Gardening in an area with wildlife nearby presents unique challenges – deer being one of the most prominent. Deer are voracious eaters that seek out the most nutritious plants they can find, and once they find a source, they tend to congregate in the area day after day. Once you see deer in an area foraging, if they find what they are looking for you can all but guarantee that they will return. Garden fences are an attractive and effective way of ensuring that all of your hard work building a garden does not go to waste.

Why should you set up a garden fence?

Deer are foragers that eat a wide variety of vegetation, and seek out grasses, mushrooms, crops, and woody plants. Because they may browse over a large swath of land to find their daily food allotment, if you have an outdoor garden, it is only a matter of time before they stumble upon it by random chance. It is all but likely that what you are growing is going to be more nutritious than what the deer are going to forage in the wild, and without any barriers to keep them out they are most certainly to devour whatever they find appealing from your garden.

What should you look for in a garden fence?

A white-tailed buck can weigh over 300 pounds, and a fence needs to be strong enough to dissuade one from your garden, and it needs to be tall enough that they cannot simply just walk over it. Deer can also leap several feet in the air to clear a fence, and will be happy to do so at the prospect of food. It should also have a latching enclosure to keep it locked when you are not working in the area. Deer can be quite single-minded when it comes to securing food, and the fence should represent an effective deterrent to keep them out.

What can you expect from a quality garden fence?

Although deer are generally rather docile, their weight warrants consideration for quality materials in a garden fence. You do have options in material construction, with metal options consisting of hot-dipped galvanized (HDG) welded wire, stainless steel wire, or hardware cloth. Fences that have been coated in PVC will also be more weather-resistant, meaning they will be less likely to fail as they age. If a less permanent solution is desired, then heavy-duty plastic is a flexible alternative as it is more easily removed and stored at the end of the growing season, reducing wear and tear from the harsh winter weather. Metal fences are more robust and require less periodic maintenance. Aesthetics for an outdoor garden are also an important concern, and there are several different options for both plastic and metal fences that will cut an attractive profile to frame your hard work.

A well-built fence will also be supported by posts that can withstand a full-grown buck's attempts to push its way into your garden. Deer have been known to go under what they cannot go over or through, and a fence with an underground barrier will dissuade them from digging under the fence to enter your garden.

Conclusion

DeerBusters provides both expertise and quality craftsmanship in deer fencing, and is ready to help you invest in your garden to keep it safe year round. With an array of metal and plastic fencing options as well as world-class customer service, we are ready to help you protect your hard work. If you have any questions about how we can help you with a fencing project, please feel free to reach out for a consultation.