Ideas for Fencing and Deterring Deer
It seems to happen every year. You spend the time to grow that great crop of green beans and the evening before the next morning harvest, you go out to the garden and what do you find? The rows are now a dis-array of green stubble. Bambi and his mother came to shop at your garden and left nothing for your effort except ready-made compost. The solution is to incorporate fencing for keeping them out.
One
Construct a high fence that surrounds your garden permanently. This method incorporates high corners of seven feet or greater. The first lower run of fencing is a four-foot high woven wire. Above that is barbed wire stretched every eight inches to a height of seven feet. Barbwire has been used extensively for keeping cattle in the fields. The sharp barbs can catch clothing and cut exposed skin, so be careful when installing. To ensure that the rabbits keep out, you can stretch one-inch diameter poultry netting along the inside of the woven wire. This type of fence is a lot of work but it will last a lifetime.
Two
Cover plants with a plastic mesh type poultry netting. This type of fencing is not permanent and will have to come down after each season. It is a great deterrent to deer as they cannot see the fence but the light plastic netting spooks them away by not being able to reach the tempting food plot.
Three
Suspend galvanized poultry netting over strawberry and other small fruit beds. This not only keeps the deer from eating the juicy ripe fruit but will also keep birds from the spring harvest. The poultry fence can be easily removed for harvest and replaced when finished. It also works well for holding down that cover of winter straw or leaves.
Four
Setup an electric fence system for the perimeter of the entire garden. This too will have to have some height to the wire, as deer will be tempted to jump over any low hanging fence. The electric system is easy to setup with just a few poles for support. Since the electric wire is very light there is no need for heavy-duty corners. The poles can be pounded into the ground about every ten feet around the garden and the electric insulators attached to the metal posts. If you can leave enough room around the garden and the fence to walk around the electrified area. The home improvement center or local feed store will have all the parts for a complete system. A solar charger with a battery backup enables this type of fence to go just about anywhere. Be sure to shut it off though before you go into the garden.
Ice and heavy snows may cause lightweight electric fence wire to droop against the ground and cause it to short out. You may have to inspect this type of fence after such a weather event.
Barbwire is sharp, be sure to educate the children when installing this type of fence.
