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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Deer Control (was: NITEGuard pest Control lights)

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  • From: Vern and Amy <vaspencer AT sisna.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Deer Control (was: NITEGuard pest Control lights)
  • Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2012 06:26:24 -0700

Here is my north Idaho cheap fence: (probably not as cheap as a three-wire fence, but I haven't researched it out)

10-12 foot tall poles of the best wood I could find while cutting firewood placed in 2' deep holes every 50 feet with 2 five-foot T-posts spaced between the tall wooden ones. The cheapest 3-5 foot tall mesh fencing I could scrounge up (this can double as one side of an enclosure to rotate the chickens on pasture outside the garden).
Baling twine run every 8-12 inches and attached only to the tall posts up to about 7-8 feet. I can run another strand or two if I want, but haven't needed to.

When I saw that the deer had been putting their head over the mesh wire and jumping through under the first row of twine, I put an electric wire between the two and they stopped (we got to watch five of them try it out the first night it went hot!)

We don't have any small animal problems. The grass can get pretty high before there is a problem with shorting out an electric wire.

It isn't as sporting to hunt deer near the garden, but it isn't very sporting of them to nibble the hearts out of $1000 of lettuce in one night! Try to get especially the mamas that will be teaching babies next year about the garden. We have seen this with other animals (a friend's cow teaching the whole herd how to cross the cattle guard, etc.)

I think also making sure there is something for the deer to eat outside the garden is helpful in keeping them from being tempted to test your fence.

I don't have to bait my fence or try to scare the deer away. But then again, there isn't a lot of pressure, as there is lots to eat in the woods and most everybody around here hunts.

Vern
Vern's Veggies and More!
Cocolalla, Idaho
Where summer has finally arrived after July 4!




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