fencing

zpurdy · July 13, 2007, 01:46 PM

I'm starting to do prep work for a future food plot i plan on planting late next august and i see a problem. my family has cattle on our property and where i'm planting this food plot is accessible to the cattle as of right now. i need some way of keeping the cattle out of the food plot area but somehow let the deer come in and not be with the cattle. my dad just ordered a solar electric fence charger and he said that we could use this but then he also said that it would keep the deer out of the plot, this defeats the purpose of the food plot. will putting the electric fence lower not effect the deer if is was like 30" tall or so or should i just put the fence up and not use the fence charger. the other problem is that we need to keep the cattle in the fence right next to the food plot because they bust through the barbed wire fence and get out and thats sorta why he ordered the fence charger.

i'm open to any suggestions

taylorce1 · July 13, 2007, 02:06 PM

I've never seen an electric fence stop a deer that was designed to stop cattle. Deer will jump the fence to get to the good food, sure it might shock them the first time but it will not take them long to figure out that it is there and how to get over it. Just run a single wire about waist level and it will stop the cows and the deer will still get in. We fence my father's fields this way every fall to winter the cows on and I still shoot a deer almost every year on those fields.

NRA4life · July 13, 2007, 05:59 PM

I have a 36" high barbed wire fence around my property where I whitetail hunt. That doesn't even stop the fawns.

Rembrandt · July 13, 2007, 06:12 PM

Forget the electric fence, just put up a regular one......deer will find a way in, either under or over.

zpurdy · July 13, 2007, 07:47 PM

thanks guys, i'll be running the fence about waist high anyways and now my dad won't be out of $40 for the solar fence charger

**Art Eatman** · July 13, 2007, 11:08 PM

Even a three-strand barbed wire fence will hold most cattle, with the top wire not much above waist high.

If the bottom wire is about knee-high, even a fairly big-horned buck can slide under faster than you'd believe. And adult deer very easily clear five feet or so, from standing flat-footed.

Art

Dave Haven · July 14, 2007, 12:21 AM

I've noticed that elk don't dive under fences, they jump them. I saw a calf elk easily clear a 3' barbed wire fence this morning on my way to work.

crowbeaner · July 14, 2007, 10:03 PM

You could put up a 5 foot high fence, and deer will easily jump or slide under! I watched one of the biggest bucks of my life get down on his knees and crawl across an opening near the road just to keep from being seen by the car coming down the road. This in July about 10 years ago. He probably died of old age because nobody ever dragged him out during deer season! I never saw him again, and only saw him by chance.

zpurdy · July 16, 2007, 12:14 PM

well i pretty much saw the answer to my own question the past few days when i went to the farm. i've seen 6 deer jump the waist high electric fence and chest high barb wire fence to get into our hay fields full of clover.

Musketeer · July 16, 2007, 01:08 PM

I fence with electric all the time but I could not imagine it stopping a deer. Normally I fence epee and don't see the electric doing much to stop it. Sharpen it and you could do some damage, even fatal, to the deer but you are likely to be trampled. Electric fencing sabres and foils would be completely useless.

Redneckrepairs · July 16, 2007, 01:18 PM

You have to go about 10 ft high with sheep wire type fence to keep deer out , Just fence the cattle out and dont worry about the deer , they will get in there if there is anything they want , or even if the fence is just in their way .

mikejonestkd · July 16, 2007, 02:32 PM

A good friend lives in the souther tier of Ny and is a christmas tree farmer.

He put up a nice 8' fence around a field of xmas trees ( I can't remember what species the deer liked ) that the deer had been ravaging for a few years.

The adults still managed to clear the fence on a regular basis.

Selfdfenz · July 18, 2007, 09:35 PM

Multi-strand barbed wire or woven wire fense is way to much labor and expense to put up if your only objective is to keep out cattle. Electric is the way to go. Just keep the grass away from it or you could get a fire. Ditto for branches that could fall on it and press it to the ground.

E-wire is also a good way to keep cattle away from a feeder.

Best

S-

July 13, 2007, 01:46 PM	#1
zpurdy Member Join Date: December 11, 2006 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 32	fencing I'm starting to do prep work for a future food plot i plan on planting late next august and i see a problem. my family has cattle on our property and where i'm planting this food plot is accessible to the cattle as of right now. i need some way of keeping the cattle out of the food plot area but somehow let the deer come in and not be with the cattle. my dad just ordered a solar electric fence charger and he said that we could use this but then he also said that it would keep the deer out of the plot, this defeats the purpose of the food plot. will putting the electric fence lower not effect the deer if is was like 30" tall or so or should i just put the fence up and not use the fence charger. the other problem is that we need to keep the cattle in the fence right next to the food plot because they bust through the barbed wire fence and get out and thats sorta why he ordered the fence charger. i'm open to any suggestions

July 13, 2007, 11:08 PM	#6
Art Eatman Staff Lead Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX, USA Posts: 20,937	Even a three-strand barbed wire fence will hold most cattle, with the top wire not much above waist high. If the bottom wire is about knee-high, even a fairly big-horned buck can slide under faster than you'd believe. And adult deer very easily clear five feet or so, from standing flat-footed. Art __________________ You're from BATFE? Come right in! I use all your fine products!

July 16, 2007, 01:08 PM	#10
Musketeer Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2005 Posts: 3,725	I fence with electric all the time but I could not imagine it stopping a deer. Normally I fence epee and don't see the electric doing much to stop it. Sharpen it and you could do some damage, even fatal, to the deer but you are likely to be trampled. Electric fencing sabres and foils would be completely useless. __________________ "Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." Thomas Jefferson "The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason." Benjamin Franklin

July 16, 2007, 02:32 PM	#12
mikejonestkd Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2006 Location: Brockport, NY Posts: 2,649	A good friend lives in the souther tier of Ny and is a christmas tree farmer. He put up a nice 8' fence around a field of xmas trees ( I can't remember what species the deer liked ) that the deer had been ravaging for a few years. The adults still managed to clear the fence on a regular basis. __________________ You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

July 18, 2007, 09:35 PM	#13
Selfdfenz Senior Member Join Date: December 7, 2001 Location: The Gas Tax State Posts: 949	Multi-strand barbed wire or woven wire fense is way to much labor and expense to put up if your only objective is to keep out cattle. Electric is the way to go. Just keep the grass away from it or you could get a fire. Ditto for branches that could fall on it and press it to the ground. E-wire is also a good way to keep cattle away from a feeder. Best S- __________________ Selfdfenz Last edited by Selfdfenz; July 18, 2007 at 11:20 PM.

July 13, 2007, 02:06 PM	#2
taylorce1 Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2005 Location: Colorado Springs, CO & Lubbock, TX Posts: 4,697	I've never seen an electric fence stop a deer that was designed to stop cattle. Deer will jump the fence to get to the good food, sure it might shock them the first time but it will not take them long to figure out that it is there and how to get over it. Just run a single wire about waist level and it will stop the cows and the deer will still get in. We fence my father's fields this way every fall to winter the cows on and I still shoot a deer almost every year on those fields.

July 13, 2007, 05:59 PM	#3
NRA4life Senior Member Join Date: July 26, 2001 Location: WA Posts: 183	I have a 36" high barbed wire fence around my property where I whitetail hunt. That doesn't even stop the fawns.

July 13, 2007, 06:12 PM	#4
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 1,794	Forget the electric fence, just put up a regular one......deer will find a way in, either under or over.

July 13, 2007, 07:47 PM	#5
zpurdy Member Join Date: December 11, 2006 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 32	thanks guys, i'll be running the fence about waist high anyways and now my dad won't be out of $40 for the solar fence charger

July 14, 2007, 12:21 AM	#7
Dave Haven Senior Member Join Date: February 1, 2000 Location: near Flagstaff, AZ Posts: 790	I've noticed that elk don't dive under fences, they jump them. I saw a calf elk easily clear a 3' barbed wire fence this morning on my way to work.

July 14, 2007, 10:03 PM	#8
crowbeaner Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2007 Location: Upstate SC Posts: 1,934	You could put up a 5 foot high fence, and deer will easily jump or slide under! I watched one of the biggest bucks of my life get down on his knees and crawl across an opening near the road just to keep from being seen by the car coming down the road. This in July about 10 years ago. He probably died of old age because nobody ever dragged him out during deer season! I never saw him again, and only saw him by chance.

July 16, 2007, 12:14 PM	#9
zpurdy Member Join Date: December 11, 2006 Location: Charleston, WV Posts: 32	well i pretty much saw the answer to my own question the past few days when i went to the farm. i've seen 6 deer jump the waist high electric fence and chest high barb wire fence to get into our hay fields full of clover.

July 16, 2007, 01:18 PM	#11
Redneckrepairs Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Posts: 656	You have to go about 10 ft high with sheep wire type fence to keep deer out , Just fence the cattle out and dont worry about the deer , they will get in there if there is anything they want , or even if the fence is just in their way .