Deer proofing your garden
 

Just wondering what you guys do to "deer proof" your garden? I am expecting a Good Citizen's Award this year for feeding the dirty, rotten, sneaky, no good........ Well, you get my point! Over the last week and a half I have lost almost 1/2 of my beets, had a pepper plant stomped to death, a cabbage with a hole through the outter leaves, 3 of my five tomatoe plants pruned nicely on one side and just about every one of my radishes EATEN! Yep, I'd say hunting season is going to open early this year around here - anyone wanna come set up a tree stand? I put up a fence around the garden this year to "detur" them, I even kept it about 3 or 4 feet back from the garden with regular lawn between the garden and the fence. That seemed to work for the first two or three weeks, then I guess the garden just got too tempting. So I added a string of barb wire around the top. Still no help so I added a string of electric fence on top. As every one of them were :biggrin2.gif: :biggrin2.gif: :biggrin2.gif: :biggrin2.gif: :LMAO1::LMAO1: :ROTF2: :ROTF2: :ROTF1: all the way through my garden and on their way home..... :bash2: Well, I added another string of electric fence on top again with the bars of Irish Spring soap hanging off the wire too. I now have regular fence with a string of barb wire and two strings of electric fence that now reach almost eight feet into the air!! Yes, it looks STUPID!! I was trying to make it look as inconspicuous as possible when I started....YEAH RIGHT! So needless to say, I think that next year it is all going to be removed and just put up regular 8 foot fence on wooden posts and I will have to deal with looking at the wire. Either that and have a garden, or I rip it all out, plant grass seed and then sit on my Cub with a couple :beerchug: :beer2: and mow the grass that grows!!! Yep, I am a little ticked at "wild life" around here in the last month. Errrrrrr :Mad1:

They must be jumping the fence you have! No problem here, but I'am making a nice white picket fence that will be 12" off the ground.

I've heard of an "electronic device" that keeps them away. Basically emits high pitch sound that humans cannot hear. I'll try and find it online....

I think this is it. I haven't used it before, so can't attest to it's affectiveness. You might want to find some product reviews online. :bigthink:

http://www.gardenfun.com/deer-guard-...FQseDQodeitnuA

Not sure if this is the right way but is sure is effective.

Not sure if I could afford to bait it!!!!!!

Surround it with Cubs so no Deere get in.

22 cal bullets are rather cheap, thats what i would go with.

:biggrin2.gif::biggrin2.gif::biggrin2.gif:

I have always had a garden, I live in BFE fields all around me and never a fence. I've had insect damage but never any animals.

Deer Proof Fence
 

Put a 45 degree angle post outward from your main fence post and run your hot wire on it where the deer contact the hot wire as they approach your fence to prepare to jump it.make sure you hang it at the right height.

Good Luck,Bruce

Ummmm...:bigthink: What's the right height? About 3 feet off the gound? I can't exactly measure up the deer to see - I never get to see the dirty beggers! I know they are a decent size from the size of their hoof prints though!

Go to the barber shop and get a free bag of hair and spread it around in there. Or if you want to pay for it you can by dried blood at AGWAY they both seem to work pretty well. But not as well as a .22 thru the guts.

Deer Proof Fence
 

Id say 3.5ft to 4.0ft would probably work,the idea is to have the hot wire at about chest level so that they hit it before they get a chance to jump yhe fence.Your deer up there run alittle bigger than our average texas deer.

Good luck,Bruce

What about a salt lick out back? Plant some deer corn away from the action. I'am seeing meat in the freezer!:beerchug:

I've never had any problems with the electric fence. Be sure you have a really good ground. I use a six foot solid copper rod.

NO! I don't want no stinking salid!!!!
That is what FOOD eats!!!!!!

AHhhhh!!!
Deer sausage!!!!!:beerchug:

Ozarkian Answer
 

Down here in the Ozarks, we just eat the deer no problem. Of course if ya don't see them ya can't shoot them. I've got a neighbor that has a pitbull that seems to keep things at bay. Lots of answers, none of them perfect.

Yosemete, where did ya get that trap? I could use one of those, it'd make deer hunting sooo much easier.

The Ozarks, where everyone has a gun, and the wildlife are nervous, (also the thieves).

Cadet Farmer:biggrin2.gif:

Bill,
Where you been? I don't think I've seen a post from you in weeks.

In my neck of the Missouri woods, we just put big front bumpers on our trucks - there's plenty of deer on these Missouri roads.

Lurking Around
 

Hey Tmo.

I've been lurking around here, without logging in.
I haven't had much to post, and I've been trying to get ready for winter. Never enough time and all that.

My surgery comes up on the 9th, and of course that will put me out of action for about 2 mos. Makes me sooo happy.

Did ya ever do anything with that plow and disc, can't wait to see ya with dirt on your tires.

So I am around, just invisible;
Cadet Farmer

Bill,
I hadn't done anything with the plow or disc yet. I have been messing with a 104 that I picked up a few weeks back and now I'm looking at a 1250 and a 1450 that are basket cases.

Try this, my grand dad used to tell me to mix in horse manure to the top soil, and mix it in rather heavy, a deer will not eat where a horse has take a dump. I personally have not tried this, but when my grand dad was alive he swore by it!

Excellent Fertilizer too. :)

Never had good luck with horse poop. :beatdeadhorse:

Promotes tooo much new weed growth, matter of fact I used to get weeds that I never had before, horse poop does'nt digest like cow poop.

I don't care what I put it my garden there is a rogy'ole doe that comes a visiting & nothing stops her.

Got some old fishing line strung around my plot. Every foot or so in height & around 4' high. Best deterent i've found so far. A suirt of SUPER DUPER hot sauce (357 brand) on each stake also helps. Gotta spray every week but it works. I seen a doe come in after I sprayed & watched her sniff, shake her head & run like the dickens.

Seems to bewilder dem'dere 4 legged rats.

Nik,

Nik,

Critter's in the garden
 

After reading all of the replies human hair works best here in Tennessee.It is free from any salon/barber shop but we stuff the hair in nylon stockings(cut each leg seperate and stuff half full). Hang the stockings w/hair knot tied on the ends about waist high around your plot. Works great on deer but not well on "coons"...then drag out the "ol" live trap...until one morning had damage to the sweet corn,chicken back bait was gone but the trap still was set,DID NOT GO OFF! How are they doing this? Set up the game camera near the trap to find out...it was a bobcat! Sticking it's long front leg in the side of the trap and using it's paw to push the bait out of the trap without setting it off! Guess we all need a "Ol Yeller" dog!

A very expensive 8 foot high fence works the best.

Open season
 

12 gauge with buck shot if it's not that far of a shot. If not break out the 30-06. There's a place for animals and your vegtables to be together and that's the dinner plate.

deer repellant
 

my neighbor gets credit for this , they love the darn things and put out corn for em they attacked my fruit trees pulled some out of the ground ,so i put cages surrounding them but still nibbled an could knock over some
he says put irish spring soap bars in a sock and tie it to the tree It worked for me. also heard to get citronela oil, soak cloth strips in and tie to plants ,have also heard to put your sweaty clothes nearby

We ended up having to put up a 7 footer, we couldn't keep the deer out with hair, mothballs, or spray from the hardware store

There is a product called liquid fence, it is mostly rotten eggs with a touch of garlic. A woman at church swears by it. I didn't have any trouble till I planted tomatoes. The first night dang rats pulled three out of the ground trying to eat them. I used the liquid fence and no more deer. You have to use it three weeks in a row and then reapply once a month. I mix it half of what they say and as long as you keep using it no more deer!!! We have had a lot of rain this summer and they have been back two different times when I slack on applying. I mix a gallon or so in a watering can and now just make a pass around the outside of the garden and fruit trees. The last time they trimmed the cantaloupe that was creeping out, so I did hit that with it on my way around. A guy that lives by the barn I rent for work raises tomatoes to sell, has 300 plants in a small plot. He wanted some pepper spray so I was at Sam's and got a gallon jug of hot sauce for him to try, $7.00 instead of $50 for the liquid fence. If it works, it will save a me also. I have enough fence to mix one more batch and then will have to buy again. If the hot sauce works, much cash will be left in My pocket. Rotten eggs will work, but getting them to rot is a lot tougher than you would think. In the shell it takes forever, opening them makes them dry up, maybe cracking them in a sealed container, like Tupperware, would work. Sulfur smell seems to be it so if you could find some way to get that it might work. I will let you know on the hot sauce.

I over heard an old man talking with his buddy just the other week about keeping out those pesky deer. He said he FINALLY figured it out. He said to just place a container of your own urine at the end and sides of the garden. Every other day changing it out with some fresh P, and he hasnt had a single varmint anywhere near his garden. I cannot confirm that this works, but he said it was the best thing he has ever used.

Let us know how this works for ya! I will stick with the liquid fence till you confirm it.

Well he was dead set on it being the best trick he had ever found. I do not have a garden so I cant personally confirm it from my own experience. The old man sure seemed to believe in it

We learn something all the time, David! :ThumbsUp:

I'm not sure how the wife would take some stinkin pee when she wandered down to pick some tomatoes. I guess it's better than no tomatoes after the big rats get a hold of em. The pepper mix didn't work for the guy with the mater patch. He is going for an ultrasonic setup if he can get the cash to buy one. He has a radio at his patch and when he left it on all night, no deer.

Well, I am back to this problem again this spring. My "invisable" fence that I put up last year worked GREAT! Until.....the darn ice rain came this winter. After about 3 or 4 days of getting rain on and off, it did a nice job on my fence! About 3/4 of it is on the ground. Ripped it right out of the steeples in the nice tall wooden posts I put up last year. SOOOOO.... :BB&YS: I am thinking now that I have these nice TALL posts stuck in my yard....I might try the electric fence again....put up about 4 or 5 strands. Maybe put the first one about 2 feet or so off the ground so the dog & cat can walk under it without getting zapped and make them ALL live! Have the wire, but I am sure the darn insulators will cost me a $100 or more! :bash2: Not really sure. I like the black invisable fence, but if the ice takes it down, it ends up being a pretty expensive, pain staking task to put up new each year.

:HeadScratch:

I tried electric fence, works great until you have a dry spell.

Then they walk right through it.

My new fence is treated lumber and steel.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/...385640x361.jpg

We left the gate open once in the fall a few years back, a deer got in and could not get out.

I had to go in the garden and "herd" the stupid thing out.

6'6" tall.

Electric fence
 

I put up a 2 wire electric fence around my garden. It worked ok last year. One time they had gotten in it and tangled up and tore part of it down. It must have been a good lesson because they didn't come back.

Now so far this winter is a different story. The ground looks like a rodeo ground. I put the fence back up, so we'll see what happens.

It doesnt take them but a while to do you in.
Dave

I heard this and it seemed to work for me cheap enough too
put just enough (1/4 tea spoon) dawn dish liquid in a tank sprayer with a gal water and spray the leaves they eat the plant get a bad taste and try elsewhere . Works for rabbits and bugs as well. :bigthink:

I've heard this too except just pour on the ground. It keeps the animals out and acts as a fertilizer. I haven't tried it but I know old timers who swear by it!

Human urine is an excellent fertilizer when diluted to about 8:1 has high amounts of most nutrients needed for garden plants

Took this from wiki

Urine contains large quantities of nitrogen (mostly as urea), as well as significant quantities of dissolved phosphates and potassium, the main macronutrients required by plants, with urine having plant macronutrient percentages (i.e. NPK) of approximately 11-1-2 by one study[18] or 15-1-2 by another report,[19] illustrating that exact composition varies with diet. Undiluted, it can chemically burn the roots of some plants, but it can be used safely as a source of complementary nitrogen in carbon-rich compost.[20]

When diluted with water (at a 1:5 ratio for container-grown annual crops with fresh growing medium each season,[21] or a 1:8 ratio for more general use[20]), it can be applied directly to soil as a fertilizer. The fertilization effect of urine has been found to be comparable to that of commercial fertilizers with an equivalent NPK rating.[22] Urine contains most (94% according to Wolgast[18]) of the NPK nutrients excreted by the human body. Conversely, concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, commonly found in solid human waste, are much lower in urine (though not low enough to qualify for use in organic agriculture under current EU rules).[23] The more general limitations to using urine as fertilizer then depend mainly on the potential for buildup of excess nitrogen (due to the high ratio of that macronutrient),[21] and inorganic salts such as sodium chloride, which are also part of the wastes excreted by the renal system. The degree to which these factors impact the effectiveness depends on the term of use, salinity tolerance of the plant, soil composition, addition of other fertilizing compounds, and quantity of rainfall or other irrigation.

Urine typically contains 70% of the nitrogen and more than half the phosphorus and potassium found in urban waste water flows, while making up less than 1% of the overall volume. Thus far, source separation, or urine diversion and on-site treatment has been implemented in South Africa, China, and Sweden among other countries with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation provided some of the funding implemenations.[24] China reportedly had 685,000 operating source separation toilets spread out among 17 provinces in 2003.[25]

"Urine management" is a relatively new way to view closing the cycle of agricultural nutrient flows and reducing sewage treatment costs and ecological consequences such as eutrophication resulting from the influx of nutrient rich effluent into aquatic or marine ecosystems.[19] Proponents of urine as a natural source of agricultural fertilizer claim the risks to be negligible or acceptable. Their views seem to be backed by research showing there are more environmental problems when it is treated and disposed of compared with when it is used as a resource.[26]

It is unclear whether source separation, urine diversion, and on-site urine treatment can be made cost effective; nor whether required behavioral changes would be regarded as socially acceptable, as the largely successful trials performed in Sweden may not readily generalize to other industrialized societies.[22] In developing countries the use of whole raw sewage (night soil) has been common throughout history, yet the application of pure urine to crops is rare. Increasingly there are calls for urine's use as a fertilizer, such as a Scientific American article "Human urine is an effective fertilizer".[27]