[Market-farming] Deer Fencing

Richard Stewart rstewart at zoomtown.com
Thu May 28 08:01:14 EDT 2009


I'd like to add...

Understanding how the deers move on your property is important as  
well.  Deers move in the path of least resistance many times and if  
you can avoid putting up fence directly in their path they are more  
likely to simply move around it.

Sent markers work as well and the best, though people might find it  
disgusting, is human and predatory urine.  Placed between the area  
that is fenced off and the path used for movement, scent, oftentimes  
will work better than fencing.  Keeping a dog around the garden area  
will work too.  The problem is that many times people fence of HUGE  
areas and expect the deer to avoid it completely.  The only time the  
deer will not violate this space is when an extensive fencing line is  
built (it may cost 1 dollar per linear foot to add a cheap secondary  
snow fence and t-posts, but that initial outer fence was  
expensive!  :)   ).

My vegetable garden is on a shelf at the base of a hill line.  I only  
fence off directly the produce and fruit area, the rest is open,  
including the 160 acres of corn and bean.  I also let 12 hunters do  
their thing in the fall and winter while I am worrying about other  
things which keep the doe population down to reasonable number...till  
those in the nearby park begin to over populated.  Then I start  
suggesting to the county park board that its culling time.

If done properly I'll argue that deer, especially, for smaller farmer/ 
gardeners, should be a manageable problem that requires observation,  
numbers management (hunting), and simple deterrents with the  
understanding of deer needs during poor foraging periods.

Richard Stewart
Carriage House Farm
North Bend, Ohio

An Ohio Century Farm Est. 1855

(513) 967-1106
http://www.carriagehousefarmllc.com
rstewart at zoomtown.com



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