The Battle Has Started

Oleozz · Jun 28, 2007

I llive in what is referred to around here as a "hollow". We are completely surrounded by woods on all four borders and the only fields are mine. I have planted three big sweet corn patches and some of it is waist high or better. It draws the deer like a magnet. In the one patch I have a 24 hr religious station playing and also moth balls and the lower patch I have dial soap in bags and moth balls and between two of the patches I have a set of solar powered red eyes. The red eyes are my latest attempt to try and keep the deer out and will know in a couple of days if they are going to work.
The deer will pull out complete plants, roots and all or just go through and nibble off the tops.
I have asked some farmer friends what they do for deer control and they usually reply with two words, "Shoot em."
Next year I plan to have electric fence around the three patches and if that doesn't work I'm going to give up and take up needle point.

It's not like the deer don't have plenty to eat, natural foods abound for them but they prefer my sweet corn.

Thomas · Jun 28, 2007

Gotta feeling the deer will win...you may need mightly high fence or good dog to stand guard.

Farmwithjunk · Jun 28, 2007

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.

RonMar · Jun 28, 2007

Crunchy dried natural food or moist fresh sweet corn... Oh man I hate these tough decisions...

Dear, just like prowlers, don't like surprises, especially sudden, movements and noises. If they are made too uncomfortable they wont feel comfortable feeding there if there is someplace more quiet they can feed(hint hint). Would they leave if you ran thru the middle of the field? You need something that moves and gets their attention that will stimulate enough adrenalin to get their ForF reflex going. It also has to be unpredictable. A noise that goes off at a regular interval or a light that flashes on might startle them, but they are also curious and will come back around to take another look. If it is something they can predict, they will adapt to it. I have gotten more second chances from only partially startled deer than I can count easilly.

A dog on a cable run that goes the length of the field might be effective. tripwires and electronic or chemical noisemakers might also work. It has to scare them bad enough and long enough that they flee and are a ways away before the curiosity kicks in. A good startled deer will blow and snort and leave scents that other deer will also find uncomfortable(Whoa, someone got the crap scared out of them here...). Some human scent spread around won't hurt either. Then you plant a patch all off by itself that you don't bother to protect just for the deer.

Of course when all else fails, Front Sight, Focus and Squeeze the trigger.

Good Luck

mboulais · Jun 28, 2007

In new york state, If deer are destroying a farmers crop, he can obtain a permit to shoot them out of regular season and in higher numbers than normally allowed. If this corn is part of your livelyhood, you could look into this.

Plant some pumpkins, They love them too.

Chuck52 · Jun 28, 2007

Last year a short, fairly low power electric fence kept the deer completely out of my corn, watermellon, winter squash and pumpkin patch. I baited the wire with peanut butter on aluminum foil. No deer the whole season. Also, absolutely no corn for me because the coons got it all, or ruined what they didn't eat as someone else noted.

Chuck

DocHeb · Jun 28, 2007

You could plant hydrangeas, hostas, roses, oriental lilies, tulips, sedum, irises, daisies, day lillies, coneflowers, lilacs, wiegela, viburnum, ornamental pear, holly, crabapple trees, maple trees, spruce trees, apple trees, pear trees, apricot trees, plum trees, cherry trees, asparagus, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash. All have worked effectively in my yard as being deer attractants and may help to serve as a decoy to distract their attention away from your corn. Note that the list above is everything I've planted, and it has all been eaten by the deer. Not suprisingly, rabbits and woodchucks finished of the plants not eaten by deer. My .17 Hornaday has become a close friend in my battle against the smaller vermin, and my Browning BPS got me my first hooved demon during last years hunting season.

On a serious note, I now have a three strand electric electric rope fence with baited cups for apple juice concentrate and peanut butter. The strands are 1, 3, and 6 feet tall. I don't think I need the 6 foot rope, but it does give some visual deterent. I have not had a deer jump over in two years, and no deer tracks within the area either. For the areas not surrounded by the fence, I've had good luck the last two years with a solution of liquid gold (at least you'd think it was liquid gold from the price) - a solution based on garlic and rotton eggs called Liquid Fence.

randy41 · Jun 29, 2007

i put up a 3d deer fence that i got from premier fence around my 2+ acres of veggies and it is very effective.has been for 4 years now.

Champy · Jun 29, 2007

Somewhere else on TBN(?) I read that putting human hair in nylons and hanging it around will deter the deer. Poster would go to barber shops and get their clippings and string them up. Never tried it myself though.......

I'd just shoot the first deer you see and leave the carcass there for the others as a warning...kind of a medieval approach....or you can get an AK47 and walk out in the field with the "say hello to my little friend" approach.....