Best Alternatives to Deer Fencing This Fall

People use deer fencing for a few reasons, the two primary reasons for putting up deer fencing is to prevent damage to the property or favorite bushes being mauled and the other reason is to reduce the potential of lime disease. A deer fence has been estimated to reduce lime disease by near 90%. The problem with deer fencing is it looks cheap and unsightly. The typical deer fence is around 8 feet tall and is typically made of a plastic mesh material or a metal mesh. Some of these plastic type fences are very thin and do not take away from the visibility too much, but can be a problem for birds and humans who do not see them until they've crashed into them. An 8 foot fence is the only sure fire way to protect your Azalea's and Rhododendrons, but there are alternatives.

1) An attractive alternative to deer fencing is a bamboo fencing. Bamboo fencing can be purchased from Cali Bamboo and comes in rolls. You put your fencing posts in place, then put in your lateral supports, then mount your roll to a post and unroll it to the next post. When this fencing is completed not only do you have a deer intrusion barrier, but you also have an attractive privacy fence as well.

2) If you want to keep your view and fore go the privacy fence, the best alternative to deer fencing this fall is to buy a dog. If you have one or two large dogs that will remain in your yard, they will normally keep the deer away. Deer are afraid of dogs and will not likely come around, especially if your dogs bark when they see something in the area. A dogs territory can be controlled by a small chain link fence or an electronic invisible fence works for many breeds of dogs unless they learn to run through the shock which some dogs will do.

3) Another alternative deer fencing is an electric fence. This is typically an uninsulated wire strung at grazing height from post to post, then one end of the wire is hooked up to a transformer box that turns your electricity into a very high voltage and feeds it to the wire. When the deer get close enough to touch the wire it gives them a startling shock, not enough to kill them, but more than enough to deter them from wanting to wander too close to the area again. The problem with electric fencing is children and household pets. While it is not enough to kill, it gives a very sharp bite that you do not soon forget. Also deer are high jumpers and if they discover the fence is no more than one wire, or if they hit it hard enough to take it down, it will be of no use, but generally it will work well.

4) The wireless deer fence is another electrical device. This device is a post with a sweet smelling scent on the top to lure the deer to taste or stick their nose in to smell it and when they do they get a shock on the nose. This trains the deer to avoid the area, however each deer must be trained and for this reason they are not always effective. New deer do not know to avoid the area, a starving deer will come back anyway, and it would require many posts to train deer if you are trying to keep them out of a large area. During heavy rains and snow they will discharge until they dry out. While being perhaps the least intrusive method of keeping deer out of the area it is not a border but rather a training method that must reach each student one deer at a time.

5) The fifth alternative is repellent. There are several types of deer repellent that can be purchased by searching the Internet, most must be reapplied about every four weeks. If you chose to use repellents also remember two things. First you should get at least 3 different types of repellents and switch them around so the deer do not get used to them. Secondly, stay away from predator urine. The method of collecting urine is cruel and it is by and large ineffective.

6) As an additional alternative you can get metal grating and lay it on the ground. It is uncomfortable to their feet and will be reluctant to cross it. You my have seen cattle crossing barriers where cattle fences have an open gate there are bars of metal with a gap in them making it difficult for cattle to cross. Grating is the same idea only less dangerous. Bar grating and expanded grating would probably work best. The problem with grating is it can get expensive and it can also be jumped and deer are excellent jumpers. Grating is best suitable for an area where you may have a gate or opening in deer fencing.

Typical deer fencing:
http://www.nixalite.com/deerfencing.aspx?gclid=CO7Mh6aumJUCFQWxsgodiS7Ngg

Bamboo deer fencing:
http://www.calibamboo.com/bamboofencing.html?gclid=CIKY2aaumJUCFQcVswodDSvsgQ

Electric deer fencing:
http://electric-deer-fence.com/

Wireless Deer Fencing:
http://wirelessdeerfence.com/wdf/index.html

Deer repellents:
http://www.deerscram.com/