Who has effective deer-be-gone tricks?

[Martini_Up]

I had a deer trail right down the middle of my property. They devastated everything that grew, even eating bark off my fruit trees.
I used cougar urine and havent seen them since.

came in a spray bottle the size of a windex container. A few sprays along the perimeter of the "garden" each spring before they migrate back and its been doing the trick for over 5 years now for me

 

[No_Regerts]

I know strobe lights work on squirrels. And there just rats with furry tails.

Maybe on some motion activated power supply?

I tried this on deer. They just look at me longer. It does mess up their depth perception. You can walk right up to them.

 

[JuglansRegia]

Back in the day we had a Samoyed, it was sport for him to chase the deer (and herd the neighbors horses, and cows) he would run them off at least half a mile. The problem with sled dogs is after they are about 4 years old they start to get lazy.

 

[po18guy]

Attentiveness and a Daisy 426 Co2 pistol with Hornady black .177 BBs. Although, they are not the brightest bulbs in the animal world, and some take 2-3 pings on their flanks before they get the message. Also the Scarecrow sprinkler.

 

[eldbillbo]

Solution is putting a NWFA post Saying you have a deer population problem and inviting fellow members over during hunting season to help solve it.

 

[JohnnyMac]

I third the motion sense sprinkler. I live on an island where the deer are protected and there's a million of them. They eat everything and the motion sprinklers seem to keep them at bay somewhat. That and my 8lb rat terrier that will chase anything that will run.....when he's not sleeping.

 

[WWShooter]

I've got two older German Shepherds. The deer seem to have figured this out. Used to be when the dogs showed, the deer ran. Now the deer don't act like prey, they just freeze and stand there and the dogs, not seeing anything fun to chase, don't react.

But if I could figure out a way to have the deer eat the blackberries that my DIL planted, I'd call it square.

 

[deerbandit]

It has become tougher over the past few years, to control the local deer population from plundering our garden. Even 7' electrified fence no longer adequate. I've reviewed the litany of alleged tricks, tried all of them at one point or another, with no real success. Cougar urine may be next step. Speak up if you have real world answer.

The only thing that got them to stop at our garden was an 8 foot fence. Once it was that high they stopped. Guess it's just high enough to make them go elsewhere.

 

[welderman1949]

It has become tougher over the past few years, to control the local deer population from plundering our garden. Even 7' electrified fence no longer adequate. I've reviewed the litany of alleged tricks, tried all of them at one point or another, with no real success. Cougar urine may be next step. Speak up if you have real world answer.

For years my mom, who lived in NE Oregon, kept Irish Spring soap scattered around her garden. She would tie pieces of it into bags made from nylon stockings or nylon mesh and tie them to bushes and fencing. There was something about the smell or in the soap itself that repelled deer.

 

[41mag]

My fence was developed after long study & research. Long t-posts angled outward so top wire at limit of my reach. Electrified strands 12" apart to ankle level. Deer can jump high or far but not at same time.
Designed to accommodate my Sweet Bride's wish to not see fence prominent out kitchen window, plus allow tractor access.
50x50, system very effective for over 20 years, with only a few breaches by looter deer. Fencing fit in wheelbarrow, took a few hours to install each spring. Hook up charger & wait for harvest. Effective until last couple seasons.

 

[bentoncity]

There was something about the smell or in the soap itself that repelled deer.

Geez..that same soap kept me from taking a bath or shower for the longest time..

Dan

 

[marksrig]

We have a 25x25 foot garden with deer netting from Coastal. The cheap $19 bag one. We had to layer them because they're only 7' tall but with Tbar post clamped together, we got the netting up almost 10 feet. We run a white string from post to post so the deer see the top better. So far no more problems.

 

[Looperman]

Deer are very allergic to lead.

 

[CoastRange57]

We have a 8 foot fence around our back yard area, about 200 linear feet. Deer have not tried to jump over that yet, or the 5 foot gates. They look around, but have not challenged it yet. grand dogs at night but the wife feels tehy need to sleep inside at night.

Depending on the day grand dogs could be here. Pit bull is busy chasing lizards but will charge the fence at the deer. Lab is more concerned where his ball is. The two German Shepards will bark at them but will not chase them unless given the OK, and then not very willingly.

 

[deadeye]

My fence was developed after long study & research. Long t-posts angled outward so top wire at limit of my reach. Electrified strands 12" apart to ankle level. Deer can jump high or far but not at same time.
Designed to accommodate my Sweet Bride's wish to not see fence prominent out kitchen window, plus allow tractor access.
50x50, system very effective for over 20 years, with only a few breaches by looter deer. Fencing fit in wheelbarrow, took a few hours to install each spring. Hook up charger & wait for harvest. Effective until last couple seasons.

Sounds like what the neighbor did every year as he moved his garden area to different spots each time. The deer did try to get through the fence and he would find the damage and fix it but not very often. Are they getting through or going over is my question. Have you checked the voltage on the fence charger lately?

 

[EHJ]

Human hair. Any barber or salon would love to give it to you.

Here's a trick we used in NC that nobody would try - even after asking how we kept deer from our garden...
I had 180' of 8' chicken wire delivered. Was thinking of an 8' fence. When the kid from the hardware store delivered it he suggested an old trick his dad used. Instead of making a vertical fence (simple deer gymnastics to leap over...) he suggested we just lay in on the ground - 8' wide all around the garden. He swore no animal would cross it.
He was right. Nothing did. I guess it just feels really strange to try and cross.

 

[41mag]

Are they getting through or going over is my question. Have you checked the voltage on the fence charger lately?

A few times they made a direct assault on the far corner, tearing the wire from the post. A couple times after repair, as we came home, the one or 2 inside would panic & flee, either dislodging a different section or over the previous downed section. I would check current after repair, but forget what the reading was, within norms though. Various models of adequate output chargers over the decades were used.

I have abandoned that design completely now, and taken down even the posts. Have a 'new plan' that may/may not prove itself.

Nearly time to install the seasonal netting over the blueberry row. Nearly 50' row long established. Since the old Doberman is no longer with us, the netting stall is for both birds & deer control. Hoops over entire row with large custom fit net attached to support poles & ground stakes, with streamers of flashy foil to provide visual for bumbling mammals.

Has been very effective for a few decades. Takes a couple hours to install as berry time approaches, and removed after harvest season. Netting & stakes fit in small pick up bed tool box. Harvest went up nearly 50% after initial trial. Them birds gobble more than we thought.

 

[41mag]

8' wide all around the garden. He swore no animal would cross it.
He was right. Nothing did. I guess it just feels really strange to try and cross.

appreciate the thought. We had considered it but didn't want to intrude on that much surrounding ground, covered by 'almost lawn'. I did position some chicken wire as test strip and it became a choice of killing off the grass in favor of the obstacle wire, or having to somehow mow the grass often enough to control the loss of the pattern. Couldn't find happy medium. On some surfaces this seems like a good plan.

 

[P7M13]

The only thing that got them to stop at our garden was an 8 foot fence. Once it was that high they stopped. Guess it's just high enough to make them go elsewhere.

Hunting three years ago, I surprised a blacktail doe in a creek area. She just leaned back a little then sprung right over a hedge that had to be over 8' tall. They have the springs, it's just, do they want it bad enough.

 

[Stomper]

Here's one way the deer never get acclimated to...