[Market-farming] Deer Fencing

Bill Shoemaker wshoemak at illinois.edu
Wed May 27 16:19:26 EDT 2009


Mark's idea sounds promising, but I'd just comment that with deer, one solution doesn't work for everyone. I've had this discussion with growers in many places with many different crops. My conclusion is that because deer are intelligent, they learn how to deal with obstacles and adjust their behaviour. How much work they put into it depends on how bad they need what you're keeping from them. If the herd you're dealing with is light and they have many good alternatives for food, it may not take as much as if the herd population is too high and you have the only really good food. So be patient, smart, persistent and lucky.

Bill



>
>Robert
>	I dont think your approach will work at least not for long especialy if the
>deer have already found your garden. one approach that works for me at least
>part of the time is a 4 foot woven wire fence with an 8 foot peice of rebar
>attached to every other post and bent outward so it looms over the outside
>of the fence at about a 45 degree angle. with three strands of elecric
>attached two hot and the center grounded.
>	This has the effect of the deer attempting to jump the woven wire fence
>slaming its face into the electric and getting knocked back down to the
>ground. alteritively you can put a couple strands of electric 4 feet outside
>the woven wire fence at about a 4 foot hight. deer can jump high or jump
>wide but not both at the same time so a couble fence will stop them.
>
>Mark
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: market-farming-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
>[mailto:market-farming-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org]On Behalf Of Robert
>Farr - The Chile Man
>Sent: Wednesday, May 27, 2009 4:01 PM
>To: Market Farming
>Subject: [Market-farming] Deer Fencing
>
>
>Howdy, y'all.
>
>I'm looking for some affordable electric fencing to keep out our four-legged
>friends.
>
>I'd like to try 3 - 4' tall posts with hot wire (powered by a 12-volt
>battery), hanging peanut-butter on aluminum strips every few feet.  The
>assumption is the deer will taste the PB and be zapped, therefore avoiding
>the area.
>
>Does anyone have experience with that approach, and do you have
>recommendations as to what kind of fencing to buy?
>
>I'm hoping to avoid the 8' tall plastic fence.
>
>Thanks much -
>
>Robert Farr
>The Chile Man
>http://www.thechileman.com
>Robert Farr
>The Chile Man
>(540) 668-7160 (office)
>(540) 668-7163 (fax)
>(703) 431-6734 (mobile)
>http://www.thechileman.com
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William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road  St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610


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