Let's discuss deer fencing...

[SanDucerro]

I need to fence off 4 acres and protect said acreage from deer. Internet research indicates there are a million and one (exact number no less) ways to keep deer off your property. And the cost for the various solutions seem to vary almost as much. The "given" seems to be the deer can jump higher than you can build. The trick is to convince the deer they don't want to jump the fence to begin with.

So, based on the above given - what's your fence look like and - more importantly - how's it working?

 

[BeezFun]

Our electric fence is only 5' and it keeps deer out, but I don't understand why. We don't care if the deer come inside, the fence is for horses, and there's so many deer around here that the county is paying the ag dept to send in sharpshooters and harvest them. We have 6 wires, 4 are hot, two are ground.

The last place I worked had a biological field study going on, and they fenced off certain areas with a 10' high fence, no electric. That excluded the deer.

The places around here that grow grapes have fences that look to me to be about 8' high, not sure if they're electric, they must be working or there wouldn't be any grapes.

You know you can buy little bait things that look like bottle caps that you attach to the electric fence wire. They're sweet so the deer lick them, then they get a shock. That teaches them to stay away from fence (supposedly). If someone put cookies on the fence I'd eat them and take the shock.

That's everything I know about deer fencing.

 

[DT86]

Every day you go out at sunset, drink a case of beer and then pee all the way around your four acres.

No really I had some bookmarks on stuff like this I'll try to dig up. One local golf course has 10' woven wire. I'd hate to know how much the posts alone cost!

 

[SanDucerro]

Every day you go out at sunset, drink a case of beer and then pee all the way around your four acres.

No really I had some bookmarks on stuff like this I'll try to dig up. One local golf course has 10' woven wire. I'd hate to know how much the posts alone cost!

Well, the quote I just got for 2000' of 8' fixed knot using all pipe was $7.25 per linear foot. That didn't scare me (too much at any rate), but then they wanted $360 a day for lodging and said it would take them 8 or 9 days... and then there was something about additional bracing at $465 each (and there were multiples of that no less). So... On to plan "B"...

 

[CHDinCT]

I'd like to know the answer to this question myself. I have fenced off about a quarter acre of my front yard for years to protect our ornamental shrubs from them deer, but the last two years they've been getting in somehow and it's driving me crazy. Been using the 7' heavy black plastic deer fencing. This year I raised it up to 8' or so in most places by putting eye bolts into trees then running clothes line through the eye bolts, then zip tie the fencing to the line every 4' or so. Used nails at the base of the tree to hook the fence and hold it down. If they're jumping it, I can't find an obvious marks in the snow where they're doing it. They come at night or early morning when we're sleeping, so haven't been able to "witness" it firsthand. Even looked into one of those motion activated cameras but it's a crap shoot where to place it, plus too much money.

I will say this - worked like a charm for years. I think we've got some smart-arsed deer that's evolved to figure out how to get in. Maybe I only need to get rid of that one deer? Arggg!

 

[MF1433V]

I had no idea they could, I'd like to see it.

 

[Mendonsy]

I put up electric fence two years ago to keep the deer out of our gardens. I haven't had a problem since.
Now all I need to do is put up some of the white tape. They won't go near it even without electric.
I added a loop around our bird feeders last year to keep the racoons out. They don't come around any more either.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I'm on my phone, so I can't look it up, but Premier One describes a fence method with offset electric and visual barrier. The electric is like two feet outside the physical fence. The deer hit the electric and stop. They would jump it, but they can see the physical fence and can't clear both, so they don't. You would have to do some research, as the spacing and height are important to get right.

 

[DT86]

I'm on my phone, so I can't look it up, but Premier One describes a fence method with offset electric and visual barrier...

That was the one I was going to look for! Could not remember the name.

 

[SanDucerro]

Offset fences are generally done with two 4' fences placed 3' apart. The fences are generally electric. I'd like very much NOT to electrify the fence. Since my particular needs are vineyard related, I need to consider the fact that my customers (we'll have a winery on premise as well) might wander over to take a look at the vines. Obviously, shocking my clients with anything other than my prices would not be a good business practice. That said, having an 8' tall fence is going to obstruct the view as well.

There are indications on the web that the offset fence doesn't need to be electric, so I'm wondering if anyone has done this without charging the fence. I'm thinking of two 4' fences, the first would use woven wire to control coons and rabbits and the second would be high tensil wire only. The thought is that the deer would come to the first fence, look over and see the second, and then move on.

Although - if I were to use a 6 foot fence in back with 4' of woven wire and the rest in high tensil, then place a 4' fence directly in front with high tensil only...

My thoughts on the 4' woven wire come from an assumption that I could do this myself. I don't have the same confidence level for 8' woven wire...

 

[Redneck in training]

I need to fence off 4 acres and protect said acreage from deer. Internet research indicates there are a million and one (exact number no less) ways to keep deer off your property. And the cost for the various solutions seem to vary almost as much. The "given" seems to be the deer can jump higher than you can build. The trick is to convince the deer they don't want to jump the fence to begin with.

So, based on the above given - what's your fence look like and - more importantly - how's it working?

We used to have an electric fence that kept the deer out. The pictures are the best I could find. The fence was built using 8ft T posts and poly string. The key was, as you might see from the pictures, addition of outside pointing cantilever that also carried charged string. The cantilevers were made from long T post insulators that were drilled axially so fibreglass round post could be inserted in. The cantilevers were held in approximately horizontal position by a string attached to the top insulator. This makes the fence tridimensional. Initially we had only three horizontal strings. It worked for few years until one doe learned to sneak between them. Then we added three more string to put stop to that.

Year ago we replaced it with 5ft wire fence (to keep our dogs in) with two electric wires on the top but so far without the cantilevers. My wife takes the dogs for walk around the fence every other day and possibly the scent they leave helps in keeping the deer away. So far we didn't have one intrusion with new fence. If the deer jump it I will add the cantilevers again.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Offset fences are generally done with two 4' fences placed 3' apart. The fences are generally electric. I'd like very much NOT to electrify the fence. Since my particular needs are vineyard related, I need to consider the fact that my customers (we'll have a winery on premise as well) might wander over to take a look at the vines. Obviously, shocking my clients with anything other than my prices would not be a good business practice. That said, having an 8' tall fence is going to obstruct the view as well.

There are indications on the web that the offset fence doesn't need to be electric, so I'm wondering if anyone has done this without charging the fence. I'm thinking of two 4' fences, the first would use woven wire to control coons and rabbits and the second would be high tensil wire only. The thought is that the deer would come to the first fence, look over and see the second, and then move on.

I recall that the interior fence was not electrified in the Premier One design, but again... On the phone. Can't really research well.

 

[randy41]

for many years we used the premier 3d fence around our market garden. a couple of acres or so. but after a while it took but one deer to jump it and it became the local eatery for deer. last year we put up a 7 1/2' plastic deer fence and it worked very well. the sweet potatoes were planted right next to it with no damage. we'll see how long that lasts.
another smaller field has a cattle fence with 2 strands of barbed wire along the top. i haven't seen deer in there either. this one has been up for at least 5 years.

 

[riptides]

Wow, I got a four acre pasture with hot mesh, both top and bottom.

The deer are usually in the pasture with the horses. heck, just the other night I called to the horses, who ran past the deer. The deer, seeing the horses in full gallop, proceeded to bolt after them. I almost had a herd of deer in the barn stalls with the horses. They only stopped a few feet from me, when they saw me. I still have the skid marks in the pasture.

I told the wife, that I should put a freezer in the barn.

 

[nybirdman]

If you use an electric fence;you can put it on a dusk/dawn sensor.Off during the day.I have been told a deer won't jump a fence if it can't see the other side.

 

[tractchores]

I have a neighbor who has a 8' high fence. its made out of wire (maybe the thickness of bailing wire) mesh. The supports are probably 10' apart and are just think metal rods driven into the ground. They fence of 10 acres with it and said it wasn't too expensive to install. It is good at keeping the deer out (or in if a tree falls down on the fence and they don't fix it quick enough). They've got gates and the gates have the things that people use to keep sheep in pastures in Iceland, they're like grates made out of metal rollers, so any hoofed animal can't stand on them, but people and cars can. I believe the wire mesh came in big roles and the poles are just cheap metal that sort of looks like angle iron with holes in it.

 

[Reyer Farms]

Very interested! I know that a deer can jump7' 1/2", she slapped the top but cleared it. We are fencing our place to keep deer out of fields. Did not have much money- never good when talking fence- so: I put 8' posts on angle and welded to top of five strand barb wire. The post top is to the outside and we put three wires on it. Corner posts are plumb to keep wire in tension. Steel stake is drove at bottom of 8' post and welded to secure to ground. I have spots were some squeeze through but it is still a work in progress. Any spot growed up is still just five strand. Hope it helps and I will keep checking for more suggestions from y'all.
Jody
P. S.
The deer that jumped it was on inside, my hope was the angle outward would mess up their depth perception. My theory is not proven but I saw the other direction fail.

 

[GGB]

I'm trying to recall where I had read that you could keep deer out by using heavy clear nylon fishing line a few feet in front of the regular fencing. If I remember correctly, the thought was that the deer couldn't see the fishing line, and would scare away if they touched it.

I've never tried it, as my dog's bathroom habits seem to be keeping them away. Perhaps someone else will recall this article or has tried this to see if it really works. The nice thing about this if it does is that it wouldn't be difficult or expensive to add to other fencing.


GGB

 

[joshuabardwell]

If you use an electric fence;you can put it on a dusk/dawn sensor.Off during the day.I have been told a deer won't jump a fence if it can't see the other side.

Yes, but has anybody told the deer?

 

[bullbreaker]

Electric Fence Options, page 1

Boone