Alternatives to Deer Fencing During the Fall Season

When we lived in Indiana on our farm, we had a very large garden, (over 1/3 of an acre), and deer were always running through it, as well as other parts of the 194 acres. Because of just how unsightly deer fencing is, we had no desire to line our property with the ugly stuff, so we found more creative, and innovative ways of keeping the deer out of our vegetables, and herbs, as well as the bunnies! Below I will share a few of the ideas we came up with, many of which worked quite well.

1) Okay, now don't laugh at this first one, and don't gross out, but when desperation hits, you'll do anything to keep them deer, (and rabbits), out of your garden, and we were desperate, so we did some searching for natural alternatives to deer fencing. What we found first is what we went with, and that was... Are you ready? Wiz all around the perimeter! This is much easier for a man than a woman, so ladies, send your guys out there in the pale moon light, and have them leave their "natural deer repellent", around the perimeter of your garden!

2) If the first idea is not for you, then try this idea... cat scat! It don't always work to keep the deer out, but the bunny rabbits will stay far away!

3) Get a dog! Deer hate dogs, because dogs love deer, LOL So if you have a dog, put him on deer duty. If you don't have a dog, get one.

4) Human hair in bags! Go to your local beauty shop, or barber, and ask for the hair they clipped that day. Take the hair and put into mess bags, then hang 28 - 32 inches above the ground, in your garden area.

5) Bars of soap. Tape bars of soap, and cut into chunks, place in mesh bags, and hang as instructed for human hair.

6) Make your own sweedish deer repellent, I found the following recipe at, "How To Keep Deer Out Of Your Garden" In a regular size bucket fill about half to 2/3 full of water, and mix in 2 ½ pounds of bloodmeal, (half of a 5 pond bag), stir well, then add 1 cup of ammonia and keep stirring until mixed. Cut green florist block into big cubes and place each cube on a three-foot tall stake. Dip the staked cubes into the bucket and let them sit for awhile and get really saturated. Then, place the stakes about six feet apart around plants you wish to protect. Re-saturate the cubes every couple of weeks or after a really heavy rain.

I also found on this site, a bit of important info on what not to put out to keep deer away. Do not put out moth balls because they are toxic to humans and pets, (I did not know that!). Also do not use animal urine, the animals are put through some cruel treatment to get their urine!

Hope this info helps you to gain, and keep control of the deer entering your garden.

Happy Fall Y'all!