How to Install a Deer-Proof Fence Around Your Yard Or Garden

Heber City Planning Commission Meeting date: March 24, 2016 Report by: Anthony L. Kohler Re: Agricultural Fencing Recently the City Council discussed deer in the city. The Council has elected to not adopt a program for reducing the deer herd in the city, and has asked the Planning Commission to investigate the possibility of allowing agricultural fences to keep deer out of gardens. Below is information from 3 websites regarding deer fences. I was unable to find examples of agriculture fence ordinances, but have shown an underlined/strikeout version of Heber City’s fence ordinance that would permit an 8 foot agricultural fence. The purpose of this agenda item is to get feedback from the Planning Commission for an intended course of action. How to Install a Deer-Proof Fence Around Your Yard or Garden Source: http://www.todayshomeowner.com/how-to-install-a-deer-proof-fence-for-your-yard-or- garden/ By: Julie Day Deer fencing protecting newly planted grapes. Deer can be a real problem in a yard or garden. If deer are still eating your plants despite using deer repellents and switching to deer-resistant plants, you may want to consider installing a deer-proof fence to keep them out. Deer fencing isn’t suitable for every yard, and be sure to check local building codes and neighborhood covenants before installing any fence. Fencing for deer doesn’t have to be extremely expensive or unsightly, however, and there are a number of types of fencing and methods of installation that can work. Here are the basics on how to add a deer fence in your yard. 1 A privacy fence is the most effective type of deer fence. How to Build a Deer Fence The most common effective designs for a deer fence are: o Tall Fence: An 8’ high fence is considered pretty much deer-proof and is tall enough to prevent even a frightened deer from jumping it. The fence is even more effective if deer can’t see through it. o Slanted Fence: A 6’ high fence can be effective if it’s slanted outward (toward the deer) at about a 45° angle. Deer will hesitate to jump over it due to both the height and distance. Double Fence: Two fences spaced a few feet apart, regardless of height, can also work. The deer won’t like being caught between the fences, so they will avoid attempting the jump. You can also do this with two rows of electric fencing set about 3’ apart. Electric Fence: If you’re able to maintain it, an electric fence can be a great deer barrier. Even a strand or two of electrified wire can keep deer away, as long as it’s always turned on. Start with one strand of electrified wire about 30” off the ground. If deer are still getting in, add strands about a foot above and below the first one. Monitor the garden, and continue adding strands about a foot apart until the fence is effective against the deer. Electric fencing is less visible and easy to move when working in the garden. Keep in mind, though, that it’s customary to bait the deer to lick the wire in order to teach them to stay away, which may be seen as cruel. 2 Modified Fence: If your garden already has a shorter fence that isn’t working, try modifying it by adding an extension to every second or third pole with mesh or strands of wire stretched between them. This will add height without changing the look of your original fence. Another option is to add a second fence near your existing fence. Deer Fence Materials Mesh fencing for deer. Privacy fencing: If appropriate and affordable, an 8’ tall privacy fence is probably the most effective choice. Deer won’t jump it since they can’t see what’s on the other side. Mesh fencing: For larger areas, use 8’ mesh stretched between tall metal fence posts. To keep the mesh from sagging, run a taut wire at the top of the posts, and attach it to the mesh to support it. Mesh can also be attached to trees at the edge of the woods for a less noticeable appearance. Mesh fencing comes in a variety of materials, including metal wire (most durable and most expensive), polyethylene-coated metal (expensive, but more attractive), and polypropylene (least expensive, less durable, but less visible). Deer Fence Tips Mesh fencing is almost invisible. Complete Enclosure: A fence only works if it completely encloses your garden! Blocking only the deer paths will just prompt them to learn new ways in. Make sure gates are secure and as tall as the fence. Landing Zone: For added deterrents, add obstacles just inside the fence to make the deer reluctant to land there. 3 Fence ordinance in Boonton could help with deer control Source: http://www.newjerseyhills.com/the_citizen/news/fence-ordinance-in-boonton-could-help-with- deer-control/article_904c0246-e657-11e1-81c7-0019bb2963f4.html Aug 14, 2012 BOONTON TWP. - The Township Committee raised the bar and correspondingly the height of fences, in dealing with deer control in the township. A swift Township Committee meeting on Monday, Aug. 13 finalized an ordinance allowing residents to erect six-foot fences to keep deer away from homes. The previous ordinance only allows for fences with a maximum height of four feet, Township Administrator Barbara Shepard said after Monday’s meeting. According to the ordinance, permits for deer fencing may even stand up to eight feet tall. The structures may be installed in the rear, side and front yards, though in the front yard, the fence can’t be less than 50 feet from the front street sideline. Permits for fencing specific for deer control can be purchased from the Construction Official for a fee of $50. A separate ordinance that was unanimously passed by the Township Committee revisited the types of prohibited fences in the township. Types of prohibited fences under the amended ordinance include barbed wire, razor wire, low-visibility wire, piano wire and fences with imbedded glass or sharp metal points. Electric fences have also been banned, unless they follow the regulations set by the National Electric Code and all state regulations. Deer-Proof Electric Fence Source: http://www.finegardening.com/deer-proof-electric-fence Just a bit shocking, this simple fence can keep deer from devouring your vegetables by Paul D. Curtis Kitchen Gardener issue 28 4 A single strand of electrified polytape will keep deer out of the garden without harming you or your children. Your garden looks beautiful. The beans, lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and flowers are all growing well, and you're enjoying the results of your diligent care. Then one morning you discover some tomatoes are missing and several bean plants have been nipped. The culprit has left tell-tale ragged edges on the plants, and most of the missing shoots are more than 2 feet above ground. Tracks in the soft garden soil make it clear that white-tailed deer were responsible. As a specialist in managing wildlife damage, I've seen a lot of plant losses caused by these four- legged vegetarians. The deer population in North America is higher than ever; some biologists speculate that whitetail numbers exceed 20 million nationwide. The impact of deer on vegetable gardens and landscape plants is particularly severe in suburban areas where there is some woodland habitat and not enough deer-hunting to keep numbers down. In many cases, deer damage to home gardens during the summer can be prevented with a simple electric fence. An electric fence is not a complete physical barrier; instead, it produces an electric shock that conditions animals to avoid the fence. To a deer, an electric fence is an unfamiliar object. A deer investigating the fence for the first time may touch it with its nose. If the deer receives a sufficient shock on this first encounter, it usually stays clear of the fence afterward. IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN ELECTRIC FENCE With an electric fence, current is supplied by a high-voltage charger, which provides regularly timed pulses—55 to 65 per minute—followed by approximately one second with no current flow. These short-duration, high-energy pulses provide sufficient voltage (greater than 4,000 volts) to keep deer away from the fence. There are two ways to improve the effectiveness of an electrified fence. Combining the fence with attractants or lures encourages deer to touch the fence with their noses or mouths, enhancing the aversive conditioning. One tactic is to attach aluminum flags to an electrified wire, and to coat the flags with peanut butter. Another approach is to use electrified ribbon, known as polytape, and to treat the entire length with a peanut butter and oil mixture. Deer are more likely to see the high- visibility polytape tape at night, reducing the chance that they will walk into a wire and break it. 5 An electric fence works better in combination with deer repellent. With the electricity off, tie cloth strips to the polytape... ...and spray the strips with repellent. 6 The other way to improve the effectiveness of an electric fence is to take the opposite approach and attempt to repel the deer. Field experiments conducted by Dr. Milo Richmond, with the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, showed that commercial deer repellents can increase the efficacy of electric fences. In the experiments, cloth strips were sprayed with an odor-based deer repellent (i.e., Deer Away or Deer Stopper) and spaced every 3 to 4 feet on an electric fence.

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