Scare Techniques:
Lets be honest. Bambi was cute... Well, maybe not so cute if you wake up one morning and find your garden or newly-planted flower bed leveled by Bambi and friends. I believe people and animals all share the planet and deer have every right to go about their business, just not in my garden. There is plenty of food out there so my objective is simple, keep them away from my yard without harming them.
1. They are here to stay. It is difficult to move deer out of areas where they are not wanted.
2. "Deer-proof" plants...no such thing. A hungry deer will find almost any plant palatable. Some more than others, yes, but all are on the menu.
3. There is only one sure-fire repellent. Adequate fencing (minimum 7 foot high and electrified) will keep deer out of an area you want to protect.
4. Alternatives to fencing. Other repellents can be used instead of, or in addition to fencing to insure maximum protection.
Planting deer-resistant varieties is a good first preventative step. If you already have an established landscape, this is not a reasonable option. Deer fencing is the next best line of defense, but anything less than 7 foot high might not be too effective. A fence that high might also not be practical or cost effective if you have a large area to protect.
Alternative deer repellents can include mechanical, home-made and commercial products. They are best used in rotation and as a secondary method of protection for areas that are not already fenced in.
Mechanical deer repellents can include such scare tactics as strobe lights or radios that switch on and off during the night. These motion-activated methods can be effective at frightening deer away but before you set up a full-blown show, please consider the neighbors! Deer also become used to these methods quickly and may eventually ignore them.
Battery-powered "shock" sticks can also be considered. They are usually placed around a perimeter or scattered throughout an area you want to protect. They are baited with a substance that is appealing to deer and when they begin to feed, a harmless, but frightening shock is delivered to the animal. Depending on your views, you may or may not consider this method acceptable or humane.
Another very effective method is a motion-activated sprinkler. You hook it up to a hose and it does the work for you. When a deer (or other animal) approaches, it starts pulsing a spray of water for about 3 seconds that frightens the animal away with its sudden activation. It also doubles up on its effectiveness because deer, as a general rule, don't like to be wet. It can cover quite a large area (up to 1000 sq. ft.) and you wont have to worry about bothering your neighbors.
Experts concur that planting deer-resistant varieties and using deer fencing, when practical, are good first steps in protecting your garden and landscape from deer. Beyond those two methods, a homeowner has scare repellents, homemade recipes and commercially-available sprays and pellets to use. A combination of at least two or more of these alternate methods, used in rotation, rather than in combination all the time, provides maximum protection against deer damage.
Deer Repellent Fence:
Using deer-resistant plant varieties is a good first step in preventing damage, but it is absolutely not foolproof. Although there are many plant varieties deer prefer more than others, no plant is "deer-proof". Even if you've planted deer-resistant varieties, you will need to protect them. Deer fencing is considered by many to be the most effective first line of defense.
A sturdy deer fence, a minimum of 7 to 8 foot high, constructed with thick-gauge metal mesh, and electrified if possible, is very effective in keeping even a hungry, motivated deer away from your garden or landscape. However, depending on the size of the area to be protected, it may not be practical or cost-effective.
An important note: a rigid fence with sturdy metal mesh is most effective. Flexible deer "netting" is less expensive, but also less effective at keeping deer out of an area when used as a perimeter fence. Hungry deer will usually test it and can easily knock it down or push through it to get to a meal on the other side. Netting CAN be effective at protecting small trees from antler "rub" damage when its wrapped around the trunk of the tree. Sections of corrugated drainage pipe, split and wrapped around the tree trunk is also a very effective deterrent.
Some people believe a smaller fence, 4 to 6 foot high, can still be effective in turning away deer, especially if there are other sources of food nearby that are unprotected. (like your neighbors yard full of delicious plants!) This may be true and certainly any fence is better than no fence at all. A deer, however, can jump over these smaller fences effortlessly. If a smaller fence is the only thing standing between a deer and your prized vegetable garden, you will probably want to strongly consider additional repellents. These might include mechanical repellents (motion-activated sound and sprinkler devices), homemade methods (hair, soap, egg mixtures) and commercial (spray and pellet) repellents.
Final Recommendations
1. When planting, use deer-resistant varieties that are less appealing to deer as a preventative measure.
2. Slow them down with a fence. An 7-8 foot high fence may not be practical but a smaller one is better than nothing.
3. To insure maximum protection, you should also use mechanical, homemade and commercial spray and pellet deterrents.
4. A combination of a fence and one of these other deterrents will provide better protection. A fence and two others, better protection... and the multiple methods should be alternated week to week to avoid deer getting used to, and eventually over-looking, any of the regularly-used repellents.