Keep Deer Out Of Your Yard With A Simple Fence Upgrade

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In many areas of the United States, deer have become a common nuisance for residents in not just rural, but also suburban and even urban areas. While some people welcome the sight of these wild animals, at least initially, it is estimated deer cause over a quarter-million dollars of damage to American yards and gardens each year. Deer also present other dangers, such as helping spread Lyme disease by carrying ticks. Due to spread of disease couple with a high rate of vehicular accidents, deer are actually, surprisingly, the animal responsible for the most deaths in the U.S. each year. However, if you have some wire or string laying around, you have the basis you need to keep deer out of your yard with a simple fence upgrade.

The frustration over deer damage to landscaping and gardens has led homeowners to try a variety of remedies from using bar soap to deter deer to growing deer repelling plants in their flower beds. Fencing would seem to be an obvious solution. But, given that wildlife experts say a fence should be roughly 8 feet high to prevent deer from leaping over it, that can be cost-prohibitive in addition to obstructing your view. However, you don't actually have to make your fence higher than the deer can leap, you just have to make them think they can't clear it to prevent them from trying to enter your yard or garden. You can do that relatively inexpensively — and humanely — with just a few simple items.

The key to keeping deer from jumping over your fence is convincing them they can't. To do this, employ a two-prong — or at least a two-layer — approach. The first step is to create a challenging height. Then, add some distance to the leap by placing a secondary barrier inside your primary fence. While this may sound expensive and exhausting, it can be done quickly and inexpensively, though you can customize it to be as elaborate as you please. 

In order to add height, you don't need to raise the entire fence. Rather, if you extend the fence posts with wood or metal rods, you can then string rope, line, or wire across the entire length of your fence a few feet higher than the fence itself. While some people use fishing line to create an invisible barrier, for this method, you want the deer to see exactly how high they need to jump to clear the fence. With that in mind, it is also possible to utilize string lights to add height above your fence line, if you'd like a festive barrier.

The next step is to create the inner barrier. This is done by making a very simple inner fence that runs parallel to your primary fence. This inner barrier should be a few feet inside of the primary fence, and can be simply constructed utilizing metal T-posts and rope or synthetic clothes line like Smart & Casual Polypropylene Clothes Line. This, too, should be visible, so the deer will feel unsafe jumping the primary fence for fear of landing on the secondary barrier. If you are wanting a more elegant look, you can use any wooden or metal posts strung with wire, chain, rope, or string lights.