I have no deer here, but when I lived in Ohio, I did. They would laugh as they sailed over an 8' fence.

If you sink the 8' posts into the ground enough to hold them upright, you'll have about 6' exposed upon which to string the line.

If you string the line as you suggest, the deer will be able to walk right through, between the bottom and middle.

Definitely things to consider. The fishing line would be near invisible so I don't know how they would react once they feel the tension on their chest.

They (large adult deer) need to run to jump 8'. They are cautiously taking baby steps around my area. They started walking more so in my neighbors yard further back once they learned of white lightening now lives in this house!

She is grown up now, but wouldn't you fear her?lol?

{{gwi:808466}}

ROFL! Properly trained, she'd lick the deer to death.

What a cutie!

Don't underestimate a hungry deer! Plant a juniper instead LOL

John

She sounds like she is going to KILL something once she sees them. The sound she lets out still scares me.

I have to restrain her from the door before I let her out. She's been having fun with the ground hogs this summer. They are the only ground dwelling vistors that pass through my yard. Its hilarous to watch them run as if their life depended on it. Their fatty undersides are practially hitting them in the face, lol.

J, I originally was going to plant a line of Junipers similar to what Dave did but changed the plan once I noticed the deer where few and far between and the fact they changed their visiting/travelling pattern. There are quite a few Pinus strobus in the area so they must do well elsewhere.

All the windows in my house are low so she can easily see out all of them, room by room.

It is a good idea. I have an electric fence, but have found that was not enough. In the winter I string a single stand of fishing line about six feet from the electric fence. It's the invisible line that spooks them when they touch it. You will have to monitor it. I had to replace and repair the line about six times when they ran into it. They never got used to the invisible touch of the line and never made it to the conifer dinner. Good luck. If you don't want to sink T Posts you might consider the plastic posts that I used for the electric fence. You step on them to put them in the ground. Got mine at tractor supply.

if it doesnt work.. i dont know you ...

ken

ps: go to the link .. and link us to a picture of what you are talking about re:stakes .. though you seem to be getting a better deal ... and while you are at the link.. look into electric fencing .... info gathering should this fail .... also google DEER FENCING to see what you really need .... if in fact.. you have a problem

btw: i have all kinds of tracks .. and no damage .. they walk from the farm fields .... thru my lot to the small lake for a drink.. and presumably back ... have you seen any actual damage .. are there crops in the area??? how rural are you??? most deer damage is in suburbia.. where they have no alternative ...

Here is a link that might be useful: link

Does Ken use this or was he suggesting it for a more sizable lot? He has a lot of land and I've always wondered how he kept them out.

This will be my first year trying to protect my 3.5 acres (only 1 acre has conifers, the rest is open field)

Last year I had boxwoods, Azaleas, yews, etc around my house and the deer never touched those. From the tracks they left in the snow they came up to look, but never touched. This year I've kept my conifers sprayed with Deer Out and they have been around and only took a few nibbles.

Winter I know could be a different story since there food supply is limited. I have a huge spruce at the back of my property that they never touched and up the street they have dozens of spruces that seem ok. We do have a ton of brush they may munch on, not sure.

I've read about doing the fishing line thing, but after hearing all the negative things about it, I'm not sure. It just depends on the location I guess.

I was planning to keep them sprayed monthly with deer out that smells like peppermint & sprinkling around the yard deer scram that is supposed to smell like deer blood or something.

Cute dog still, I'm a sucker for labs. I'd name him Slayer j/k.

A friend and arboretum owner uses electrical conduit pole and he hammers (2) per plant either north/south or east/west apart. The deer are done once they come into contact with a pole and he showed me teeth marks on one of those 3/16" metal tags he had hanging from the shiny conduit pole. Some deer was so mad he chewed off a corner of one of those things. That's Guy Sternberg - author, lives near me. He repudiates it's the best thing in the world to keep deer away from the bark-proximately of his trees. Surely, they will eat long branches but there's not much you can do once (any) tree becomes that old.

Dax

I left the fact that this is for winter only. I haven't seen deer since this past winter. DUMB A&& neighbor has a deer feeder so they stroll over there in the winter...plus the woods are over in that area.

I'm in a subdivision but it is rural, somewhat. Woods to the right but a busy road to the back.

No damage as I haven't had anything planted up until this past spring.

Dax, just gave me another idea. I could just use that conduit for the post...much much cheaper. I could wrap it around the post as I continue to the next one.

I'm going to be wrapping some of my trees shortly. I had buck rub damage in late Sept at my last house. Darn thing hit it twice too. I've been jaded since then with thin barked trees on the perimeter.

{{gwi:348467}}

i did it around one tree .. a yellow oak ...

its illegal to feed deer in most areas.. isnt it???

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: pdf.. you might want to follow up on this

I,m going to say you lied if you quote me on this;) but here goes. Feed your husband lots of coffee or what ever makes him feel the urge and have him regulary spray key areas you don,t want the deer to go. It works even in our rainy area of the country. Electric usually doesn,t work on deer because thier hair folicles are hollow.

whaas, I would be careful using invisible fishing line or any wire in neck height. In winter could a kid on skis or running hit that fishing line and get hurt? Lawyers, etc. would go after you. I remember in winter people on snowmobiles at night hitting all kind of wires, i.e. telephone pole supporting wires. I use a spray as precaution against deer.
Good luck! Bernd

Bernd, definitely something to consider with this type of install. I should be ok though as there isn't any of the activity going on around here. Small wall of conifers should slow em down anyhow!

I know of some farmers and others who use T posts with electric fence wire, strung out at about the height of a deer's chest so they try to go under it. They tie bright orange plastic at regular intervals so people can see it. Charge up the fence with a high voltage charger. Lots of them are adjustable. You can purchase metal flaps that can be attached to the fence as well in the specific areas where the deer paths are, so as to apply more contact on the deer when they attempt to go under the fence.

Eventually, deer learn not to go near said area. Most who use this method apply it in the spring so as to show young deer learning via their mothers with their mothers reactions that this area is a bad painful place to be. You'll have less issues in the long run. :)

Good Luck with your deer issues! And, the men going out to specific areas like a buck rub is like marking "your" territory, so it does help...Alot. LoL Crazy, but it works. Trust me, my cattle dog learned the hard way, to stop pissin' in my house. Golden Showers work! Haha!

~Tina

Ha, so for daylight use, in the bathroom fill up a spray bottle with your stuff and then go in your yard and mark your territory, LOL. Costs nothing, plus is a fertilizer, but do not spray it on foliage. I will spray it next to the road to keep neighborhood dogs away.
Thanks! Bernd

Well, a spray bottle may not be 'concentrated' enough Bernd. You may have to use a jar. LoL I know, I know...kinda nasty, gross...what have you. However, so long as you aren't on any medications, it does make good fertilizer and will keep many of the dogs away. ;)

I truly got real tired of cleaning up dog messes in my house. I don't like physically punishing them and recalled an incident my brother had told me of...

My eldest brother moved away, leaving behind a cat, said cat attached itself to our step-father. However, said cat did not like our younger sibling. LoL So, this cat resorted to squatting in front of our younger siblings bedroom door and tinkling right there. Well, one morning, my brother out of pure frustration deposited the cat in the tub and dropped trou and gave the cat a "Golden Shower". From that day on, the cat never left tinkles in front of our younger siblings bedroom door. LOL

So... I figured if it worked for him, why not try it? I had hubby take our blue heeler into the bathroom and do the same treatment. It took a few times, because heelers are far more dominant than most dogs. But our heeler is much more subservient than most. He's very docile and calm. :) Our dane is also learning manners too. Without being broken, just shown who is more dominant just like dogs do. LOL

So yeah, sorry for the long run on there. But do try it, good luck with your dog issues and hopefully it will keep deer away too! ;)

~Tina