Deer often visit homes or farms near the woods, and homesteads in the countryside are no exception for wild animals.
Though deer won’t break into a barn to harm livestock, they can eat your garden crops and rampage through your yard.
If you’re also trying hard to keep deer out of your yard and garden, let me show you my grandpa’s tricks.
1. Install a Tall Deer Fence
Deer are excellent jumpers and can easily get over 4- to 6-foot decorative fences. So, you may need to install at least an 8-foot fence.
But sometimes, they can clear 8 feet. If so, try building a fence around 12-14 feet.
I suggest you use woven wire, T-posts, mesh, wooden lumber, bamboo, or other suitable fencing materials. If you have a garden, check the gates, low spots, gaps, and damaged areas.
If you find the place where deer can enter, seal or block it.
If you want privacy fencing, that’s great! Install the solid wooden fencing so that deer can’t peep through it and don’t try to enter through it.
2. Try an Electric Fence for Smaller Areas
If you find a tall fence costly and unconventional, an electric fence is a good option. It works great for smaller areas, like a patio.
Besides, electric fencing also works well around gardens and crops. A low-voltage fence delivers a safe, soft jolt to intruders without harming them.
This only hints at the animals staying away from the particular area.
But you need to have the fence installed by a technician and maintain it regularly. For example, you have to clear vegetation and prevent it from interfering with the fence.
3. Use a Motion-Activated Device
This is one of the easiest ways for homesteaders who want a non-lethal deer deterrent.
When the deer approaches the yard, the motion sensor detects movement, the device is activated, and the deer is startled and runs away.
The device can be floodlights, speakers, sprinklers, or animated Halloween props.
Make sure you won’t annoy your neighbors with the noise the device makes at night.
If deer get used to the devices and find them harmless, you need to swap them from time to time.
4. Use Deer Repellents
Many people are happy to use repellents to deter deer or rabbits.
Actually, repellents can be anything, such as unpleasant tastes or odors. So, you need to apply them either to the plants or to the area around them in the yard.
Use rotten eggs, Certain soap liquids (you can make them at home), and commercially formulated deer repellents.
But you need to reapply the repellents every time after rain, irrigation, or heavy dew.
5. Grow Deer-Resistant Plants
If deer are hungry, they can eat the small garden in one night. So, you need to plant deer-resistant plants in the deer-populated areas.
This helps reduce browsing pressure from deer, especially around the ornamental areas.
Select the plants with the following characteristics:
- Strong smell
- Bitter or unpalatable leaves
- Furry or thorny foliage
- Particular herbs and ornamental plants (thyme, rosemary, sage, mint, and marigolds)
Grow these plants near the border or at the entrance of the yard so that deer must return from there.
If you have vulnerable plants, you can keep them in the fenced garden, in areas where you work, or in places with more human activity.
6. Spray Predator’s Urine
Wait, what?
Yeah, that’s true. The smell of predators’ urine can deter deer.
Deer take it as a sign of predators in the area and leave promptly. Dog urine also works.
If you don’t have a dog, you can take your neighbor’s and let the dog mark its territory in the desired area.
Or you can purchase the predator, dog, or coyote urine from an online store and spread it around your yard.
7. Use Fishing Line
The idea is that when the deer hit the fishing line, they are startled because they cannot see it.
And the line is so strong that it withstands the deer’s pressure, so the animal finds it fearful and leaves the place.
So you can use 30-lb lines to make it a barrier.
Actually, it’s an invisible fence for animals. For this, you need to install t-posts made of wood or metal.
Keep the 4-5 rows of line to the post to make it more resistant.
8. Spread Coffee Grounds Around
Don’t throw coffee grounds after your morning sip. Take a cup of coffee and keep the coffee filter aside.
When you have a pile of coffee grounds, spread it around your plants, yard, and garden. The smell of coffee grounds keeps predators and animals like deer away.
The coffee grounds also benefit the plants and garden.
It works as an organic fertilizer and repels pests from crops and the garden. So, this is a win-win idea.
9. Try Homemade Spray
You can find many DIYs for homemade deer-resistant spray, and I want to share an easy, very practical one.
First, you can use garlic and hot peppers. Mix the garlic flakes with red pepper in water, then strain well.
You can add a little dish soap into the mixture to help the spray stick to the garden and plants.
Spray the edges of your yard and garden multiple times a month.
10. Let Your Farm Dogs Out
Farm dogs are excellent property guards, scaring intruders with their barks and other abilities.
It’s no surprise that you keep more than one dog if you live in the countryside or on farmhouse.
You can train these dogs easily, and they adapt to the habitat in no time. They can monitor the homestead day and night and alert you about unexpected things.
I have two hardworking dogs on my homestead.
Not only do they keep the deer out, but they also herd the homestead animals and guard them from predators.
11. Use Human Hair
My aunt has suggested that I do this one.
Go to your local salon and collect 20-25 handfuls of hair, then scatter it around your yard or garden. Also, you can collect some hair from your old brushes or combs.
Deer recognize the smell of hair as a human presence and don’t stay there.
This is totally safe and eco-friendly.
Final Thoughts
You can swap or combine these tricks to make them more effective and keep deer out of your yard and garden.
If you still need more, use Irish Spring soap and aluminum foil strips.
Besides, you can cover your garden crops and small trees with mesh netting. Wind chimes and reflective tapes also work fine.
Leave a Reply