Dang deer!

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1,939
Location
Oliver Springs, TN
Well, I'm tired of the deer wreaking havoc on my vegetable garden! I planted beans 3 times last year before giving up. They'd get up about 6 - 8 inches and I'd come out and they would look like they had been mowed.:doh: We went on vacation for a week last summer and when I got back it looked like they invited every deer in the neighborhood over for a party. That was the final straw! They ate all my cucs, squash, and stepped on my melons!:mad:

I used to sale perennials, daylilies and hosta mostly. I have a 12 x 50 greenhouse that hasn't been used for a couple of years so I decided to build a 4' x 40' raised bed and I can use construction fencing to keep the deer out (hopefully)!:D I also have it set up for irrigation so I don't have to worry about watering anymore. The plastic covering the house is about shot, so I'll be taking it off shortly.

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4 feet? I watched three deer leap over a 6 foot fence without a running start. Just stood next to the fence, looked around, launched and were munching the sweet corn before you could blink. Good luck!
 
The deer around here haven't discovered our garden, but we have had big problems with rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels attacking the crops. Last year was an especially bad year (Great for the rodents, as they were around in vast numbers).

This year we are looking at an attempt to fence them out. If we can keep some of them out, that will help...
 
My wife just goes outside and scolds them. They stand and watch (and listen?) then wander off. Really. Another solution is called 30-06. Keeps meat in freezer also. And, I agree, a 4 ft. fence is a joke to a deer.
 
They will not jump a double fence placed 4' apart. A friend did that and had good luck with it.

But then again a good load of 00BUCK will get their attention and venison on the plate. :D
 
I had a friend of mine that lived where deer are a lot worse than here. I was over at his house one day and he had a good sized garden that looked great. He had put two strands of like 25 or 30 pound test line in a double strand one at around 2 feet the other at about 4 all around his garden. I asked what he planed on catching with the fishing line:D. He said it kept the deer out. He said they couldn't see it and when they walked into it it would scare them and they wouldn't cross it. I thought he was full of turkey butter, but he didn't have a deer problem. I've never tried it to see for myself, so take it for what it's worth.:dunno: I'll just stick with my greenhouse and orange construction netting.

My uncle put an electric fence around his a couple of years ago. He joked he had a 30 dollar garden with a 300 dollar electric fence!
 
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I use electric fence around my garden for deer control. When I first put it up I smear a little peanut butter a few places around the garden. The deer are attracted to the smell and put there nose to it. They seem to learn real quick to avoid the garden. They have plenty other stuff to eat , like the wife's flowers.
 
I'm probably jinxing myself, but our garden sits in the middle of the front yard and I know we have deer, but they don't bother the garden... the neighbor's cows now is another story... he has a young calf that just jumps over his electric fence and wanders over into the garden... he's not afraid of the dog either... she may keep the deer away, but that calf just helps himself.
 
Can't swear by it myself, but dad used to hang pie tins and bar soap around his up-north garden {tins for the flash as they swayed, which helped some with the birds as well, & the soap for the scent, can't recall the brand but it was very strong}...can say I never seen deer tracks inside the wire :dunno:
 
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