching and a guidance system that rarely misses...

 

[Cottonhawk]

This works ! 90 pounds of deer scaring energy. The deer sense her and stay away just like UPS, FEDEX, and DHL . Jay

Jay,
She is a large and very beautiful GSD. We have a male and he is a hundred pounder.

 

[jbrumberg]

Cotton:

I have admired your avatar since I first started seeing your posts. Nice looking boy !. Jay

 

[Cottonhawk]

Jay,
Thanks for the compliments!
Our GSD boy is a Schutzhund dog with German bloodlines. He is very smart, but also very spoiled!

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Oleozz,
My neighbor uses a compressed air cannon set for every 20 seconds. Seems to do the trick.

 

[MarkV]

If my memory was any better I would remember an old post where someone was talking about a “scare crow” type of thing that hooked to a garden hose and had a motion sensor to set it off. It is a commercial product and designed to deter deer. As I recall the poster had an on going problem and this worked pretty well for them.

MarkV

 

[Oleozz]

Mornin Oleozz,
My neighbor uses a compressed air cannon set for every 20 seconds. Seems to do the trick.

Scotty--I'm afraid the noise would bother the neighbors. Night is when they are doing the damage.
Mark V--The scare crow idea is a good one but I bet expensive. I will do a search and see if I can find some info.
This morning I decided to walk through my Ambrosia patch, it's only about a foot high and I thought the deer were leaving it alone. I found 1/4 to 1/2 of the corn chewed off. It's very discouraging because there is a lot of time and effort into planting the corn and also a bit of expense.

 

[GANGGREEN]

Oleozz, good luck but I think you'll end up losing the battle, not sure about the whole war yet. I've tried to raise every garden crop imaginable as well as sweet corn and fruit trees here and I've lost every battle. I finally gave in and put up a one acre, 6 foot high woven mesh fence this summer. I'll have my garden, a small strawberry patch, blueberries, currants and a hundred+ dwarf fruit trees INSIDE the fence. Next year I may plant a few rows of sweet corn in addition to the regular garden.

I know that deer are capable of jumping a 6 foot fence if highly motivated but thus far it's worked and the garden and strawberries are far enough along to invite some attention from the local deer herd. I have a trail camera just outside of the fence and the resident herd frequently walks the outside perimeter but thus far they've stayed on the right side of the fence. Good luck with your ongoing fight.

 

[midlf]

I used to deer hunt years ago. Deer were everywhere around the farm. I'd walk out to scout and see dozens. But when I took a gun, I'd never see one. I started to believe the smell of gunpowder ran 'em off.

I'm battling with racoons in my sweet corn. Dang things'll destroy what they don't eat. The only way I get any is to plan 10 times as much as we need.

9 for the 'coons, 1 for me.

Our farming neighbor says the first 6 rows are for the wild animals, no gettin around it.

 

[Mackinac Joe]

MarkV,

I think what you are talking about is marketed as "Spray Away." We have had great success using "Spray Aways" against deer in the Michigan woods for about three years now.

Amazon.com: Havahart Spray Away Motion Sprinkler - Protects 1000 Sq. Ft.: Home Improvement

The Spray Away needs a water hose and a 9V battery. Its electric eye senses movement (of deer, kids, anything), then opens a valve and sprays water randomly for several seconds. The pattern is varied enough that the deer don't seem to get used to it and are consistently spooked.

Others are right. The deer will keep probing for weak spots. I see occasional tracks in the garden, but they skeedaddle when the 'lectric eye sees 'em and blasts water around 'em.

By careful aiming, we've protected a 10,000 sq. ft. garden with four Spray Aways. You can chain 'em together one to another with hoses. You can mount 'em on the ground or with a hoseclamp to a metal fencepost.

They don't keep 'coons out of sweet corn. And I'm told they don't work if you forget to turn on the water at night or if you let your battery die (although our batteries typically last for our short summer)!

A little pricey, but I've gotten three good years out of 'em.

Joe