# 2 fences for deer protection



## prairie ogre (Oct 21, 2012)

Recently weve broken out an acre of prairie here by the house to use as a garden. I have been researching deer fencing, and came across using 2 fences placed close (4-5') together to deter deer. This would be great for us as we already have the materials to build 2 - 4' fences. The fact of the matter is I already have a 2 wire hot wire fence around the new space, and would just have to add another on the inside.

Before I try this fencing strategy I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiances to offer. I am hoping this is a legitimate solution.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks!

PO


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

My mom used that system for years. Only one old doe figured out how to get over. Come hunting season that got taken care of.

Moms main garden was in an established deer path and the fenced worked.

In between the fences we kept ducks, they where very serious about bug patrol. Was amusing to watch them after we let them out in the morning.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

I've heard of using 3 wire fencing systems where the third wire is about 2-3 feet from the other two, in that way the deer can't jump over the one without hitting the others. I'm going to try that this year, tired of getting jacked.

By the time hunting season officially opened last year, they had cleaned me out.


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

I've seen it recommended numerous times but have never seen it done that way. My extension agent recommended the double fences. If you haven't bought posts yet, consider using 6' or longer posts, why not put your 4' field fence close to the ground and run an electric wire/ribbon at the post top? 

Next week I start on my deer fence around an orchard that I hope to plant in April. I'm using freebie telephone pole tops for the posts. So I'll use 14' poles, 5' in the ground and 9' above. small weave field fence on the bottom 4' and 4 strands of electric on the upper portion. I'm hoping this will allow me to just run one fence line, but if it still doesn't work for the deer, I'll run another strand of electric offset somehow.


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## nostawmama (Dec 29, 2011)

prairie ogre said:


> Recently weve broken out an acre of prairie here by the house to use as a garden. I have been researching deer fencing, and came across using 2 fences placed close (4-5') together to deter deer. This would be great for us as we already have the materials to build 2 - 4' fences. The fact of the matter is I already have a 2 wire hot wire fence around the new space, and would just have to add another on the inside.
> 
> Before I try this fencing strategy I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or experiances to offer. I am hoping this is a legitimate solution.
> 
> ...


Can you point me to some sites where you found this? I love this idea- especially someones idea to run the chickens in the gap.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I had good luck with a single strand of electric about 6" above a 3' chicken wire fence. The key was to put tin foil smeared with peanut butter on the hot wire to educate them. It's a psychological barrier instead of a physical barrier.


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## whodunit (Mar 29, 2004)

Deer dont seem to mind hot wire. They just plow right through it, even if its a visible hot rope or tape. Maybe it due the the hotwire being at the bottom of a hill. But even on flat land the deer just waltz though the hot fence.

Deer can also jump pretty high which is why the double fence works so well unless you have an old doe that has figured out its easier to jump over at a corner. Which is why my mom planted fruit tree per corner LOL

Mrs Whodunit


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I have it at my place for some of the fencing where I did not want tall fencing to obscure the view.
It's worked for about 10 years. The only time I ever had a deer in the area that it protects was when I left a gate open. But it was really hard to get that deer out. He kept trying to got under the fence till he had a bloody nose.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Another thought- Premier One online catalog has some interesting methods of double fencing for deer that seems pretty cheap.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

i havent tried the double fence but i have sat on porch and watched deer cross pasture electric fence. im certain they can hear/sense/smell the fence pulse and can time to go thru w/o shock


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## CesumPec (May 20, 2011)

where I want to said:


> Another thought- Premier One online catalog has some interesting methods of double fencing for deer that seems pretty cheap.


Premier One deer fencing might work for deer, 
http://www.premier1supplies.com/fencing.php?mode=detail&fence_id=131

but I'm not impressed. to do an acre is going to be expensive for the netting, and the 4 strand stuff might well stop deer, but a garden needs to be secure from other critters as well. I think a woven wire field fence, with fairly small openings, a low hot wire and a hot wire on top is needed to keep out everything but very determined bears and deer. Then either go up another 5 - 6 ft or do the outer fence of 2 strand hot wire to keep the bear and deer off the field fence and you should have a critter grade Fort Knox. 

But that said, this is based on a lot of research i've done, speaking with extension, locals, fence dealers, and deer ranchers. I need fencing for a heavy pressure area of deer, bear, armadillos, *****, otters, wild hog, and possums. My orchard / garden area is in the middle of a national forest. I haven't tried it yet so maybe experience will prove me wrong. I should be able to post photos in a couple of weeks.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

I've seen some research (I think from Georgia) using the two fehce strategy. Outer fence consisted of a single hot wire at 24" above ground. Inside that fence at 48" was a two strand hotwire at 36" and 48". It apparently worked pretty well against deer. It was believed to create the illusion that the fencing was too far apart for them to jump. We know that in reality they can jump a much greater span that that but the research supported the phsycological barrier was effective. 

I've also seen a couple of variations on YouTube. The only problem I ever had with a hotwire on top of a traditional fence was deer would "drag" their back feet on it and insulators give way MUCH faster than fence clips. Therefore I no longer use a hotwire for the top wire. I just finish off with barbed wire and use hotwires on other strands.


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## prairie ogre (Oct 21, 2012)

Thanks for the input everyone, it looks like ill give it a go. I hope it works out, I have redoing things becuase they dont suit thru intended purpose.

The existing fence is 2 wire hotwire, one side is barbed wire, the other three are smooth wire. The bottom wire is knee high, and the top wire is crotch high.

For the inside fence the materials I have are 5' t posts, 3' hog wire, and smooth hotwire. I figure ill put my inside fence 4' inside the hotwire fence. Ill do the standard hog wire w a hotwire at bottom and one above, as high as I can get it. I think the bottom wire will repel jackrabbits. They are bigger than our poodle, im not even sure they are rabbits, they have an evil look about them.

Ive decided ill plant austress or eastern red cedars, or maybe gojis, on the inside of the inside fence, so eventually ill have a good windbreak and a tall visual barrier as well.

It might take me a bit to get it put together, but when I do ill post up some pics and give a report on the fences' effectivness.

Thanks everyone, PO


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Around here, 2 strands of electric isn't a fence, its a good start. In a 4-5 foot space a deer can clear a 4 foot fence, easily.
I think a 5 strand, 5 foot tall outer fence and a 4 strand 5 foot tall inner fence, would work. Maybe a single strand electric fence 3 feet tall,10 feet outside the double fence would slow most down enough to deter the broad jump over both fences. plastic ribbon so they see it helps,too. You want that second fence to be a deturant, not a snare.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

Mine is are two 4' woven wire on posts. The one thing I would caution about is that deer go not only over wire but under it too.


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## prairie ogre (Oct 21, 2012)

It would be possible for me to make a 6' fence w 2 rows of 3' hog wire. I have 2 miles of the hog wire and manymany miles of smooth hot. I have 20-25 - 6" x 8' pressure treated wood posts in my stash, but was wanting to save them for corner posts in my pastures. I would have to buy some longer t posts I guess, sucks I just traded for 100 5'ers to section off for intensive grazing.

I am a poor mofo, just trying to make adequate use of what ive got on hand. I am open to all ideas that are within my financial means.

Haypoint, there are hundreds of thousands of cattle in this area (se co, sw kansas) kept in with 1 strand hot wire here. Its all anyone uses, easy to build and move.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I've used some pieces of wood screwed onto my wooden fence posts that hold the 4' fence to suspend bird netting up to 6 feet for my blueberries. 
The stretched woven fence would keep the deer from pushing under and single wire in ranks might keep them from going over. Something could be bolted to t-posts with u-bolts.
I've never seen something like that which makes me think there's a reason it wouldn't work but?


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## K.B. (Sep 7, 2012)

I use a 2 fence system (4' high welded wire set ~5' apart) around my orchard and garden. No deer have gotten in over the past 2 years as long as I remember to close the gates 

Turkeys will fly over if they are determined, but after a young turkey got itself "stuck" in between the two fences, I think it spread the word and they tend to stay out.

Here is the article that I first came across at MEN regarding this method... they call it a "chicken moat". I haven't run any domesticated birds in there yet, but I like the option.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

A slanted deer fence has been working good for a friend of mine... The top wire is pointed out towards the outside.. the bottom wire would go closest to the garden area... 

One it gives a large space the deer would have to jump. secondly, it causes a real three dimensional problem for the deer's sight..


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## SJSFarm (Jun 13, 2012)

I heard the saying "deer can jump high and they can jump long; they cannot jump both high and long!"

I used this in the Sierra Nevada foothills of CA, where we got very little rain, so the garden was a prime location. I was quite successful with the double fence. I had a two rail, split rail, for the outside fence and 4 foot woven wire on the inside. I grew grape vines along the inside fence. I put various pots between to prevent them from jumping at an angle.

ETA: one 'gate' was made of just two thick ropes, set a foot apart, and only 3 foot high. I was successful in keeping out everything, including rabbits, by using a combination of garlic and red pepper. Again, since the rain was infrequent, it needed to put it on only weekly.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

simi-steading said:


> A slanted deer fence has been working good for a friend of mine... The top wire is pointed out towards the outside.. the bottom wire would go closest to the garden area...
> 
> One it gives a large space the deer would have to jump. secondly, it causes a real three dimensional problem for the deer's sight..


There ya go. I know for a fact that this works. If the deer walks up to the fence to investigate the new fence, they are already under the wire and can't figure out how to jump it.


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

prairie ogre said:


> It would be possible for me to make a 6' fence w 2 rows of 3' hog wire. I have 2 miles of the hog wire and manymany miles of smooth hot. I have 20-25 - 6" x 8' pressure treated wood posts in my stash, but was wanting to save them for corner posts in my pastures. I would have to buy some longer t posts I guess, sucks I just traded for 100 5'ers to section off for intensive grazing.
> 
> I am a poor mofo, just trying to make adequate use of what ive got on hand. I am open to all ideas that are within my financial means.
> 
> Haypoint, there are hundreds of thousands of cattle in this area (se co, sw kansas) kept in with 1 strand hot wire here. Its all anyone uses, easy to build and move.


There are a few places around here that get buy for awhile on a single strand of electric. But, when the deer run through it or a calf tears it down, all the cattle are out. Same for sheep. I'll bet you could keep livestock in with kite string, for a while. 
In Michigan, 8 foot posts with 8 feet of woven wire fence is often enough to keep deer out, but not always. 
http://www.nevillfencesupply.net/


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Deer netting has also been successful, which is high and very light weight. Hard for the deer to see, and being high they hit it in going thru yards or trying to get to gardens. They then are supposed to be wary of that area, since they ran into "invisible" fence. You might do a search on that, to see what more you can find. Kind of looks like the plastic netting you throw over fruit trees to keep birds out.

Several folks have said the netting worked very well in their yards in keeping deer out. The deer there are thicker than the squirrels and racoons! Deer were eating EVERYTHING planted around the homes before the fences were installed. 

I don't know what your budget is for fencing, but this could be an idea for you. 

Here is one source:

http://www.gemplers.com/shop/deer-fencing


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