Can't resist the question, what is a "ten wire" fence?
Deer have electric noses (small openings mysteriously get larger,
including breaking the wire in two) with all day to contemplate the
situation, your green salad is enticing enough to keep them at the door.
We have fenced off a herd of several hundred white tail deer next to a
wild life preserve (the previous rancher was partial to the herd),
it's a game of numbers and tolerance to damage. Our orchard was
removed 3 years ago due to markets and hail, we dropped fencing
patrols, last summer and winter was an eye opener, we fixed the fence
in several days and broke the cycle, there is no damage this summer.
Our two acres of grapes have had very little damage in 10 years,
although I have seen extreme damage to young plants less than 1/2 mile
away.
Every situation is different and requires a different strategy,
although we have found fencing to be the only method to keep them in
check. Don't forget to patrol the fence once a week for most of the
year.
John Biele
334 Eastlake Road
Oroville, Washington
98844
[email protected]
On Aug 4, 2009, at 7:11 AM, Fleming, William wrote:
I've only seen one horizontal fence, looked good. Owner said it
worked well.
It was 6 wide and hinged with one bolt about a foot off the ground
so you could flip it up and mow underneath.
Personally since most modern orcharists are set up for installing
wire trellises a deer fence is actually quite easy.
I just bought everything needed to install a 10 foot, ten wire fence
for 30 acres, it was under $3000 for materials.
I figure the installation will cost about the same and can be done
during the normally slow time of year.
Bill Fleming
Montana State University
Western Ag Research Center
580 Quast Ln
Corvallis, MT 59828
(406)961-3025
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]
] On Behalf Of Ed Fackler
Sent: Tuesday, August 04, 2009 6:43 AM
To: Apple-Crop
Subject: Re: Apple-Crop: deer
I'd also like to hear more detail on it. My gut reaction is that
while it may well work, controlling or managing weeds could be
troublesome especially on highly erodible soils (created by
herbicides...).
Therefore Mr. (or Ms.) T. Curl, would you please comment further on
your "flat fence".
Thanks.
ed
On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 8:13 AM, Bill Shoemaker
<[email protected]> wrote:
Sounds interesting. Could you describe what it is and how you think
it works?
Bill
> I am aware that large orchards and geology of where
> they are planted would play into it but has anyone
> tried "flat fencing"? We used it this year and it
> has kept out deer and raccoons. We used a
> combination of chicken wire and the plastic snow
> fencing. Seem they do not like stepping on it. At
> least it might be less expensive than an electric
> fence or could possibly be used in combination to
> reduce costs. Just a thought.
>
> T. Curl
> Fichthorn-Curl Farms
> Ohio, USA
William H Shoemaker, UI-NRES
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610
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