Ultimate Deer Scare, damn deer!

moms_helper_2008

11 years ago

The garden is doing good considering the lack of rain causing the garden to be hand watered frequently. Blight is hitting the tomatoes hard so I had to triple the ingredients of my home made blight spray which seems to be working now, I'll know better this week. I'll try to post more new photos next week. My latest photos are stamped June 30th but were actually taken June 23rd. Most of the tomatoes are at the top of the poles in height now. I haven't posted here in a while. Hope everyone is doing well.

Deer were never a problem until two years ago so I decided to scare the heck out of them and built a DeerScare.

More garden photos and link to DeerScare video on Fran's garden website. Scroll to the bottom of the page. http://www.network54.com/Forum/616213/

Here is a link that might be useful: Frans' Garden

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Comments (10)

oliveoyl3
11 years ago
Very intriguing motion activated lights, radio, & rattling pans. Does it move around the yard, too?

You must make your mom smile! Great job.

Deer get used to things, so how are you going to change it up for keeping them away until harvest is over?
star_stuff
11 years ago
Very cool machine you built! What powers it?
Great pictures of your garden too, as usual! I'll be sure to check back for updates~
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moms_helper_2008
Original Author
11 years ago
Tnx corrine...

I have the motion sensors set on 'test' mode. When they activate they only stay on for 5 to 10 seconds unless there is constant movement then they stay on until no movement is detected. I doubt the deer will ever get used to the lights, the radio, the noise and the swinging lights on the DeerScare... no signs of deer for six weeks now. Last year I tried ammonia in containers hung around, soap bars hung around, scare crows, and a radio playing all night long. Nothing worked for longer than a week.

Star...

The machine is powered by a 1.7AMP electric motor that is under the square metal box I built for over it as a weather protector. The motor could have been bigger (2 or 2.5 amps) since the arm that beeps the horn would hang if the arm stopped on the steel band that beeps the horn, the roller I made for the end of that arm helped. I might hunt for a larger motor over the winter, used washing machine motors are plentiful.

I bought 2 electric motors at a metal recycling center for $5, disassembled both motors, cleaned them, oiled the bearings and reassembled them. They both worked. The one I used in the DeerScare is $90 new.

View the DeerScare photos in the link below. For my application I had to grind down the the end of the motor shaft at an angle to start a piece of gas line hose over the shaft, rubber on rubber yields super traction. I used a 2"X1/2"ID piece of rubber gas line hose and started it over the shaft. I had to lightly heat the shaft with a propane torch to soften/nearly melt the hose to get it to slide over the motor shaft. The motor shaft/rubber hose is held pressed up against the bike tire with adjustable spring tension. The motor turns at 3750RPM which worked out to be a good speed for my application.

I will try to post up current garden photos next week. We have over 32 bell peppers on eight plants, some peppers 6" long and turning red. We had many 40* nights the beginning of the season which caused a slow start for out tomatoes budding and setting fruit.

Here is a link that might be useful: DeerScare Photos
mnwsgal
11 years ago
Pretty amazing contraption. Glad that it works for you. Does the nose wake you up at night?
gumby_ct
11 years ago
Pretty creative. I will let you know that my deer thank me when I turn on the Spot Lights - so they can see.

I think the only thing that spooks them are those canons the farmers use.
tdscpa
11 years ago
Rube Goldberg award contestant! ;)
kamapuaa
11 years ago
Amazing, but I guess the deer get used to it in a month.
Nunyabiz1
11 years ago
a motion detector water sprinkler works well also.
gumby_ct
11 years ago
One thing deer never get used to is a dog.
wertach zone 7-B SC
11 years ago
"One thing deer never get used to is a dog."

That's what my neighbor always said. He had 3 big dogs, that barked all night keeping me awake. The deer ate both his and my garden.

His widow has gotten rid of the dogs. And I got motion sensor sprinklers. The only time they have touched anything was when the battery died one night and I didn't know it!

It was minimal damage along the outer edge.

Ultimate Deer Scare, damn deer!

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Ultimate Deer Scare, damn deer!

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