Buyers often run into the same types of questions when shopping for deer fencing. One of the most common questions are is "What is the best height for deer fence?" and "Why does height matter?" While there are many different sizes of deer fencing, not all sizes are appropriate for deer management. Here's what gardeners need to know before they purchase deer fence:

1. Deer movement

Deer first will walk the perimeter of a fence to gauge whether or not they can easily walk inside the garden enclosure. If they find a barrier, they will try to dig underneath the fence [after walking] then potentially try to jump around the fence. 

2. Deer Vision

Deer have poor daytime vision - 20/100 vision; and their vertical vision gets blurry after roughly 7' feet high. For this reason, deer are unlikely to jump a fence before evaluating several factors. While they can gracefully jump over 10 feet high, they will not attempt a jump right away unless they have a running start or are being chased by a predatory animal. 

How High For Deer Fence?

This is why height matters on deer fencing. If deer vision is poor after 7' feet, then it makes sense that a fence installer will build a fence that is at least 7.5' to 8' feet high to block jumping attempts from deer and make them turn away from the gardening area. A 6' feet high fence, for example, can block coyotes and other wildlife; but it may not be high enough to block heavy deer pressure in gardens.