[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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