Best deer fence

What have you guys found to be the best deer fence? They ate my only carolina buckthorn last night, grrrr! I need something that's not too much of an aggravation to move if necessary. I bought some of the plastic mesh fence on a roll but it is really annoying to work with. I wished I could find something like those fold up tomato cages, only bigger.

Have you tried some of the repellant products like Liquid Fence or Plantskydd? I've been using both for the past year or so and they seem to work quite well. You just have to make sure you apply it periodically. I applied it every 2 weeks the first couple of months , but have cut back to about every 5-6 weeks without any significant damage to plants. I notice a nibble here and there, but nothing to get too excited about. Like anything else, you develop a routine and it only takes me about 10 minutes to spray numerous plants over a fairly large area. Its not cheap, but a lot less than installing an 8' fence around the perimeter. If you're only looking to protect a few plants it would be very cost effective...and no obtrusive fence to deal with.

I agree with Bob up to a certain time, about now in the growing year in fact, when the forest starts to brown out. then I'd guess that I would go back to every two weeks. They get pretty bold up here, espically the bucks, if one advances on me like last year I'm going to put him down and scrape a little soil over him as I would any pest destroying/threatening my property. Ken

Repellents woks as long as you keep applying them and occasionally rotate from one to another.

Cougars and wolves work very well.

Machine guns too.

And CWD, if you can get it established. (If you do, please tell me how!!!)

For trees in unmown areas pile brush around them. Or try woven wire mesh (hog wire) cut into 10-foot pieces and circled around the trees. I also use steel posts or pipes to discourage antler rubbing, which is even more heartbreaking than browse damage. Hog wire and posts both look ugly, but after they develop some surface rust they will blend in a little better. At least I tell myself that . . .

Guy S.

I haven't used the liquid kind but I did try the granules, it didn't work. I just bought some bamboo stakes so I'm going to go ahead and try to use the plastic fencing material. It may look awful in the front yard but oh well.

The deer are so bad here that I had 7 of them in my backyard the other night. I don't know if they were mating or what but they were running around in circles coming right past my bedroom window. It got my dogs all excited and I was afraid to let them out to use the bathroom because I have read about bucks attacking dogs. They are attracted to my yard this time of the year because I have a huge pear tree loaded with fruit. I have even seen them out there fighting over the pears.

I get the feeling that my deer problem isn't nearly as bad as some of you have it. The area I live is considered prime deer habitat, with large tracts of undeveloped/county owned forest land. Maybe this actually works in my favor, as I know that property owners within the city limits of Eau Claire seem to have a major problem with them.

I would be willing to bet that the "inner-city" problem Bob mentions here is directly attributable to those who feed them. We actually have people feeding them out of buckets and in "creep feeders" (mangers). Is it any wonder that they are fearless? These are WILD animals, all who sustain them unnaturally do us and the animals themselves a gross disservice. E-guy, start by fencing off the pear tree. Ken

Best deer fence would be hunters standing shoulder to shoulder.

I don't know, EQ, that sounds a bit dangerous to me. I've seen my in-laws engaged in their "drives," and I'm surprised more of them aren't victims of friendly fire. These seasonal warriors are bit loony when deer hunting season rolls around. Personally, I'll take a well trained dog to keep the rodents outta my garden. But Guys suggestion for a few wolves keeping the population in check is really the most natural control method. Its just a shame that so many people cling to their childhood concept of little red riding hood and the big bad wolf.

Best deer fence would be the hunters but a better deer fence would most certainly be the reintroduction of wolves and Cougar but then all the people who leave their 3 year olds unattended out in sand boxes in their back yards would be up in arms and then there would be the newspaper reporting of the ding dong who left their beagle out on a leash all day while they were gone to work outraged that they came home to a dogless collar attached to a chain demanding that something be done about the big bad wolves and cougars.

Once saw a deer walk up to a 3m high fence, stop briefly, and then (as if it had done so every day of its life) hop over in an effortless standing jump.

Resin

I keep thinking of stories like these: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1258792

Gosh, I was hoping I would not encounter that story again. I walk my dogs at night in a farm field where a small herd of deer frequent, about 8 head all toll. I think of that story everytime the Does and fawns run away and the Buck stays and stares at us. He doesn't know what to make of the flash light that I carry, which is about a gazillion foot candles bright. Hopefully he will continue to be intimidated. If not, however, some nights I carry a gun. I am thinking about feeding the Turkey Vultures.
Anyone want ot hunt at my house this fall? Take the whole herd. Please..

The organic gardening guest speaker in my Master Gardening class mentioned using those long strings of traingular flags you see at auto dealers. Pennant strings I believe they are called. According to her the deer are leery of the flapping and stay away. Just string them at deer-eye level I guess. She did caution not to use the cheap ones but get the most durable you can find.

So far my dogs keep the deer away from the house and gardens but I've been thinking about buying some just in case.
http://www.dealershipflags.com/

Good luck and do keep us posted.
carol

Patrick:

One night while walking my dogs, I heard the stomping and snorting of a buck maybe 20 yards away. I couldn't see him because it was pitch black. Ever since, I carried a baseball bat with me, and a knife in my pocket. Of course, now that I moved, and put up a deer fence, I no longer worry about it.

I've read that if attacked by a stag or buck, the best thing to try to do is get behind it and hit its rear. That makes it think it is being attacked by a predator, and it will likely flee.

If you try instead to fend it off by pushing its antlers, it just interprets that as another deer trying to engage in competition for its does, and it fights the harder.

Never tried this, so I can't vouch for its accuracy, but it seems reasonable.

Resin

Yikes, Kevin, I think that almost happened to me two weekends ago, when we rounded the corner of my property and in an area that is obscured by a thicket of Shumack came a really load snort sound which made my Border Collie go nuts. Thankfully, she responds nearly always to command, so I was able to stop her from charging in there to 'herd' the masses. Out the other side popped a couple of Doe with their young. We didn't stick around to see the rest of them.
Another night three weekends ago, I went out with a less powerfull flashlight and there was a group of eyes not 60 feet from the edge of the soy bean field just looking at us. Must have been a group of 6 or 7 animals. I was pretty sure they were Coyote (sp) as we have them around there. But I couldn't be sure. They just stood and stared without even moving an inch. Creepy!

One of my dogs is a Border Collie, she thinks it is her job to go after them and chase them out of the yard. It just scares me because they are twice her size and they could easily kill her. I do have several guns but I live half a mile inside the city limit so thats not an option. I did just clean out a huge thicket of brush which they used to hide behind before coming closer into the backyard. Now I can see them better.

I would think a Border Collie would be far too smart and quick for a deer. Great dogs!

About the only thing I think I'd rather not have in my yard more than a herd of deer would be strings of auto dealership flags flapping about. Over time, I don't think they'd work anyway.

Kneevin, I've got to admit, I'm having lurid fantasies now that you've planted the crossbow thought in my head! The only question, where to drag the bodies? Could I make them look like road kill? Bang the corpse with a shovel or something to beat it up. Is it too obvious if there is a road kill (with a single nice hole through the chest and a bunch of shovel-shaped bruises) on the county property across the street every morning? Would leaving a piece of hosta or hydrangea hanging out of the deceased beast's mouth be too audacious? How clever are the officials who would be called out to investigate, I wonder? Do they have a sense of humor...or a garden?

Scott

The hunters who used to work my place would give it to their guys that worked for them at the horse farms. They would butcher it up and freeze it. There is always somebody who wants them. If a deer gets hit by a car here, people stake their claim, standing by it till the cops give them the go ahead to take it. Homeless shelters jave taken them as well. In reality, the hooved rat is simply another hunk of edible meat. Find people who want them, then fire away! By the way, Crossbow Mike only gets to use the crossbow because of a shoulder injury. Most states allow only bow and arrow---crossbow takes a special license. He tells me he can hit a nickel at 60 yards, and its equipped with a scope and night vision capabilities. Goooooo Mike! I saw my first two deer of the fall season yesterday--it is time.

Knocking on wood here. Though I have seen does and fawns on our property, so far they have not chomped on anything but grass, and as far as I'm concerned they are welcome to it. I may become more concerned about the stags but have seen none.

Since my dogs are rawfed I'd love to be the happy recipient of some deer meat, but don't have the heart to do the dirty deed myself. I do worry though that some near-sited hunter will wander down the creek that borders our property and mistake my 4 german shepherds for deer.

Scott, I see your point about the flapping flags...doesn't sound very attractive.
carol
http://www.justfurkids.com/TNmove.html

Oh, Crossbow Mike is a legal hunter. I'm thinking pure spur of the moment, impulsive, crime-of-passion type of activity. Rising up from the swimming pool at 3AM like Rambo and taking down one or two Bambis before they even know what what to think. Or picking them off from the second floor bedroom window as they meander across my neighbor's lawn.

Scott

Ahhhhh Scott, I know that dream. Mine always involved a light saber and the deer that ate the oakleaf hydrangeas at my front door....