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this spring i am planning on planting about 5,000 sq ft corn patch. the area where i live is wooded all around me and has a large deer, raccoon and squirrel population. what do ya'll use to deter the animals from destroying the crop? i don't want to hunt them down. any help is appreciated.
Other than spending a arm and leg on fencing, plant enough for the both of you.
<font color="blue"> planting about 5,000 sq ft corn patch </font color>
With that size patch you could probably get by with a portable electric fence. Run two hot wires, one 6" off the ground and one 12" off the ground. That'll take care of the coon from messing with it and probably help in detering the deer, when they mosey up and sniff it for the first time. [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Electric fences are more of a mental barrier than a physical one with animals once they've tasted the tingle.
Deer can jump high (easily clear an 8 ft fence) and they can jump wide B U T they can't jump high and wide at the same time. Good deer fence depends on that. a few strands (at least 3 in my estimation) of electric wire will deter most everything but deer. Horizontal outriggers on your posts with a wire stretched at the extreme ends with strips of high vis (old white sheets work) cloth on them every 5 ft or so. The cloth is so the resident deer populaltion sees it before they get tangled in it. Also put cloth on the top wire on the fence posts. This shows the width that would have to be jumped. If it is high AND wide enough the deer will not jump it. Their explorations around the new fence (electric) will teach them to not try to climb through.
A single solar charger (about $100) will do a good job. Try to camoflage the charger as for some reason folks with no use for one will steal it because it is there.
Pat
Barrier tape seems to be popular 'round here. You know the yellow POLICE LINE .... CAUTION.... tape you see and it's available at Lowes, etc.
A deer won't jump over what it can't see thru... So know some kind of cheap wall?
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
POLICE LINE .... CAUTION....
[/ QUOTE ] I do not think it is worded police line and available at Lowes,it is says "caution do not enter" same collar though,black lettering on yellow background.....maybe they have it that say's"deer do not enter" [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I put up a 48" high woven wire fence around my garden and it works fine.
Try the army navy stories in the area. : ) Deer are afraid of police. ha.
Just plant lots more than you think you will need.
mikell
I had a guy tell me that the way to deter deer is to run a couple lines of electric fencing and every spring smear them with peanut butter. He claimed that deer can't resist peanut butter and will try to lick it off. Once shocked, they are good until the next spring, when you have to repeat the proceess. I haven't had a chance to test this, but expect I will soon.
Steve
Not all deer can jump a 8' high fence. Even the ones that can will not unless put in a situation where they have no other choice. All of our fences range between 8' and 9' and we have never had a deer jump out of a pen. Even when put in a situation the deer will jump about 6' high into the fence and try to bust thru instead of jumping over it.
As for a garden, a 6' high fence would work since a deer will not risk injury unless there is no other food in the area. 8' high game fence runs between $300- $400 a roll depending on your area. Each roll is 330 feet long. A 5000 sq ft patch would only require part of one roll and you can set your post at 20' apart except for the corners which should be 8'-12' and braced accordingly. All in all you might be looking at $500 to fence in that small of a area with 8' high fence. I do not know the pricing on 6' high fence but it will be cheaper still. You can also put a strand of electric wire around the base of the 8' fence to keep out the rabbits and other small critters.
Take care.