Deer Trashing fence - what to do?

[EmmasMummy]

My parents field is separated out for the ponies. It is currently just electric tape (white). We started putting hay out for the ponies and since then the electric fence has been snapped/ripped from the insulators every other day.
We have had Deer in the past - they made a hole in the exterior fence a few times resulting in ponies escaping, but we have that sorted.

Is there any way to stop them, or is Post and Rail fencing the only real way forward?

 

[noodle_]

can you not use stock fencing outside the leccy fence?

i was going to suggest deer pie but im not sure that would go down well with HHO lol.

 

[AmyMay]

Even post and rail won't deter the most determined deer, unless it's about 8ft high....

 

[EmmasMummy]

Even post and rail won't deter the most determined deer, unless it's about 8ft high....

I am not hugely bothered about them being in the field, its the going through the fences thats peeing me off.

Dad has said he is planning on building a hedge all the way round the field - like holing himself in I think - and having post and rail fencing......

 

[Nocturnal]

Deer are little buggers when it comes to fencing - this^ is my best suggestion!

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

learn to cook venison....

 

[EmmasMummy]

HAHA, that was my OH and my dads first suggestion! Venison is his latest culinary fascination so I am sure a few deer in the freezer he wouldn't mind........freaked the hell out of Emma last time he had one in there!

 

[flyingfeet]

The only way is to get a mains electric fence suitable for deer - ours ironically is

Horses will never touch it again, and you will get heart palpitations from it!! However also burns off vegetation which is quite handy

 

[Miss L Toe]

put enough hay out for the deer outside the fence

 

[monkeymad]

I too use electric fencing and my fields back onto an estate that has about 1000 deer, and many of them venture out onto the surrounding fields. I have found that you need either short enough posts that they can jump cleanly over, or the taller posts (4'6") with 2 or 3 strands to deter them from even attempting it. However, I would say I still loose my fencing from deer attack on average 3 times a year (its worse when they have their antlers). My main wildlife hate is badgers at the moment, they have completely ploughed up almost half an acre of my field looking for worms - any suggestions on detering badgers?!

 

[Miss L Toe]

Silver bullet

 

[Enfys]

Our stock fencing is 5' high, doesn't stop the mature deer (white tails - larger than fallows, smaller than reds) coming over the top of it when they want to

The only thing it does deter is the coyotes.

These are pretty effective at clearing the area of deer too, one way or another.

Deer hunting the Canadian way, bring your lawn chair then find a comfy spot and wait for the deer to come to you!

 

[Chloe-V]

OH is a professional deer stalker/deer manager on a large estate and he has had to humanely destroy 2 young deer (separate incidents) within the last week that have been caught up in stock fencing resulting in broken legs.

There is no point using normal stock fencing as they just jump over it and some will get hooked up, usually the youngsters, and people like my husband are left to deal with the poor things.

Any effective fencing needs to be at least 7 - 8 foot high to stop them jumping but some will even try that.

Best to try and live with them and enjoy them around, and use something like post and rail fencing that they wont be hurt on and you won't have to keep repairing.

I have the same problem btw. I find they tend to use a particular route so I've changed the fencing there.

 

[HashRouge]

They used to keep reindeer on the land where my horse is now and they had 8 ft high (much higher than the stuff in Enfys' photo) sheep netting to keep them in. They never had one escape, and the horses have never made a dint in the fencing because it's too high! And this is a group of horses that pretty much destroys anything else!

 

[Enfys]

OH is a professional deer stalker/deer manager on a large estate and he has had to humanely destroy 2 young deer (separate incidents) within the last week that have been caught up in stock fencing resulting in broken legs. Unfortunate of course

There is no point using normal stock fencing as they just jump over it and some will get hooked up, usually the youngsters, and people like my husband are left to deal with the poor things. If, if, and it hasn't in the 5 years I have been here, such a situation were to occur I am perfectly capable of dispatching an injured animal without bothering a hunter

Any effective fencing needs to be at least 7 - 8 foot high to stop them jumping but some will even try that.

Best to try and live with them and enjoy them around, Oh, we like having them around, we have 20 acres of our own forest joining 2000 acres of Crown Forest that they happily live inand use something like post and rail fencing that they wont be hurt on and you won't have to keep repairing. Have you any idea how much 10kms of p&r would cost?!!!

I have the same problem btw. I find they tend to use a particular route so I've changed the fencing there.

Ours generally go around the paddocks and cross the garden to get to the hay in the barns at night