5 Smart and Effective Deer Fence Solutions for Your Garden

Every gardener hates pests, but if you only have insects and slugs to worry about, count your blessings; no garden pest is more destructive than deer.

Think about it: all they eat are plants, and deer have vastly bigger appetites than any insects. If a single deer gets into your garden, that can be disastrous, and if a herd pays it a visit or, worse, comes back night after night, you might as well give up. Your crop fields aren’t safe, either, as they never say no to some corn!

Keeping deer out is tough, and your first line of defense is good fencing. In this article, I’ll tell you about the five best options and how to get the best performance from them. Let’s get started.

Remember: Good Fencing Should Also Be a Psychological Deterrent

It’s hard for a fence alone to keep deer out of your garden. Deer are shockingly athletic and agile. They can easily clear a 6-foot obstacle, like a fence, if they think they can safely land on the other side without getting trapped.

That’s the key; if they think they can. It is possible and indeed necessary to “psych-out” deer so they don’t feel comfortable or safe attempting a jump or even getting closer. Accordingly, supplementing your fence with clotheslines tied behind them, colorful plastic streamers, and other things that can spook deer or make them feel uncertain is a smart play and necessary addition to any physical barrier.

Whatever you do, your fences must be up to the task, or else you can kiss your garden goodbye! I’ll have tips for you in each section.

Poly

The cheapest, most available, and most common deer-resistant fencing is poly fencing. Short for polypropylene mesh and sometimes called deer mesh, it is exactly what it sounds like: a square or hexagonal roll of plastic mesh that you will zip-tie, staple, or otherwise secure to fence posts.

You can get it almost anywhere, and it is both cheap and convenient. It’s also really easy to handle and install compared to other fencing types. If you’re on a budget, this might be the best and most expeditious option for you. Smaller mesh types also have the added benefit of keeping out birds and other critters.

The big downside to it is that it isn’t that strong. If a deer runs into it at speed or tries to jump over and gets snagged, it will usually tear or tear away from its mooring. Plus, it can be really ugly, especially if you don’t take the time to keep it stretched taut.

Woven / Welded Wire

A big upgrade from poly fencing is woven or welded wire. A mainstay of homesteaders and farmers, it offers a great combination of durability and affordability, so long as it is installed with a little care. You can attach it to metal or wooden posts using specialty hangers, heavy-duty staples, and other fasteners.

You can use any kind of woven wire fencing to keep deer at bay, but the trick is finding a type that is tall enough. Try to locate and spend more, if needed, for a roll that’s at least 6 feet wide/tall; otherwise, you’ll have to layer it, and that will make for more work, a weaker fence, and a less attractive option overall.

Note: There are specialty “metal deer fence” brands out there; it’s the same stuff, just given a black finish so it’s less visible, meaning not quite so ugly!

Chainlink

Good old chain-link fencing makes for a virtually impenetrable, but expensive, option. It also tends to be a huge eyesore, but there’s not much you can do about that.

Unlike welded wire or plastic poly fencing, there’s not much that can go wrong with chain-link unless the individual posts are pushed over or the entire sheet is popped free.

The stuff is tough! While it’s not exactly a value proposition, it’s still quite readily available and comes in many different sizes to suit any application.

If you already have chain-link fence on your property or have access to it cheaply, there’s no reason why you can’t use it. The big downside with it is that deer can see through it easily, and may be tempted by what is on the other side.

For this reason, smart gardeners will tie streamers or “clotheslines” on the inner perimeter to further deter deer if the fence is less than 6 feet.

Electric

The preferred option for folks who want a low-visibility fence or those who are dealing with particularly persistent deer. Electric fencing can be cost-effective, and it has a major advantage compared to the other types on this list: it is an active repellent!

Deer that make contact with an energized wire get a sudden, very painful, but ultimately harmless shock. Deer tend to be incredibly wary, cautious animals in the best of times, so this will be a truly rude surprise for them. After the buzz, hopefully, they will head for the hills and not come back.

But electric fencing tends to be an all-or-nothing option. It typically isn’t erected to the same height as other fences, with proponents banking on the fact that deer will first make contact with the fence to learn the painful lesson and then never come near it again. If deer jump over it in the first place and never make contact with the fence, it’s no good at all!

There are a few ways to work around this shortcoming. Some people string a single electric strand over a cheaper option discussed above. Other folks will actually bait the fence to attract the deer, so they are more likely to get shocked.

Wooden / Privacy

Last but not least, you should not count out the reliability of a basic wooden privacy fence, as long as it’s tall enough that deer cannot see over it. Remember those psychological factors I talked about at the beginning of this list? A privacy fence plays on the uncertainty and caution of deer because they can’t see past it.

Deer can jump very high and very far, but they are a whole lot less likely to risk such a jump if they don’t know what’s on the other side of a fence. They will instinctively try to avoid becoming stuck, trapped, or injured. For this reason, a privacy fence that is just 5 feet tall or a little taller may be sufficient to keep out most deer.

The big downside? Expense, of course. This is the most expensive option for most people…