Time to Fence the Veggie Garden

[jfh28]

have had deer all around for years....but this is the first year they started to do damage so I had to act........researched a bunch of different methods most of which were to expensive for the area in question.......came upon this simple solution that has worked in keeping them out.........I run a single strand of fishing line around the perimeter of the area I want them out of.........I used 100lb clear test and tied it around trees at the approximate height of a deers nose.......I used our wolfhounds nose height of around 32" to guesstimate the right height....the theory is the deer don't see the line and bump into it which scares them.......they had a well traveled deer path right through the area I cordoned off and just yesterday I saw them walking clear around the area to avoid the line.......so it does work.......you can also put a sting of metal cans up so it jangles when they bump into it but I haven't had to do that yet.........obviously it won't stop a charging deer but if they break a section then I'll just replace it.........so for a total of $10 I seem to have solved my problem.......Jack

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Been using a tip from a co worker and master gardener, which seems to work. Use a 6 ft (big box junk) welded wire fence, but inside I place a few 6ft stakes all around the deer landing zones. This in an area of massive over population where all other plants they like are destroyed, and stuff they dont gets eaten in the winter. Hard to believe for me because they are not bright animals, but after 10 years of this setup, I have no other explanation. (Until tonight of course...)

 

[dan ny escarpment]

Been using a tip from a co worker and master gardener, which seems to work. Use a 6 ft (big box junk) welded wire fence, but inside I place a few 6ft stakes around the deer "landing zones" and they do not jump in. A 10 x 20 small garden, but in an area of massive over population of white tails, where they destroy anything they prefer and other stuff they dont like as much in the winter, literally right outside this fenced garden. I do have a hard time believing they see them and avoid it (they are not bright animals), but you never know. About 10 years with this setup.

 

[MossRoad]

A friend of mine has an electric fence. From it, he hung strips of aluminum foil coated with peanut butter. He says that worked to keep the deer away. They taste it, they get zapped, they get offended, and they stay away. :licking:

 

[teg]

...I run a single strand of fishing line around the perimeter of the area I want them out of.........I used 100lb clear test and tied it around trees at the approximate height of a deers nose...

I like this and will be doing it next year for sure...

 

[Gunny]

I did the peanut butter thing yesterday. From the tracks inside the fence, they were only coming into the garden from two places, so I concentrated on the end and one side fence.

I'm really hoping it works. Last year I had no garden because of the weather, it stayed wet for so long that the plants were stunted, but weeds weren't even slowed down, so muddy I couldn't even get in there to do anything with it, so I'm really looking forward to a good garden this year. I do a lot of canning, freezing and I also keep several other people and the local senior center supplied with in season veggies.

If it doesn't work, I'll try the fishing line next. It wouldn't take long to put it up, tho it would complicate matters some when mowing.

If those two ideas don't do it, guess I'll "adopt" a stray dog next year and set him up next to the garden.

 

[Ford850]

The PB on foil worked on my deer a few years ago. I didn't use it at first, and the deer were walking through the wire. I added 2"x3" foil 'flags' (2"x6" strips folded in half over the wire), with PB smeared on the inside of the fold to glue it in place, and the outside to lure them. At first it was too dry and they pulled and chewed them off the wire. After a rain they worked great and seemed to train the deer to look out for the wire. I haven't used the foil and PB since that first year, and the bare electric fence wire works well for deer.

 

[MossRoad]

Make yourself a death zone under and around your electric fence by tilling the soil up 3-4" deep and several feet wide outside the perimeter of the electric fence. The nice, loose, fluffy soil promotes great ground contact for deer hooves, as well as tough critters like groundhogs.