4
One WindStar Master Wildlife
Habitat Naturalist has had
good success with relatively
short stakes (about 4' tall)
holding up strands of
transparent fishing line. The
deer know that the “fencing" is
there but can’t see the actual
strands well enough to feel safe
if they try to jump it. You will
need at least two strands, one
high enough (3') for the deer to
feel when they walk up to it, and
one low enough (2') so that
fawns can’t just duck
underneath.
Other gardeners who have not
wanted to put up really tall
fencing (it needs to be at least
8' high to discourage jumping)
have found that two shorter
fences (4'-5'), with one erected
4 or 5 ft. inside the other, are
effective because the deer
aren’t given a convenient place
to land.
If possible, construct any
fencing before doing your
planting, so that the animals
don’t have a chance to realize
just how tasty the plants
inside really are.
Some experts suggest tying
white strips of fabric to the
fence. When they blow in the
wind, they imitate the danger
signal of the white raised tail of
the deer.
If you do opt for taller fencing,
it seems to help if it is angled
30 degrees away from the
protected area. This makes
jumping much harder.
Some people choose electric
fencing, but that needs to be
carefully considered. It is harder
to install, is illegal in some
localities, and is a definite risk if
there are any children in the
area.
Solid fences are effective,
because deer won’t see the
plants and won’t jump if they
don’t have a view of what’s on
the other side. But these are
costly and sometimes
unsightly, and may be in
violation of neighborhood
covenants.
According to one gardener in
New York, music is the answer.
He claims that the deer loved
classical, but were driven off by
country and western. While we
are not claiming to favor any
style over another, let us know if
you experiment and come to any
conclusions!
Raccoons are cute. They are
soft and furry and have sweet
faces. They are also very agile
and clever, and this can mean
problems for the homeowner.
The most common complaint
is that they are raiding the bird
feeders. If allowed to develop a
pattern of eating there, they
can become very bold and hard
to discourage.
As soon as you notice a
raccoon at the feeder you
should move the food, at least
temporarily, or stop filling the
feeder until the unwelcome
visitor stops expecting to find
seed there. Suet and
hummingbird feeders can be
moved to tree branches which
are too weak to support the
weight of a raccoon.
Sometimes smearing lithium
grease on a feeder pole will
discourage them, because
raccoons don’t like the feel of it
in their fur.
If you get permission to catch
one in a humane trap, bait and
set it off the ground, perhaps
on a picnic table or similar
surface, because the bait that
you use (dog food, chicken, etc.)
will also attract skunks if it is
at ground level. Trapping skunks
is definitely better left to
professionals!
Speaking of skunks, they may
also appear at your feeders, but
only at night. Usually you will
get a faint whiff in the morning
that lets you know that they
were there. If the area is raked
clean and the feeders removed
for a while, they will usually
move on to a different location.
Fences also help, because
they prefer not to climb. Bury
the bottom in the ground so
that they can’t dig under it.
Sometimes moth balls or rags
soaked in ammonia will
discourage them for a while, but
these are usually temporary
measures.
