Deer fence height
 

We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

jerry wrote:
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

It might stop somebody from dragging a dead deer through your garden.

Sounds like your neighbor is pulling your leg.LOL
Eight inches wouldn't even keep a rabbit out.
I put up an electric fence to keep my dogs away from the pet bunnies cage.
One of them just jumps over it. I bet a deer would jump your fence also.
Once they are no longer in contact with the ground it won't shock them.
After they are inside the fence they may get shocked moving around through
your garden by accident.
I have had deer jump over my four foot regular chain link and also have
heard they can jump a six foot tall fence.

"jerry" wrote in message
...
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

I had a four foot rabbit fence around my garden. One time I found a
rabbit inside the fence, so I opened the gate and tried to herd the
rabbit in that direction. The rabbit took one look at me and hopped over
the fence without apparent effort. So much for rabbit fences.

Rabbits like broadleaf plants. Plant clover in your lawn and the rabbits
will be satisfied with that.



Windy wrote:
Sounds like your neighbor is pulling your leg.LOL
Eight inches wouldn't even keep a rabbit out...

jerry wrote in
:

We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

Yes, miniature deer. :oP

Recently Brookside Gardens in Maryland spent an astronimical amount of
money (millions of dollars) to build an 8-9' tall un-electrified deer fence
around the entire property. "Although an eight foot tall fence was erected
around the park to protect the horticultural plantings, the deer brazenly
walked through the driveway entrance gate in broad daylight. A cattle-guard
was added at the gate to reduce the infiltration. Being surrounded by
trees, which occasionally drop branches which breech the fence, the fence
is still inadequate to protect the plantings. (The deer have also mastered
the cattle guard.) As of January 20, 1999, Brookside was attempting to
negotiate the political hurdles of selectively shooting their pest deer."

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
email:
http://beyondgardening.com/Albums

"jerry" wrote in message
...
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

Last week, I watched a small-ish deer hop over a 4' fence at a local park.
Not jump - just sort of hop, with little or no effort. I'd say 6-8' is more
like it.

The problem all of you people are having with your deer fencing is that you
don't understand the "deer jump". They can make a high jump OR a wide jump
but not BOTH at the same time. They also won't jump into something they
can't get enough of a run to jump out of. I had huge vegetable and fruit
gardens in Idaho and Montana without any deer damage and used a 4 foot
fence, the second 4 foot fence ran 3 feet away around the outside. I used
metal fencing posts and chicken wire. This is an inexpensive and very
effective solution that has been used for years and it surprises me more
people don't know about it.

I just did a little Google search and found a Montana site that will give
you options to effective fencing, also one from the PNW area.

http://fwp.state.mt.us/wildthings/li...eer_fence.html

http://www.slugsandsalal.com/techniq...r.html#fencing


Val






"jerry" wrote in message
...
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

"afdr9lk" wrote in message
k.net...
jerry wrote:
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue? Jerry

It might stop somebody from dragging a dead deer through your garden.

LOL!

Yeah, that's about it, too.

If one deer touches the live wires, the whole group will instinctively
avoid the area. Another thing that helps is to leave around pieces of
chicken wire or chainlink fence. Just laying in the grass around your
garden. Deer hate to feel something sticking to their legs. I move the
four pieces I have only when it is time to mow.

The trick is making the fence hard to see, deer don't like bumping into
something they can't see. I have two strands of electric, one at 4" and one
at 4' and it keeps the deer out, other than the occasional fawn that
stumbles into it. I've seen people use the same idea except they use
fishing line that is almost invisible. Your neighbor is probably telling
the truth.


"jerry" wrote in message
...
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry

Here in Colorado, deer on the highways have always been a concern and
are becoming increasingly moreso (due in part to our high growth rate
and people crowding them out of their natural habitat). The highway
department has fenced many miles of road with 6-foot high dog-wire
style fencing, which deters most of them, that is, if someone doesn't
leave a gate open somewhere! Also, there are these nifty one-way exit
gates that allow animals to get out of the highway right-of-way, should
they accidentally enter it. I would think that a 6' ft. fence around a
garden would offer adequate protection, aesthetics aside.

Gary wrote:
Here in Colorado, deer on the highways have always been a concern and
are becoming increasingly moreso (due in part to our high growth rate
and people crowding them out of their natural habitat). The highway
department has fenced many miles of road with 6-foot high dog-wire
style fencing, which deters most of them, that is, if someone doesn't
leave a gate open somewhere! Also, there are these nifty one-way exit
gates that allow animals to get out of the highway right-of-way, should
they accidentally enter it. I would think that a 6' ft. fence around a
garden would offer adequate protection, aesthetics aside.


My father found 6ft fence too low on Saltspring Island, BC. The deer
jumped right over it. He eventually built an 8ft fence.

A deer fence that simply creates a barrier should be between 5' for a garden
area, up to 14' for a game farm. On a more hopeful note, an electric
fence -- if one is allowed where you live -- is your best bet. It probably
should be about the height of the deer's chest and baited. I've heard of
peanut butter being used, but I suppose anything they like will work. Once
the deer has been stung by the fence, it won't come near it again. You can
disconnect the electricity once you think all the deer in your area have
"learned their lesson" as they won't come near it again.

Good luck!

Suzy, Zone 5, Wisconsin
"jerry" wrote in message
...
We have a garden with an electricfied fence that has four strands of
wire up to four feet. Recently we visited a neighor who has a garden
like ours but only has a deer fence that is 8" inches high. They
indicate at this hiegh it will stop rabbits and deer. Does this make
sense? I have seen deer jump our fence so don't know if height is
really an issue?

Jerry