Best deer repellent or deer fence??

[BLACKJACK]

The last couple of years been having problems with a doe and fawn (caught them on my trail camera) eating my string beans and even the potato plants. Tried a homemade egg and pepper mix sprayed on the plants, it works but the next time it rains, or if you're away a few days, they're back. Fence is an option, garden is about 40x100 feet, but it has to look good because the garden is in the middle of the yard. Can't give them the 12 gauge bunny treatment. Options that come to mind are:

1) Five foot high 3x5 wire fence with gate. Would work best but then grass/weeds would grow up into, would look bad. Could raise it up 6 inches so I could weed whip but that lets bunnies in.

2) Electric fence. Two strands, one at 12 inches, another at 24 inches, yes a determined deer would go over but I'm not dealing with a lot of deer just need to shock one very good to deter it. Could take down at non-prime times but would be pain in the arse.

3) ???? Any other ideas?

[goblueM]

Deer will laugh at a 5 foot fence. Or a low strand electric fence.

Gotta be 8 or 9 feet to really keep them out. I've seen deer jump 5 foot barbed fence with electric on top just to get to grass, much less tasty garden morsels

[leech~~]

"Deer Away" spray at Fleet Farm. Works on Bunnies too! I used it and it did work, but you have to re-apply if it rains a lot. Costs a bit and smells lot rotten eggs.

[motley man]

When I go outside I take a Y branch and tie it around my hat and it keeps them away from my face as they fly above it.

[Powerstroke]

I have a 5' fence that keeps them out and I still spray the area with the Liquid fence animal repellent. For a while all I had was the low fence to keep out the bunnies and then two stands of twine at 36" and 48". I would reapply the Liquid Fence to the twine as needed, but they eventually started getting around that too.

We haven't had a single problem with the 5' height. I watched deer check the garden last night.

[nofishfisherman]

You could probably have me and a few of my hunting buddies sit in our stands around your garden. We seem to be repelling deer pretty well the last few years.

[BLACKJACK]

Looking over the garden last night, I needed to do something now, the deer had been eating on the potatoes, beans, carrots, flowers so I went the quick and dirty route, put up a strand of electric at about 15 inches. My thinking is that with a short run, <300 feet, the fence really packs a shock, need to just shock them a few times to deter them. If Bambi gets hit a couple times going in and out, Ma deer will think twice. May put a second strand up tonight and bait it with corn, need to get them to touch it.

Should just bite the bullet and put up a five foot fence but after a few years and weeds/grass growing, its going to look like heck.

Will also go look at some of those commercial deer products.

[BLACKJACK]

Gotta be 8 or 9 feet to really keep them out.

A 9 foot fence?? A little bit of overkill, don't you think? They don't even put 9 foot fences around farm raised deer. I've been using 5 foot wire around my apple trees and no deer has harmed them yet.

[pushbutton]

Think it really depends on the area you have. My new garden located by the house only has a 5 ft fence and so far(knock on wood) the deer have stayed out. Right now there is enough new growth in the surrounding area to keep them occupied. In the past the garden was more secluded, a couple hundred ft away without the commotion of kids, dogs, ect. and struggled greatly. The same five ft fence was just like high stepping a hurdle to them. Even put up an electric run another foot up which did absolutely nothing to stop them either. What worked best there was hanging panty hose filled with human hair every 10 ft or so. This would only work for a few months though until the smell wore away and the birds would pick them apart for nest building material.....

[Tom7227]

I have been told that two fences will do the trick. Of course I don't have a source for that info, nor an idea of how high or close together they have to be. Something about not being able to manage the second fence because it is close to the first. Sorry about the lack of detail. Of course a fence as big as you need is going to get pretty spendy. I wonder if you could have any success with that black netting I see around.

[coachr]

Spray On repellents like Deer Away are certainly a good option. They require a little more work, but deliver results.

Another option that you could use or add as additional protection is a fear repellent using Predator Urine (Coyote).

A fear repellent like Shake-Away for Deer plays on the animals natural, instinctual fear or predators. You can find it at: Critter-Repellent.com's Deer Repellent page , or many Ace Hardware stores carry it. It's easy to apply and a 3LB container would take care of your garden for most of the season.

Good Luck!

[Gordie]

I saw a speacial on PBS one time and it was a guy (can't think of his name) but he said the best deer replant was human urine mixed with a bit of amonia I belive. I will call my dad I think he has the book that guy wrote about gardens.

There are also some new reflective tape that you can hang around the garden to help repel deer too. Kid works at the hardware store that sells it I will ask him what its called when he wakes up.

[Gordie]

Jerry Baker is the guys name and dad used this and said it works.

1/2 cup of murphys oil soap

1/2 cup lemon sented dish washing soap

1/2 cup castor oil

1/2 cup lemon sented amonia

1/2 cup hot,hot pepper sauce

1/2 cup human urine

mix in 20 gallon hose end sprayer and spray to the point of run off to any and all flower beds.

My dad said He applied to the boarder of his veggie garden and it really helped deture the deer.

[SpecialK]

The shiny stuff is Mylar, same stuff they make the shiny balloons and tinsel out of. I think you can get a package of strips to tie on stems and sticks at the hardware store.

[BLACKJACK]

Having the same problem with deer again, doing some searching here, and saw my old post, thought I'd bring it to the top - anybody have any new ideas? Saw another post on a repellant called 'Liquid Fence', anybody tried that??

[mainbutter]

We build an 8 foot tall fence, totally worth it if you do it right. It's effort, but will last years and years, and our garden is almost half as small as yours (maybe 60x50). It took the four of us a weekend to complete with the right plan, tools, and hard work.

Raccoons still get into our garden and ate some of our corn last year with about 1/4 of our yield still left to harvest, and we're thinking of installing a single strand of electrified wire around the top this year.

[sticknstring]

E fence. A little initial sticker shock, but it'll give you the results you want. Do the work once and your veggies will be safe for years. Otherwise just pound in some 2x2 posts on the corners and wrap 3-4 strands of masonary line or heavy kite string. I've been doing this on my small soybeans plots the past two years. Keeps them out 95% of the time!

I had to build a fence at my home garden to keep the small critters out as well. Put crosswire in the inside and now the hoppers can't get in. Perhaps you could try that as well and just hang a single strand of wire up high that could be removable during planting time to keep sunlight at maximum and supplies minimal?

[BLACKJACK]

Put crosswire in the inside and now the hoppers can't get in. Perhaps you could try that as well and just hang a single strand of wire up high that could be removable during planting time to keep sunlight at maximum and supplies minimal?

What do you mean by crosswire?? Like a light chicken wire?? It does look like the gaps are big enough for a rabbit to go thru.

I do like your idea, the wooden fence looks good, and I could put up and take down the top strand of electric wire pretty fast. One problem with the wooden fence thought is that I have a lot of iron in my water, when I water the garden and fence, I'm sure the fence would turn brown...

Last year a guy gave me the idea of the electic fence about 3 foot high, then every 30 feet you put a shallow can with a cotton swab soaked in apple juice concentrate, the theory is that they lick it, thats enough to keep them away. I did it, and it DID keep the deer out, but with the late planting, my electric fence charger is still in use on my goose fence protecting my soybeans....

[BLACKJACK]

We build an 8 foot tall fence, totally worth it if you do it right. It's effort, but will last years and years, and our garden is almost half as small as yours (maybe 60x50). It took the four of us a weekend to complete with the right plan, tools, and hard work.

Pictures???

My concern is appearance, its right in the middle of our lawn, 30 yards from our house, don't want the 'reservation look', concerned about grass growing into the wire, can't weedwhip. Was actually out yesterday looking at wire and posts, I was thinking of just going 5 or 6 foot, being that close to the house I don't think they'd jump it - and if they did, I could add one strand of electric. But that would look tacky too. Also considering attaching the bottom wire to landscape timbers so I could weed whip.

[BLACKJACK]

Raccoons still get into our garden and ate some of our corn last year with about 1/4 of our yield still left to harvest, and we're thinking of installing a single strand of electrified wire around the top this year.

I run a live trap year, baited with tuna, takes care of coons and stray cats....

[delcecchi]

Take a look at the trapping forum about racoons.