Question about deer and fencing

I'm thinking about putting up ht wire electric fencing (it seems it's a lot less expensive than woven wire) for sheep and hogs... My question is, will it keep deer out? I would like them to still be able to come in. I'm thinking that not charging the top wire will keep them willing to jump over...what are your thought/experience of this? I'm not going to be gardening on that side of the property, so I'm not worried about that kind of thing. Thanks, in advance, for any responses.

Nate

outdoor dogs do the trick    sometimes  that's what we use

Nah...I want the deer to COME in...not be kept out.

No fence under 6' will keep deer out. If you can, I would use woven for a perimeter fence and electric to subdivide pastures. You also need to worry about keeping out domestic dogs and coyotes.

Not sure how large the deer are down there, but as the numbers and disease rate increases up here the white tails are not much bigger than some goats. I've heard of more problems (broken/dislodged insulators, tangled deer) I'm guessing due to the smaller weaker individuals.

Alex Jewell wrote:Not sure how large the deer are down there, but as the numbers and disease rate increases up here the white tails are not much bigger than some goats. I've heard of more problems (broken/dislodged insulators, tangled deer) I'm guessing due to the smaller weaker individuals.

Please never underestimate the ability of smaller animals to get over fences.

Nate, charging the top wire doesn't matter to deer. They wouldn't be grounded while jumping. If you want them jumping in and out, make sure they can assess the situation- height and clear landing zone. Top wire is charged in my design to limit raccoons. My design is 6' to limit deer ( keep out doe/fawn pairs) but mostly to keep the dog in. Anyone referring to insulators for HT has never installed one, since they use sliding tubes instead. Deer basically cannot become entangled.

5' fence with good visibility ( many people recommend aluminum foil or cut up cans with peanut butter on them) will train the deer to not push through and should remain visible for years.