Best way to protect young trees from deer?
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Topic: Best way to protect young trees from deer?
Posted By: JBergie
Subject: Best way to protect young trees from deer?
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 9:16pm
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I'm thinking of planting quite a few white pines and some fruit trees (apple) on my land and there's whitetails running amok all over the place. (I can solve the problem one at a time in November but until then....) I'm looking for a way to keep these critters from nibbling off the buds and growth of my plantings. The trees are saplings- about three feet high. What's the best way to protect them? I thought about chain-link fencing rolled up and circulating the young trees then staking the fencing into the ground somehow. Or is there a cheaper/better way to protect the trees from deer? (And other critters of course) T-posts and snow fencing? Maybe just build some 'cages' from old pallets? Appreciate any ideas, ------------- D17 Series IV |
Replies:
Posted By: DiyDave
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 9:21pm
| 2 stakes and a plastic tree protector is what they use, at the nurseries, round here... |
Posted By: iowallis
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 10:12pm
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When I 1st planted some peach trees a number of years ago I hung some bars of small hotel soap from the branches. This seemed to keep the deer away and when it rained it "refreshed" the scent. The original article I read on this said to use Irish Spring soap but had a bunch of the hotel soap in the bathroom closet so used that instead. I also seen some young trees with 3 T-posts and some 4' chicken wire strung around them a few feet away to deture the deer.
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Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 10:45pm
| The only way here is 3 or4 steel posts set round the trees then wrapped with the orange/green plastic snow fence. |
Posted By: Walker
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 2:48am
| He might be a little expensive but I'd say Ted Nugent. |
Posted By: Animal Cracker
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 3:15am
bale of alfalfa and or food plot. Could pay dividends in November.  |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 3:19am
Walker  ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: mdm1
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 5:04am
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I would choose maybe white or black spruce vs white pine. The white pines don't have much of a chance against the deer. The spruce will do better in moist conditions also. As far as fruit trees go-put some kind of fence around them so the deer can't get to the branches. We don't worry to much about the other critters. Good luck. ------------- Everything is impossible until someone does it! WD45-trip loader 1947 c w/woods belly mower, 1939 B, #3 sickle mower 1944 B, 2 1948 G's. Misc other equipment that my wife calls JUNK! |
Posted By: jaybmiller
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 6:11am
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I'd do the '3-pallets' only cause my neighbours are close and one is a jerk otherwise today is November. I get pallets for free, so that's a ZERO cost and easy to install/remove. steel stakes cost $$ and have to be banged in. Always wanted to make a paper mache bear and ee if the deer would stay away. You could do that and oopsy, tried to kill the bear and a deer got hit..., and another and another..... ------------- 3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112 Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor) Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water |
Posted By: littlemarv
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 6:35am
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Here is my method, been working so far. The silver maples should be taller than the 6' fence this year. We will see if the swamp donkeys reach up and mow them off. https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/search_results_posts.asp?SearchID=20190323063219&KW=2017" rel="nofollow - https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/search_results_posts.asp?SearchID=20190323063219&KW=2017 ------------- The mechanic always wins. B91131, WC23065, WD89101, CA29479, B1, Early B10, HB212, 416H |
Posted By: john(MI)
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 8:40am
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I planted a whole bunch of white pine, and some spruce. Deer never bothered them. They did graze on the linden trees and magnolia. I put in a couple tee posts and put 2 x 4 woven wire around those. Last fall I had to raise it up a couple feet off the ground so they couldn't reach over it. I liked the wire fence because I could cut it to length and then use the short wires sticking out the end to loop around and hook the ends together. Then they make a nice hoop.
------------- D14, D17, 5020, 612H, CASE 446 |
Posted By: Hubert (Ga)engine7
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 9:13am
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I use concrete reinforcing wire for tomato cages so I just make a few extra for the fruit trees. I build them like John does so they are easy to remove when the trees get larger. Most of the time I put one metal post or scrap water pipe in the ground to keep them in place. ------------- Just an old country boy saved by the grace of God. |
Posted By: Ray54
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 12:22pm
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Use to be a lot of English walnuts grown here,15 trees to the acre so cheaper to cage each tree than fence whole orchard. What ever was cheap chicken wire,hog wire concrete wire. Steel posts ,or wood stakes, rebar,bamboo sticks rusted out pipe. Some people got by with one good stake most used 2, some went with 3. A stiff wire is better if you use 2 stakes, but one if the stake is good.The deer didn't seem to go in under the wire so common to see 36 inch hog wire 18 inchs off the ground. When jack rabbits were plentifull 4 or 5 foot chicken wire was used a lot.
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Posted By: bryani289swmi
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 3:54pm
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These days I plant all mine in tree tubes, spruce, pines, hardwoods, and fruit trees. I’ve got over 800 of them out and success rate is 90%+. The nuttall oak tree picture below was planted in the spring as the size of a No. 2 pencil, this is the fall of its second year, the tube is 5'. They’ve worked great for me. Thanks. Bryan  ------------- Sticks and stones may break my bones but hollowpoints explode on impact. |
Posted By: DMiller
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 6:15pm
| We tried white pine at Gladden MO, farm of Brother In Law, white tails liked that really well, would nibble off the soft needles back to a straight stick and it would die, did chicken wire then old tomato cages until got big enough we thought to handle then the bucks started using them for rub posts, out of a hundred managed to save just at a dozen. |
Posted By: AC7060IL
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 6:57pm
Diddo. Deer love pine trees. killed all my unfenced 4’ white pines. I’ll count up to 30 deer at times though. If the does don’t eat the tender shoots, then the bucks antler rub them til they die. But a sugar maple planted 30’ away that had corregated field tile around its trunk, was untouched. I always used the “soap in sock” trick. Tied socks on the Norwegian Furs up by our house. Seems to work...? No antler rubbing, but does still nibble at a few shoots. When I get up at 4am to pee, I’ll see deer silhouettes by the furs while it’s still dark outside. I then know the dog is asleep or warm in its spot & not leaving it. |
DMiller wrote:Posted By: steve(ill)
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 8:40pm
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Son wants to plant trees this spring.. State Forester said to use 6 inch PVC pipe like brian above.. I didn't think that would be enough sun, but what do I know... He said they will SHOOT UP toward the open hole in a couple years. ------------- Like them all, but love the "B"s. |
Posted By: wide
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 8:48pm
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I made a fence of branches around my 3 fruit trees the last 2 winters. This year I had an oak tree dropped off in my yard, even the branches. Made tripods and put branches between them. It was only 3 fruit trees so it was a circle. Looked pretty cool, folks took pictures and gossiped about it. I called it dancing trees. Before I started doing this my cherry tree was almost killed. Last year there were tracks from a whole herd heading toward my trees. They split when they got to them. One jumped inside but only 2 steps and it left, no bites. This year I made it a little taller and there were no problems, they wouldn't go near it. Not a big fan of art I guess. I tear it down and cut it up for firewood in the spring. For the hazelnuts I've been using my tomato cages. Stiff fencing rolled into a tube. I cut the edge off so all the wires are sticking out and stuff them down into the ground like stakes. |
Posted By: shameless dude
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 9:39pm
| ive seen others put a hog or chicky wire fencing in about a 2 ft circle around the young trees then attach a ribbon on the top to blow in the breeze to make it move. |
Posted By: wide
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 9:55pm
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That might be artsy enough to keep them away, ha. |
Posted By: ac hunter
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 9:28am
| I used some of the tree tubes about 20 years ago and they eliminated the deer damage. The nursery guy said the tubes would deteriorate by the time the tree was of large enough diameter to fill it. Well, they didn't and choked a few trees to death by the time I realized what was happening. Last ones I used I split lengthways when I installed them and all was well. |
Posted By: JBergie
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 5:39pm
MDM has been out to my place, so he knows it's kinda wet! There's some high ground and that's where I was hoping to put the trees. (Maybe spruce though as he suggests) Here at the house (in MN), spruce trees are dying off rapidly....lost two nice ones just last year. Tree guys are telling me not to plant spruce around here until the disease, etc is eradicated. Maybe over in WI it's not as bad (?) Pallets are free all over Craigslist, so I'll triangulate a structure around the saplings and wire them closed. I might also try some of those tubes on others and see if there's a difference. Thanks everyone for the suggestions! ------------- D17 Series IV |
Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 5:44pm
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I used corrugated plastic field tile, cut down the side and slip it 'round the tree's trunk... and use big zip ties to hold it shut at top and bottom. IF you put a big pile of thorny branches around it, they'll not be too inclined to jump in, but it's messy. If you have a pet lion, let it wander the yard at regular intervals, them deer will stay away... ------------- Ten Amendments, Ten Commandments, and one Golden Rule solve most every problem. Citrus hand-cleaner with Pumice does the rest. |
Posted By: bryani289swmi
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 7:32pm
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The folks I know that have used pvc or something similar haven’t had luck with it, the trees burned up from heat. The tree tubes are perforated to allow air flow and also allow sunshine through, they act like a mini greenhouse. The tree tubes are also scored that as the tree grows they break open on the scoring lines. Thanks. Bryan ------------- Sticks and stones may break my bones but hollowpoints explode on impact. |
Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 12:03am
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Master gardener Jerry Baker used to say save your pee and spread it around your trees or anything else you want deer to stay away from. They will smell it and think there's a predator in the area and stay away. I planted a couple cherry trees and once a week in warm weather I go outside to 'check the weather' as my father-in-law used to say. So far my trees have been left alone. ------------- "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford |
Posted By: chaskaduo
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 12:16am
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Do you do that for the garden too? ------------- 1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp |
Posted By: JBergie
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 9:20pm
Do I want to ask on how he suggested saving it? I can see my wife looking at the pickling jars all funny like! I do have the dilemma of A) keeping the deer away from the young trees, yet B) drawing them in so I can put some venison on the grill. (Something tells me a lion wouldn't let me have the deer back if it caught one. ------------- D17 Series IV |
Posted By: Ted J
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 6:02am
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Bergie, the tree tubes are the best bet for the fruit trees. I've tried ALL of the above ideas and had problems with all of them. I finally caved in and bought the actual tree tubes and have some nice BIG maples after years of the deer eating the tops and new branches off. It's the ONLY way to go, don't waste time (and $$$) doing anything else. Mike (mdm1) can attest to my nice maples. I've planted LOTS of blue spruce and balsam and the deer have never bothered them. YEARS ago I panted a bunch of white pines and about 3/4 of them made it to maturity. I have no idea what got the other 1/4 as I didn't care. Must have been better things for them to eat. Hope it helps..... ------------- "Allis-Express" 19?? WC / 1941 C / 1952 CA / 1956 WD45 / 1957 WD45 / 1958 D-17 |
Posted By: mdm1
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 7:47am
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John we planted apple trees and used the trunk wrap that expands with the tree. (like a flat plastic spring) We put wire fencing around each tree. It doesn't have to be to the ground as the deer won't crawl under it just to protect the branches. One thing about apple trees where you are is-the water table is very high so they don't develop deep roots so they need to be staked. Keep in mind also that you are not living there and the natural vegetation tends to overwhelm the pines. We planted 400 pines and the survival rate was very low because we couldn't maintain the area around them. We did plant white oaks and got around 10% survival which is about the average for seedlings. Good luck and stop over for a beer sometime! ------------- Everything is impossible until someone does it! WD45-trip loader 1947 c w/woods belly mower, 1939 B, #3 sickle mower 1944 B, 2 1948 G's. Misc other equipment that my wife calls JUNK! |