[wildlifer]

They can jump over or through anything. They jump through the electric wire that most of our farm uses. They cause no damage or issues, I enjoy seeing them.

[Tom King]

A stout 5' fence lets them come and go as they see fit without damage to the fence. We have no trouble with 3 and 4 board fences even with a #9 aluminum wire above the top board. They graze with the horses sometimes. The horses don't even turn an ear towards them most of the time when they jump in and out.

Keeping them away from the house is one of the jobs for young outside only farm dogs. The old ones get to the point where they don't care

We have two different herds of deer. I never could figure out why the herds don't combine.

[TheJenners]

We had a small herd that came in the winter and chilled around the round bales with the horses when I lived in AL. I almost haltered one on a dark evening when I went to get a lesson pony. We both realized what the other was at about the same second, and not very far from each other either, and while I don't know how the deer felt, I nearly peed my pants.

[GotMyPony]

We have deer in and out of our pastures daily and have no problems with them at all. As for your plantings, there are lots of ornamental plants that deer don't eat so my suggestion is to plant those (we're supposed to be the ones with the brains). If you're having a food garden, that's what you want to fence and you should use 8' fence for that. On the positive side, your horses will be so used to seeing deer that they're not going to spook at the sight of one on a trail ride! As for the dogs, mine used to chase but not for long - the deer are faster and can jump much higher. Our dogs eventually gave up on them.

[rmh_rider]

Any fencing to deer is pretty much invisible fencing. IOW, they will go over or through ANY fence (except my dream fence) with ease, and sometimes not with ease and then they tear the fence up.

My horses could care less about deer. They both eat grass, eat our hay, lick our salt blocks, drink from our trough, have babies and keep them in our pasture, oh and will sometimes leave their babies (the deer do) for our mares to watch over while they are gone. Only difference, the deer come and go when they want, and the horses have to stay in the fence.

No we do not have ticks, for some odd reason.

Also when they see deer on the trails CRASHING at times through the woods, they don't really get bothered at all.

My dream fence is one which is 10'-15' tall solid, and about 3-4' thick. Yes, with gun look outs on top. sigh.

[cowboymom]

Last winter I saw one of the mail men in town, right in town, trying to do his route through a herd of mule deer that live in town. He actually swung his mail bag at the rump of one deer to get her out of his way on the sidewalk! LOL

Last summer I ran out the front door late to work and nearly jumped on the back of a doe bedded down by the front door.

Yes, they can be a nuisance but I cope with them. My dogs loooovvvee to chase them but that's a shooting crime here so they aren't allowed. Plus the deer can deliver a pretty good karate chop enough to really hurt a dog and since they aren't all that afraid I just don't tempt fate. Our deer don't come up to the horses or cows... and yes, I do have to worm for tapes a lot more now.

Best deer deterrent ever is the Scarecrow sprinkler. Water the pasture and protect the fence line at the same time!

[NoDQhere]

We have miles of Horse Guard and dozens of deer. The deer do not trash the Horse Guard. They certainly do "feel" the shock and have become experts at slipping through quickly, or jumping over. We are not trying to keep them out, they pretty much go where they want to.

[yventer]

I'm in Northern VA, semi-rural, and while we have lots of (too many) deer, I rarely see many on my property. My dog will chase them (horrors! to any of you deer hunters), and I wonder if my donkeys chase them off.

[MaybeMorgan]

Deer graze with my horse and the others every day but the horse still gets upset when he sees them go crashing through the woods. Guess he thinks there is a reason to run that isn't him. A deer in the field is different than a deer in the woods, I guess.

[Foxtrot's]

Victoria, B.C. is known for its lovely gardens and flowers - but there are getting to be more and more urban deer all over Victoria - those beautiful gardens sure look funny with the huge mesh fencing around them. Kind of takes away from 'the look'. You see them grazing on lawns completely oblivious of passers by and traffic. Myself, I like the look of them as lawn ornaments. I'd just have very high hanging baskets and nothing else.

[spacytracy]

The deer here jump our 4 board wood fence. They trash the electric tape because they can. They get a foot caught, they pull, it comes down. The wood, not to much.
I know someone who has no climb and a deer got his foot stuck and I think died stuck on the fence or had to be shot. I can't remember. But that's once in 10 years. They graze near our horses. I sometimes do a double check. I think more ponies have appeared.

[saddleup]

I name them. It's a losing battle, so I don't fight it anymore.

[nashfad]

The deer here jump all fencing----including my electric. They have never to m knowledge trashed my fence.

[Janet]

Where are you?

What kind of deer?

Mule deer are very different from white tailed deer.

[msj]

A friend has 3 board slip board in the front but put no climb with a board on the sides and back of her pasture. Twice that I know of she has had to have the sheriff out to shoot deer that have gotten caught in the no climb.

I've got 3 rail post and rail and see the deer either jumping over it or going between the bottom and middle rail or just under the bottom.

I have seen them also short cut through the sacrifice paddocks but they don't stay in there long. I did have one horse here that did chase the deer if he saw them but all the others just ignore them. I've also had several that babysit the fawns that the mothers put in the pasture with the horses.

[cssutton]

Yes, they will trash your electric. They don't seem to feel it. They will break your fences, and nothing will keep them out except dogs. If you buy deer fencing, it has to be a minimum of 8' high, and completely circle your property, including gates in and out. And it is ugly. A better option is cattle wire strands run up to 8' high. Less "visual". The vineyards around here all have deer fencing to maintain their vineyard investments.

I won't use field fencing with horses - I had one catch a shoe in this type of fencing once on the lower small opening, and in endeavoring to get free, he tried to jump the fence and flipped over. It is best used only for cattle for which it was made.

A good quality cross bow, if you're capable (or your hubby is) will help deter deer if you can shoot and kill one, and bleed it out onto the field or near your paddocks. The blood scent will keep a herd away...for a while. And depending upon where you live, if they present a problem you can shoot them (on your own property as long as YOU shoot them) anytime. Check your state hunting regulations.

I don't recommend a gun - they are more efficient, but they are noisy, and there are strict safety setback rules (from houses and other properties) for using them.

Unless you are really good with whatever you shoot, do not shoot them while they are in your pasture.

A neighbor was hunting on my farm and shot a deer who was close to the fence, but outside the fence.

At that time, we had a woven wire fence, long since replaced with a four board.

The fence at that point was on a steep slope on a hillside and the deer, after being shot, ran up the slope intending to jump the fence.

But because of the wound he was running out of steam and instead crashed into the fence, which was supported by creosote treated pine posts.

It has been a number of years, but if I remember correctly, he took out 8 posts on 10' centers, and of course the fence for that 70 ft. span was completely down.

Of course, the neighbor fixed it.

But the lesson is that one should shoot the deer a reasonable distance from the fence and with a killing shot.

Deer do not give up. They can travel for quite a ways, shot through the heart.

So a word to the wise.

Several posters here say they like seeing them.

I hate the damn things with a passion but I don't hunt them myself.

That may change

[Nicker]

Deer have never done any damage to my basic three board fencing. Always loved seeing them jump the fence, so graceful! But you will never catch me near them, I've been charged at by bucks on two separate occasions.

[cssutton]

Deer have never done any damage to my basic three board fencing. Always loved seeing them jump the fence, so graceful! But you will never catch me near them, I've been charged at by bucks on two separate occasions.

It is very rare, but I have read of people getting killed by bucks.

And DO NOT try to pull them out of a fence, as one poster did. One kick can kill you.

Their hooves will cut you to ribbons.

I read of one guy that got kicked in the throat and the hoof cut his throat causing him to bleed to death.

[cowboymom]

They can be very dangerous-to people and dogs. That one in the fence scared me too-lots of sharp points to deal with there.

Someone not in your neighborhood can't tell you about them though-they're all different. They've all learned how to get along where they are and what works for my freeloaders (deer) doesn't apply to yours. Ask the neighbors instead.

[FitToBeTied]

Dogs can be one of your best deterrents. The deer will generally stay outside of the dog's territory. On our farm you can see the deer walk right up to where the underground fence is and no further.

I know of several wineries that tried all kinds of fencing and then put in underground fencing around the vineyards and now have dogs living in the vineyards.