keeping deer out of your stuff

In Wisconsin, we don't have mule deer, but what we have will jump a 6 ft. fence easily from a dead stop.
I had 6 ft. posts all along, to which I then added 5 solar electric wires. It worked for a while, then the grass touched the electric fence, grounding it, and it didn't take them long to realize that. It sagged in places and they figured that out.
I decided to make use  of the 6 ft. fence to which I added wire fencing 5 ft. high but I elevated it with slanted rebars, one on every metal post and bent so it leans toward the outside. On top of that slanted fence, I added 2 ft. of fencing (2X4, galvanized, just like the fence) and fastened it to the rebars with metal zip ties). I bought 4 ft. fencing and cut it in half lengthwise, to make the 2 ft wide extension.
My big orchard now looks like a correctional facility, and they have not crossed it in 6 months.
I'm taking advantage that their eyes are on the sides of their head, making it difficult for them to appraise the obstacle. Having to clear the height but also the width makes them leery of entanglement and they are making no attempts.
In the garden, I'm using 4ft high cattleguard, with again a half of a roll of 4ft high galvanized above that. So this is only 6 ft. total. The cattleguard is too sturdy for them to attempt to push it, but they are very capable of clearing a 7 ft. fence when pressed. (I just have to remember to close the gates at night!)
But because I plant in beds, and each bed is about 2 ft away from the outside fence, I suspect that they are afraid of breaking a leg when they land, as their depth perception is quite poor.
I hope this helps.

In Wisconsin I don't think I could grow very many things without fencing. I suspect the lack of natural predators in my area (wolves, mountain lions) is the main issue. Not much for them to be afraid of most of the year.

Garlic and horseradish doesn't need to be fenced. The rest I keep in a 5 ft welded wire fencing. Kept up with 6 ft t-posts only pounded in partly and done loosely and not straight and put up to be easily taken down and moved. I have not had deer jump this ugly fencing yet. I suspect the key is that I put a bunch of 8 foot or so poles sticking up through the top of the fencing at angles all around. I originally did this for the birds that hunt and keep my garden happy but I think it has the added effect of making the fencing even stranger and they can't figure it out to feel safe jumping over it.

New fruit trees need double fencing until they are at least twice as tall as your average whitetail deer. Even after that is is a good idea to keep some around the trunks or your 20 year old tree can be girdled by a bucks antler rubbing pretty quickly.

When I first started planting tree seedlings I would go and try to mow/scythe/weedwhip the weeds around them trying to "help them out". What I actually did was help the deer find tasty snacks. The weeds can offer some protection for small things if they can't be fenced.

Leaving the fence gate open is another issue. Amazing how much can be wiped out in a night. They sure do make their rounds.

Another strategy...keep planting more!

I like the tip about eggs and egg shells.

Deer don't like new things and I bet the eggs are a new scent that they are afraid of ....

Deer here in Oregon don’t mind munching all the “deer resistant” plants and could care less about flashing sound off alarm systems, urine, hair, hot pepper/garlic spays, geese patrol ect… our dog should be outside all the time, but she’s not… seriously looking at a short buzzzzzy fence for the coming year. ⚡️ not to the shovel reaping seeing red point yet but who knows, it’s a slippery slope.

My best success gardening in deer territory is a fence to keep the dog in.  Yes, the dog barks, but I don’t have close neighbors.

A big problem is when the majority of the people population just LOVE the deer that come in to town.  

Reading this great thread, starting with the input from Toby Hemenway, I wondered how a slingshot would work on those deer that don’t even bother to run away.  

When a deer gets caught in a fence, it’s the crying and wailing that I don’t like.  Only reason I haven’t killed a fawn with a shovel is the distress it would cause me.

I live in mule deer country, and it’s a wintering ground.  We have hundreds of deer within a couple mile radius.  I am trying to establish pasture and deep soil.  I want a few sheep and goats.  Right now I am buying 800 pound bales of alfalfa to keep them from eating the plants too low.  I don’t want to feed the deer.

What makes the dogs even more valuable IMO is that there are wolves in the neighborhood.  Maybe 15-20 miles distant, but that’s not out of range for wolves.  We also have coyotes, bear, fox and mountain lions.  I am counting on the intelligence of the predators.  I am sure they know I and my livestock are here, but I hope they would rather not tangle with the dogs, and will eat the deer, or the livestock not guarded by LGDs.  

Keeping the deer at a distance is an added benefit.

Very old thread, but noticed it come across the daily email and so I'll bite.

We're in the "rural" East TN mountains and the small deer we have here are absolutely relentless. We tried everything. The human/predator urine. Nasty rotten egg concoction. Hot pepper. Motion activated lights/sounds, Scarecrows. Essential oil sprays. Foil pans tied to t-posts. Etc...etc. The deer laughed at our attempts and marched forward munching every time on the newly planted buffet(s). And for fun, they would destroy deer resistant plants like lavender just for the extra laugh.

Built an orchard, still young, and had little choice but to wrap every single tree with 4' welded wire fence, 12' around each. For our 20'x40' berry garden in the lower field, we setup what some call a 3d fence with the internal being the 4' galvanized fence with simple t-posts. On the outside, we setup small 3' step-in fence posts 3' away from the 4' internal fence, that are only a couple dollars each. Using tough braided fishing line we wrapped the line a few inches from the ground up (for Bambi) around the perimeter and did this again 12" up two more times. They consistently test the outer layer and rarely have broke the line with their legs (per my game cams), but none have went further to jump the 4' fence after. This is all quite easily removable and has worked thus far, though it would definitely not work on bigger game. As others have mentioned, the future plan is to instead use a solar powered electrical fence around the berry garden.

I have 3 fenced gardens.  All have 6 foot chicken wire around them.
The one garden has raised beds in it and the deer don't have anywhere to land if they try to jump in.  5 years and not one deer has tried to get in.  They stand outside the fence and look longingly at the garden tho.  lol

Another is basically my back yard.  I built two sides of the fence with 1 x 6 fence boards 20 feet from the house out and then the chicken wire.  The wire fence is attached to a few t posts and a lot of trees.  The trees hinder them from jumping in so no deer have made it into the back yard in 5 years.

The last garden has the 6 foot chicken wire and no raised beds.  While the garden is growing there the deer don't jump in because of the vegetation growing close to the fence, no place to land.  This fall was the first time a deer jumped into this garden and in 30 minutes she stripped the lower leaves of the few fruit trees I have there and the little bit of green stuff left.  I had already harvested the fruit and veggies.  I did cut a bunch of saplings and extended the height of the fence 1 1/2 feet up.  We will see if this was enough to deter them in the spring.