Install Wire Mesh Deer Fencing

How to Install Wire Mesh Deer Fencing

Deer can really wreak havoc in your garden. Put up a fence to keep them out.

1 Choose a fencing that is sturdy and corrosion- and UV-proof.
2 Remember that deer are good jumpers. Install either 8-foot-high fencing or 4-to-6-foot fencing with a row of shrubs set 5 feet back from the fence to deter jumping.
3 Survey the area to be fenced. You'll want to use existing trees wherever possible to keep the area looking natural.
4 Sink a 12-foot post wherever the trees are too far apart. Optimum distance between posts or trees is 20 feet. Posts must be able to withstand leaning and harsh weather.
5 Use at least two people to stretch the fencing tightly between each attachment point. Fence staples or roofing nails are the most commonly used fasteners.
6 Install the fence on the outside of the trees and posts to keep the fence from being knocked down by an errant animal.
7 Prevent deer from slipping under the fence by tacking down the bottom at 5- to 6-foot intervals with hooked ground stakes.
8 Run a strand of wire along the top of the fence to help strengthen it.
9 Tie white strips (about 2 inches wide) every ten feet at the 4-foot level to alert deer of the presence of the fence.