Have deer been eating plants out of your garden? Have they been getting dangerously close to your children? Are you trying to keep them out?
If so, you should think about setting up deterrents. That’s right: there are a good many things that deer are terrified to get near.
Curious as to what they are? Then keep on reading. Here are 8 effective deer deterrents for your ranch or yard.
1. Grow Strongly Scented Plants
If deer are coming into your yard, they’re probably in search of food. But see, deer don’t identify food by looking at it. They identify food by smelling it.
So, how can you use this knowledge to keep deer away? By growing plants that are strongly scented and offensive to the palate of the deer. These run the gamut from chives to lavender to mint and the like.
What you don’t want to grow are sweet-smelling plants like roses, berries, and azaleas. Deer not only love the smell of these plants but the taste as well. If you are going to grow them, we advise keeping them close to your home, and inside a barrier of the strongly scented plants discussed above.
2. Plant Hedges
Deer aren’t exactly investigative creatures. Truthfully, even the simplest natural barrier will deter them. As such, if you want to keep them out of your yard, you should consider planting hedges around its edges.
A solid row of hedges will block the sight of deer. And because they don’t know what’s on the other side of the hedges, they’ll likely be too afraid to try to jump over them.
You don’t necessarily need these to be that tall. A 3-foot hedge is generally enough to deter a deer. That said, a 7 or 8-foot tall hedge will almost eliminate the risk of deer entering your property.
3. Cover Harvested Plants
It’s harvest season. You’re in the process of cutting and gathering your crops. Rest assured, deer are ready to pilfer them.
But if you don’t leave your crops out, deer won’t be able to do this. As such, the second you gather your crops, you need to cover them in some way. Ideally, you’ll use an airtight container, as this will prevent the deer from smelling the crops as well as eating them.
If you can, keep your harvested crops in a silo or a locked barn or shed. Whatever you do, don’t leave them uncovered outside.
4. Install a Fence
Just as a fence will help to keep out human beings, it will also help to keep out deer. However, it needs to be tall enough; the simple existence of a fence doesn’t serve as a deterrent. The only thing that truly deters the deer is its inability to make it over the fence.
So, how tall do you need to make this thing? Well, deer can jump fairly high. As such, we recommend installing a deer fence of at least 7 feet.
There are very few deer that can make a vertical leap of 7 feet or more. That said, if you want to be safe, make sure that the fence is 8 feet tall or greater. You can learn more about deer-repelling fences by reading this post.
5. Take Advantage of Chimes
Deer are, more or less, frightful creatures. They’re particularly afraid of strange, jarring noises. For this reason, if you want to repel deer, you should consider keeping chimes on your property.
After all, chimes deliver a loud and jarring noise. And because deer are sensitive to high frequencies, chimes, in particular, can rattle them quite quickly.
Other sounds you should consider implementing are banging noises and pounding noises. In all honesty, any loud, sudden noise is going to frighten a deer and cause it to run in the opposite direction.
6. Use a Commercial Deer Repellent
As you might expect, there are commercial products available that can help to scare off deer. One of the best of these is liquid repellent. This can be spread on trees, grass, and other portions of your property, scaring off deer through its scent.
The smell that deer most fear is the rotten egg smell. That’s why the commercial product Deer Off is so effective. It’s designed to smell like rotten eggs or sulfur.
Other products you should consider include Hinder, Deer Out, and Liquid Fence. These make use of various smells and tastes as a means of deterring deer of all kinds.
7. Stack Pallets
Deer aren’t known for their balance. This is because they have very little of it. What’s more . . . they know it.
This is why, if you’re trying to stave off deer, it’s a good idea to stack pallets on the outskirts of your property. Stacked pallets are not only unstable but without even surface as well. As such, they’re almost impossible for deer to walk on.
Now, obviously, you don’t want to stack pallets on the outside of a small residential property. That would be unsightly. But if you have a large property like a ranch, it won’t do any harm.
8. Tighten Fishing Line Around Your Garden
If you’re looking for a cheap and effective way to keep deer out of your garden, just tighten a fishing line around its edges. No, a fishing line can’t stop the force of a deer. However, it can confuse the deer, causing it to go the other direction.
The key is to tighten it 2 to 3 feet off the ground. Tie it around some planted sticks and you should be good to go for the foreseeable future.
Put These Deer Deterrents to Good Use
If you don’t want deer running through your yard, you would be wise to put these deer deterrents to good use. Though they’re not perfect, they will, for the most part, scare deer away from your property.
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