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Deer relocating.

Kaos116

Kaos116

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I figure this is the best spot to ask this as the hunters are the most likely to know.

I'm in Monson, Massachusetts. I have planted a bunch of fruit trees and the deer are devouring them.

Is it legal to put a salt lick on the other side of my property (~14 acres) to get them to go there instead?

Or will they just visit both spots. I had put up a fence thinking that if they couldn't just walk up to the trees they would go elsewhere, but Mom & Dad hop right over and the babies just scoot right under. I have tried the stuff you spread on the ground, but with all the rain I'm sure that's gone or didn't work from the get go.

Any thoughts?
 
I've been researching this for an orchid I will be planting and it seems that you need an 7-8ft fence to really keep them out. Some have reported success with 5ft wire fence attached to 8ft fence posts with one or two wires installed above the fence. You need to attach white ribbons so the deer can see the wires....they have bad eyesight i guess.

I'm planning to use the wires above the fence to grow grapes on which should make it even harder for the deer to get over....might loose some grapes near the ground, probably not the end of the world.
 
GomerPile said:
I've been researching this for an orchid I will be planting and it seems that you need an 7-8ft fence to really keep them out. Some have reported success with 5ft wire fence attached to 8ft fence posts with one or two wires installed above the fence. You need to attach white ribbons so the deer can see the wires....they have bad eyesight i guess.

I'm planning to use the wires above the fence to grow grapes on which should make it even harder for the deer to get over....might loose some grapes near the ground, probably not the end of the world.
Click to expand...

I'd hate to put up an 8' fence. The trees are in my back yard and the rest of the 14 acres is behind that. A fence that high would look horrible. I may have to do it until the trees get big enough to were the deer can have what they want, but not kill the trees.
 
You have limited choices. They like what you planted so either a higher fence (looks like crap) or plant bigger trees.
When the bucks start rubbing, those trees will fall victim anyway assuming they are not out in the open.
When you live in their world, they make the rules.

Have you tried coyote decoys and urine?


Sent from the Hyundai of the droids, the Samsung Replenish, using Tapatalk.
 
There are companies that sell polypropylene deer fence that is very hard to see from a distance. Personally, I don't think its long lasting enough for agricultural application, but may be good enough for a residence. If you look at the orchids in central MA with deer issues, they are using some pretty serious fencing.

Younger trees really need protection from deer or they will do poorly. If you are growing dwarf or semi-dwarf trees then its just going to be a deer buffet and you won't get much fruit.

Kaos116 said:
I'd hate to put up an 8' fence. The trees are in my back yard and the rest of the 14 acres is behind that. A fence that high would look horrible. I may have to do it until the trees get big enough to were the deer can have what they want, but not kill the trees.
Click to expand...
 
Not sure how well they work, but if its not far from your house you could try those motion activated sprinklers. Getting sprayed by a jet of water every time they walk in the area might get them to go away?

This thing: Link
 
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You have to wrap the trees with wire until they are big enough, try using 6' wire in a 6'-8' diameter circle around each tree. My dad uses 4' wire but we dont have much of a deer problem. If you throw out acorns or rotten apples along with a salt lick elsewhere you may get away with it. Its perfectly legal to do so, just dont hunt over it.
They also make pepper-based chemicals that you spray on the tree to keep deer away, but i would use that as a last resort.
 
GomerPile said:
.... If you are growing dwarf or semi-dwarf trees then its just going to be a deer buffet and you won't get much fruit.
Click to expand...

They are semi-dwarfs and at this moment if I don't catch them as they wander into the trees, they will have them to twigs in a matter of minutes.

But the question is:

1. If I place a salt lick at the other end of the property, 600-700 yards away, will they stay over that end?

2. Is it legal to do so?

Hunting season will be fun around here that's for sure. I may not even have to take my slippers off :-D
 
Signa427 said:
You have to wrap the trees with wire until they are big enough, try using 6' wire in a 6'-8' diameter circle around each tree. My dad uses 4' wire but we dont have much of a deer problem. If you throw out acorns or rotten apples along with a salt lick elsewhere you may get away with it. Its perfectly legal to do so, just dont hunt over it.
They also make pepper-based chemicals that you spray on the tree to keep deer away, but i would use that as a last resort.
Click to expand...

I was typing while you posted.

Thanks for the info.
 
This works:

http://www.bennersgardens.com/

It isnt cheap but we installed it around a womans property and she hasnt had any problems. As for the salt lick I dont think it would lure them away from the trees. At least not on a permanent basis. YOu might try planting a food plot on the other side of your property. Fencing the trees would work well also but if you have anything else growing the deer will just go to that.
 
I know what you mean...had the same problem on some test trees. I also have beavers, what the deer didnt shred the beavers used to build a dam.

Kaos116 said:
They are semi-dwarfs and at this moment if I don't catch them as they wander into the trees, they will have them to twigs in a matter of minutes.
Click to expand...
 
Here's something to try:

Monofillament fishing line, stretched on posts, about 3 feet off the ground, set back from the trees.

This was recommended to me by a club member that knows deer, to keep the bastids out of my back-yard garden, when fencing didn't work, and they'd wait till I was 20 feet away form them before they moved. [angry]

The theory is: Deer touches an invisible barrier, and, never having seen one before, freaks.

As far as I can tell, it works....

now....for the f-ing woodchick........[angry2]
 
We've had a couple feasting on our garden out behind the house. We tried using the granulated coyote piss and that was working well until we got a drenching rain and the little bastards came back and went to town on our grape tomatoes. Today I went out and laid a bunch of old bench tops (about 6'x6' wood frames with 1x2" hardware cloth over the top) around the garden's perimeter with plastic crates under them so they tilt. Idea is that when the deer tries stepping onto the tops, they will not get solid footing and the frame will tilt and wobble. Hopefully that will be frustrating enough so they go chow somewhere else.

Plan B is something to make noise, maybe a trip wire connected to one of those battery powered hotel room alarms or something that will pop a balloon.

Plan C is to camp out and hit them in the ass with a pellet gun.
 
Fertilize with commercial night soil.

That will keep them away.

ETA: Clarification, its a humanure type product. Ask about it at your local agway.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk
 
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I would suggest a circular fence that surrounds each tree. I have had apple trees growing at my camp (they don't grow worth a damn
because of the lousy soil but that's another issue) and they aren't any larger than 4-5 feet. There are lots of deer around and the
circular fences are a pain in the arse for them to negotiate around as the tree is just out of reach of their mouths. They can't jump
into them so they just move on. I use the standard wire fencing material. Apple trees are a deers favorite food. My next door
neighbor just put in a small orchard and his fence is eight foot high. He planted dwarf trees. I'm willing to bet he still has a
problem with the deer. A few years ago he had a number of trees just planted near his house (no fencing) and one morning
he came out to nothing, nada, zilch, just stubs in the ground.
 
Talking it over with the wife, we are going to go with an 8' fence. We are going to mimic the garden fencing, just taller. We realy wanted to keep the trees in a natural setting, but that just makes for a deer fruit salad bar.

But untill that is up, I am going try the fishing line and coyote urine. I have heard the fishing line trick works, but requires constant maintenance.

There are 10 apple trees and 2 cherry trees to the left of the garden. It's hard to make out.

garden.JPG

Thanks everyone for the input.
 
In all seriousness, This past winter I had a heard of deer living in the woods around my house and every morning or evening they would come into my yard and browse on the trees and dig around throught the snow for nuts so I started throwing out stuff for them to eat. apples or fruits etc since this was a bad winter for them.
Long story short, I was talking to a MA wildlife ranger and the subject came up about the deer and that I would put out apples for them and he stopped me, mid sentence, to tell me that it was illegal in MA since that is considered baiting. I explained to him that I was not hunting, nor was anyone else, and he said it did not matter that in MA it was still considered baiting reguardless. Now I dont think you would have a problem putting out a lick or what have you to move deer but I wouldnt advertise it to any authorities...
Just wanted to share my story on how the rangers look at it, wheather its true or not, just be cautious
 
I don't have any personal experience with this, but I have read that chicken wire laid out horizontally will keep them out, as they hate to get their feet caught in the small holes. I think the plan says to set the chicken wire a few inches off the ground in a circle around the tree. Good luck.
 
That ranger is full of crap. Talk to another one and you will get a different answer.
I think there was discussion about this in one of the hunting threads.

JN56 said:
In all seriousness, This past winter I had a heard of deer living in the woods around my house and every morning or evening they would come into my yard and browse on the trees and dig around throught the snow for nuts so I started throwing out stuff for them to eat. apples or fruits etc since this was a bad winter for them.
Long story short, I was talking to a MA wildlife ranger and the subject came up about the deer and that I would put out apples for them and he stopped me, mid sentence, to tell me that it was illegal in MA since that is considered baiting. I explained to him that I was not hunting, nor was anyone else, and he said it did not matter that in MA it was still considered baiting reguardless. Now I dont think you would have a problem putting out a lick or what have you to move deer but I wouldnt advertise it to any authorities...
Just wanted to share my story on how the rangers look at it, wheather its true or not, just be cautious
Click to expand...
 
Well thats what I thought too. He was really rude about it but whatever. I just wanted to add my 2cents on what Ive heard
 
i used to work for pepole that had a massive deer issue a fence around the garden did not help at all because they were getting through

so they built large bird cage like deals out of copper pipe or rebar i forget that surounded the trees and bushes they wanted to protect and the zip tied wire mesh onto that

it worked extremely well
 
Why don't you remove them ... read on ..
MGL Chapter 131
Section 37. An owner or tenant of land or, if authorized by such owner or tenant, any member of his immediate family or his employee, as defined pursuant to section one of chapter sixty-two B, may, upon such land:—

(1) kill or attempt to kill, by means other than poisoning or trapping, any wild bird damaging his property, including domesticated animals, poultry and game on game-rearing farms or preserves, provided that such killing is not contrary to any federal law, rule or regulation.

(2) hunt or take by other means, except by poison or snare, any mammal which he finds damaging his property except grass growing on uncultivated land. No such owner or tenant shall authorize any person, other than a member of his immediate family or a person permanently employed by him, to place traps for the protection of said property other than during the open season, unless such owner or tenant has first obtained from the director a permit authorizing him so to do, which permit the director is hereby authorized to issue in his discretion, unless such authorized person holds a trapping license. All deer so killed shall be turned over to any environmental police officer and shall be disposed of by the director of law enforcement.

The following written reports shall be sent to the director by such owner or tenant acting under authority of this section:—(a) upon the taking of pheasant, ruffed grouse, hares or rabbits, or the wounding or killing of a deer, a report stating the time and place, kind and number of birds or mammals so taken, wounded or killed, within twenty-four hours of such taking, wounding or killing; (b) upon the taking of any other birds or mammals, a report on or before January thirty-first of each year, stating the number and kinds of birds or mammals taken under authority of this section during the previous year. This section shall not be construed to limit any other provisions of this chapter.
 

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