How to Deer Proof a Fence

Building a "deer proof" fence is a daunting and sometimes expensive endeavor. In my area of south Georgia these fences are required along the interstate highways to keep the massive whitetail bucks from causing wrecks and damage to the vehicles. Weighing over three hundred pounds in some cases, they have been known to go through the windshield of automobiles causing death or serious injury to the occupants.

Since this is a large agricultural area it is not cost effective to use these high fences to keep the deer out of the many crops grown here. In any case, they really don't do much damage to the harvests as a whole. The deer population has gotten to the point that a hunter can harvest up to twelve in one season. I know of no hunter who has ever gotten that many though.

Usually the reasons for wanting to keep the deer away have to do with small gardens and residential areas. A herd of whitetail deer can wreck havoc with a gardener's pea patch or a homeowner's flowers or shrubbery. According to one's own perspective, they can be wonderful to look at or dangerous and destructive. Your own particular situation and experience will determine which.

In the country the deer usually have enough to eat without doing much damage to the gardens in the area. From time to time however, a certain group of deer will fixate on a certain garden and not be deterred from eating the vegetables down to the ground. Building a fence is the only alternative other than getting a permit to shoot them out of season. Again, I've never witnessed this occurrence.

Although expensive, a tall fence around a permanent garden area is a good investment in the long run. A ten foot mesh fence will keep the critters outside and away from your bounty. Being guaranteed a harvest free from predators is well worth it to those who sell produce for their living. The same goes for those beautiful flowers and shrubs the well-to-do are so proud of.