White-tailed deer can cause significant damage to agricultural fields, gardens, landscaping, orchards, and nurseries. In many cases, management actions are necessary to mitigate damage and prevent future damage from occurring. This page provides information for landowners interested in implementing management techniques to reduce deer damage.
Deer Damage
- Although damage seems to appear suddenly, problems rarely happen overnight.
- Damage may result from recent landscape changes or insufficient herd reduction through natural mortality or hunting.
- The extent of deer damage may be influenced by the size of the local deer population, habitat availability, hunting pressure, disease, and human land-use patterns.
- Deer damage is minimal from a statewide perspective but can be severe in localized areas.
- Severe damage is usually the result of a highly preferred crop planted in an area of high deer density.
Damage Management
Indiana DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife is committed to careful, responsible management of the state’s deer population to balance the needs of wildlife and citizens. When setting healthy population goals in localized areas, wildlife biologists consider two things:
- Biological carrying capacity: the ability of the habitat to support the deer population
- Cultural carrying capacity: the tolerance of residents toward deer-related damage
With these carrying capacities in mind, biologists implement a variety of management techniques to manage deer damage and regain balance. Management techniques include hunting, exclusion, harassment, and repellants. The use of these techniques depends on the type of damage, degree of damage, size of the damaged area, and budget.
Management Techniques
Landowners can implement the recommended management techniques listed below to deter deer from causing damage to their property. Techniques are categorized by the type of damage they are most effective at preventing. This is not a comprehensive list, and some techniques may be suitable for multiple types of damage.
For additional information and support, contact a local district wildlife biologist.
Landscaping, Gardening, Residential/Urban Areas
In residential and urban areas, where deer damage may occur to landscaping and gardens, fencing, harassment, and community hunting may be effective management techniques.
Urban deer management has limitations specific to local ordinances. Methods for Managing Human-Deer Conflicts provides more information about living with deer in an urban and residential setting.
The techniques below are best suited for small areas, roughly 2 acres or less.
- Conventional Fencing
Deciding on a type of fence depends on the cost of materials vs. the benefit of protecting plants, length of time the affected plants are susceptible to deer damage, and whether the fence should be permanent or temporary. Conventional fencing is designed to provide a physical barrier to deer and is effective for protecting plants in backyards and residential areas.
Exclusion fence
- Exclusion fences are highly effective at restricting deer.
- They are constructed using two widths of woven wire fencing to provide a minimum vertical height of 8 feet. Deer can easily jump fences of lower heights.
- Fence posts are placed 10-12 feet apart.
- Plastic fencing manufactured specifically for deer exclusion is also available.
- Exclusion fences are best for small areas and highly valued crops for an extended period of time.
Image courtesy of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.
Snow fencing
- Lattice-type snow fencing can be used successfully around small garden plots.
- Deer tend to jump the fence if too large an area is surrounded.
- Snow fencing is less expensive than woven wire and can be removed and reused as needed.
Slanted outrigger fence
- The slanted outrigger fence is a modified woven wire fence and consists of stock wire strung on slanted outrigger braces.
- The braces are mounted to vertical fence posts.
- Deer are confused by the slanted fence and the distance required to clear it.
- A permanent or long-term slanted outrigger fence is more cost-effective than a temporary fence.
Image courtesy of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.
Binder twine fence
- The binder twine fence is a modified version of the woven wire fence.
- Binder twine is strung as a conventional fence around the crop, and it is strung in a horizontal grid over the top of the crop, completely surrounding the crop.
- Deer are reluctant to jump over and down through the twine.
- Binder twine fence is effective in protecting relatively small gardens and flower beds.
- Electric Fencing
Electric fence is intended to modify deer behavior. Temporary electric fences are simple, relatively inexpensive to install, and effective at protecting gardens. They require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure the electric current is flowing properly.
Single strand electric fence does not restrict deer well because it is difficult to properly ground the fence, deer can slip past the wire without being shocked, and the fence has low visibility. Modifications of the single strand electric fence, however, provide effective physical and psychological barriers to deer.
Scented Fence
- Scented fences are baited with liquid lures every 50 to 100 feet to provide deer with a negative experience.
- A concentrated scent is added to cotton inside a metal cap attached to the wire fence. Alternatively, peanut butter is applied to a piece of aluminum foil folded over the electrified wire.
- Deer are attracted to the lure and investigate, contacting the metal caps and foil in the process.
- After being shocked, deer learn to avoid the fenced area.
- Scented fences are effective for small gardens, nurseries, and orchards (up to 3 or 4 acres) that are subject to moderate deer pressure.
Image courtesy of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.
Polytape electric fence
- Polytape electric fence consists of a single strand of brightly colored polytape suspended about 30 inches above the ground.
- Polytape is a plastic ribbon about ½ inch wide that provides visibility and maintains tension while interwoven strands of stainless steel or aluminum wire carry electrical current. Deer are attracted to investigate the band of tape, curiously touch the tape with their nose, and receive a mild electric shock.
- Even in low light conditions, deer can still see the highly visible plastic tape and make the association between it and the electrical shock.
- Four-foot fiberglass slats used as the line posts may be placed as far as 60 feet apart between corners.
- Polytape fence is most effective at deterring deer in areas of 40 acres or less.
- A second strand of polytape may be added about six inches above the ground to deter raccoons or rabbits.
Advantages of polytape fences:
- Only one strand of polytape is needed to repel deer.
- Polytape is pliable and can be easily rolled up and stored when it’s no longer needed to protect the crop.
- Because it is lightweight, polytape fence requires minimal tension and, therefore, corner brace posts are not needed.
Image courtesy of Nebraska Cooperative Extension.
- Harassment
Harassment can be an effective technique to deter deer when applied consistently over time. The type of harassment may need to change periodically to prevent deer from becoming acclimated, which renders the harassment ineffective.
Dogs
- Dogs are effective deer deterrents in residential and urban areas when kept in a pen, on a chain, or contained by a fence in or near landscaping and gardens.
- Dogs should be placed in the area at least a month before damage is likely to occur.
Motion Sensing Deterrents
- Automated motion sensing lights and sprinklers that turn on when an animal walks by may scare deer and encourage them to leave.
- Place devices near landscaping and gardens that are likely to experience damage.
- Effective harassment may require several devices in a single area.
- It is best to have devices in place before damage occurs.
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- Repellents
- Most commercially available repellents are considered by wildlife biologists to have limited effectiveness at deterring deer.
- Excess moisture in the form of dew and humidity tends to reduce the potency of chemical repellents.
- Deer may ignore the repellent and consume the plant anyway.
- Repellents require consistent application to increase effectiveness.
