Fishing line to keep deer out
Suzy Bean
pollinator
Posts: 940
Location: Stevensville, MT
12
posted 6 years ago
Just read this article in Countryside mag, Vol 5, No 2. This woman used fishing line between fence posts around her garden to keep the deer out and it has been effective. The deer can't see it and are startled when they walk into it. They also will not jump over anything that they can't see. It is not effective against rabbits though. Best part is it only cost her $16.
www.thehappypermaculturalist.wordpress.com
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
posted 6 years ago
i have a string fence, works for deer, sucks for smaller critters.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka
Posts: 13
Location: Lockhart, TX
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
posted 6 years ago
will it stop deer yes....boars no it wont.
you can also do half string fence. in areas where we need it most, we have normal fence up to 3ft, then string fence above that. this keeps the low lying critters from getting in, and the deer from above. only thing is it costs a little more that way.
you can also do half string fence. in areas where we need it most, we have normal fence up to 3ft, then string fence above that. this keeps the low lying critters from getting in, and the deer from above. only thing is it costs a little more that way.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka
Suzy Bean
pollinator
Posts: 940
Location: Stevensville, MT
12
Posts: 13
Location: Lockhart, TX
posted 6 years ago
That sounds like a great idea. Short fencing and fishing line would be much more cost effective than 8' fencing! How high did you put the string over your 3' fencing?
Dom
hubert cumberdale wrote:
will it stop deer yes....boars no it wont.
you can also do half string fence. in areas where we need it most, we have normal fence up to 3ft, then string fence above that. this keeps the low lying critters from getting in, and the deer from above. only thing is it costs a little more that way.
That sounds like a great idea. Short fencing and fishing line would be much more cost effective than 8' fencing! How high did you put the string over your 3' fencing?
Dom
Paul Cereghino
gardener
Posts: 856
Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America
15
posted 6 years ago
I am imagining the deer sniffing the 3' fence and then prancing into the fishing line, ending in aerial hysterionics, and some level of destruction? Reassure me it won't happen...
Paul Cereghino- Stewardship Institute
Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
posted 6 years ago
you can also use the 4 ft fencing.
I have a line 3" above above the fence, 6" above that then a ft above that and so on all the way up to about 7.5 ft. i used some tall 4" spindly oaks i thinned for posts and they vary in height so its hard to say exactly. used to have lots of problems with deer. now i only have problems when i leave the gate open on accident.
and even still they don't do much damage to a forest garden compared to a regular row or raised bed garden, i actually let them in on purpose at the end of summer to clean the place up for me. for example they go for my ugly over-summered kale plants that i wont eat, they much em down and i get fresh clean kale in the early fall.
That sounds like a great idea. Short fencing and fishing line would be much more cost effective than 8' fencing! How high did you put the string over your 3' fencing?
you can also use the 4 ft fencing.
I have a line 3" above above the fence, 6" above that then a ft above that and so on all the way up to about 7.5 ft. i used some tall 4" spindly oaks i thinned for posts and they vary in height so its hard to say exactly. used to have lots of problems with deer. now i only have problems when i leave the gate open on accident.
and even still they don't do much damage to a forest garden compared to a regular row or raised bed garden, i actually let them in on purpose at the end of summer to clean the place up for me. for example they go for my ugly over-summered kale plants that i wont eat, they much em down and i get fresh clean kale in the early fall.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka
Tyler Ludens
pollinator
Posts: 9715
Location: Central Texas USA Latitude 30 Zone 8
178
posted 6 years ago
Thanks for all those details, hubert. 
I'm definitely thinking about trying some string fences around places where I'd like baby trees to be protected from deer.
I'm definitely thinking about trying some string fences around places where I'd like baby trees to be protected from deer. Idle dreamer
Brenda Groth
pollinator
Posts: 4434
Location: North Central Michigan
10
posted 6 years ago
after a half dozen bad wind storms that have been bringing down fences on my property I'm in the process of salvaging a bunch of lattice fencing..it is somewhat damaged but reusable..
I also had thought that I would keep the posts tall, and put some netting or line above the 4' tall lattice between the posts..to deter deer, a lot of people seem to have success with that..
I'll use the lattice for the bottom 4' and then above that use the line, wire or netting..up a few feet..
really would hate to see a deer get tangled up in it though..so I did think about flagging it so they would know there was something there even if they couldn't see it??
I also had thought that I would keep the posts tall, and put some netting or line above the 4' tall lattice between the posts..to deter deer, a lot of people seem to have success with that..
I'll use the lattice for the bottom 4' and then above that use the line, wire or netting..up a few feet..
really would hate to see a deer get tangled up in it though..so I did think about flagging it so they would know there was something there even if they couldn't see it??
Brenda
Bloom where you are planted.
http://restfultrailsfoodforestgarden.blogspot.com/
Posts: 3
Location: zone 3 wisconsin, nw
Posts: 5
Location: Wetern Central Vermont
Mary James
Posts: 145
Location: NW MT Zones 4/5 Rollins Mt
4
posted 6 years ago
We wrote about this in Natural homes as well when our house was featured.My grandmother used to use string my mom used fish line in their days
But there is a but here..If deer are causally grazing along or walking they bump into it yes and do not come through.We do as the above chest high and another one about a foot off the ground.
However after years of using this I can tell you that a spooked deer will run right through it.Snapping the line.Regardless of which pound line you choose to use.
We found that for durability as well as having to look at the stuff we put out for the higher quality braids and even kevlars.These hold up for many more seasons and are less noticeable
But there is a but here..If deer are causally grazing along or walking they bump into it yes and do not come through.We do as the above chest high and another one about a foot off the ground.
However after years of using this I can tell you that a spooked deer will run right through it.Snapping the line.Regardless of which pound line you choose to use.
We found that for durability as well as having to look at the stuff we put out for the higher quality braids and even kevlars.These hold up for many more seasons and are less noticeable
Jordan Lowery
pollinator
Posts: 1528
Location: zone 7
12
posted 6 years ago
A spooked deer will jump into just about anything(except a living hedge of osage orange ), we used to have the metal 4 inch fencing. spooked a deer one day it knew i was blocking the way out and before i could move it just broke the whole fence down with as much force as it could make up stumbled on the other side and took off.
The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings. - Masanobu Fukuoka
Mary James
Posts: 145
Location: NW MT Zones 4/5 Rollins Mt
4
posted 6 years ago
Well after the other night of yet another deer attack on vehicles I can say they can also not quite jump through a large tool trailer being towed..Why or why could it not have decided to jump and hit the already being replaced pick up box.. 
ops: Better yet it could of waited until we were totally past it..
Deer and turkey damage to the house(flat roof) and garden is so much less expensive then damage to our vehicles,,sheesh.
ops: Better yet it could of waited until we were totally past it..Deer and turkey damage to the house(flat roof) and garden is so much less expensive then damage to our vehicles,,sheesh.
Suzy Bean
pollinator
Posts: 940
Location: Stevensville, MT
12
posted 6 years ago
For folks who are up for sturdier, more solid fencing, there was a pretty good article in Living Woods on building stock fencing (they used chestnut wood). The issue was Sept/Oct No 12, 2010. They give a lot of helpful details on the how-to doing it yourself.
www.thehappypermaculturalist.wordpress.com
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