Protecting food plots

[Drycreek]

I cannot remember if it was Greg Ritz or Pat and Nicole from the outdoor shows, but whichever one it was they had put up a snow type fence around a plot. They permanently installed large posts and than installed two rows to get like eight or nine feet high. Once they were ready to open the plot to deer they just rolled back a few sections.

I see the Gallager deer fence is like $,1800 for 3 acres. I wonder what the cost would be to do 3 acres with snow fencing. I also wonder what might hold up better in the long run.

I tried to source snow fence from a buddy who did purchasing for a city agency but sadly he never came through. In my case it probably worked out for the best as I suck at food plotting

When you say snow fence are you talking about the rolls of picket fence or something else ?

 

[Double L]

the gallager deer fence I have had great succes with. We use it on most of our soybean plots. Our deer got trained like cows and became fence walkers around it. I probably put up 10 - 15 acres a year. for $300 you buy a gas powered post driver. Well worth it.

this was a few years ago when I tested the Gallagher fence. I fenced right up the middle of the plot. I had to do this to convince wife the fence was worth it.



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[Tap]

this was a few years ago when I tested the Gallagher fence. I fenced right up the middle of the plot. I had to do this to convince wife the fence was worth it.



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I couldn't grow this without an E fence.

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[Drycreek]

this was a few years ago when I tested the Gallagher fence. I fenced right up the middle of the plot. I had to do this to convince wife the fence was worth it.



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How do you keep that fence hot with the plants grounding it, or is it already turned off in the pic ?

 

[Double L]

How do you keep that fence hot with the plants grounding it, or is it already turned off in the pic ?

This was first time using it. I now plant clover around edges then keep that weed wacked. It works much better keeping weeds and grass away.


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[Chainsaw]

Thanks Chainsaw. I've been thinking about e-fencing a 3/4 acre plot down south. It's so small nothing can get a start. I've got my ph in pretty good shape but the deer just destroy it.

You are welcome Drycreek. Yeah,3/4 acre is tough to start in some locations. We had to train the deer here that the fence was there and that it hurt them to touch it. My wife rolled three inch strips of aluminum foil around the wire every thirty feet or forty feet and put peanut butter on the foil (likely the peanut butter traps were much closer together than needed). The deer learned almost immediately and stopped running into it. Before that having no fear of the fence or even knowledge that it was there they would run into the fence and break it.

 

[Tap]

My deer learned quickly. I didn't do the foil and peanut butter thing. I just put the fence up and they saw it, sniffed it, and learned the hard way. I think I've only had them break it once in 6 years.
The weed-grounding happens, but but my deer seem to know and avoid the fence anyway. Its pretty tough to keep up with weeds or forage from growing into the fence, but the fence does self-prune to an extent. But even if its partially grounding, there seems to still be enough juice to deter the deer.

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[Drycreek]

The only reservation I have is the hogs. Where I need this fence, we have a ton of rooters. They are so bad they will eat soybean seeds out of the ground when you plant them. I was thinking of maybe putting a wire about 6/8 inches off the ground on the outside fence, but I don't know if that would work or not. I guess I'll just have to try it and see.

 

[Double L]

The only reservation I have is the hogs. Where I need this fence, we have a ton of rooters. They are so bad they will eat soybean seeds out of the ground when you plant them. I was thinking of maybe putting a wire about 6/8 inches off the ground on the outside fence, but I don't know if that would work or not. I guess I'll just have to try it and see.

I think it would work. I would use the wire not the ribbon down low. Maybe 10” so grass doesn’t contact it so easily.


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[CTM1]

When you say snow fence are you talking about the rolls of picket fence or something else ?

Sorry just got back here. As I recall it was rolls of plastic snow fencing, no pickets. Ever see the orange snow fencing or orange plastic construction fencing. It was just like that but a different color as I recall.

 

[Drycreek]

Sorry just got back here. As I recall it was rolls of plastic snow fencing, no pickets. Ever see the orange snow fencing or orange plastic construction fencing. It was just like that but a different color as I recall.

Yes. In the oilfield we called it safety fence. That would probably work for deer, but the hogs would probably eat it.

 

[DRandall90]

I have about 3-4 acres total of food plots on my 50 acres of land. I am on the WI/MN border about 1.5 hours north of Minneapolis. Last year I planted about 3 acres of soy beans and they never got taller than about 2 inches. The deer just mowed them down. Every night there would be 4-8 deer at a time feeding. Late in the year I then over seeded with some clover and winter wheat. I also seeded a new .5 acre clover/ brassica plot. Again they just mowed it down. Now its late season archery and the deer have pretty much all left my area in search of food. Minimal activity on trail cameras, and not much for sightings. The only ag in my area is about a mile away. I need a way to protect some of the food plots so I have some late season food for them. I was thinking about putting up some snow fence on the smaller plots that I have next year. I was told by a friend that if the area is small enough that they won't jump into it for fear they won't have room to get out. I also have heard that if you double fence it that will help as well because of the depth perception.

I was thinking if I did a couple 8-12 foot diameter circles or rectangles with orange snow fence they may be small enough that they would not jump into them. Has any one tried this or tried to put up a double fence? Say I did a 12ft diameter snow fence and then did a row of caution tape 2 feet out from that on another set of poles? I was then thinking I could rotate the fenced areas around to let the wheat and clover have a chance. Basically instead of mowing once the area was too long the deer would do it, then rotate fence back to open new area.

On the larger soybean field I am thinking I will need to do milorganite or something to give the beans a chance. I don't think I ever got a single pod this year. Electric fence would be a large cost and would need multiple controllers with solar. I'm trying to find cheaper way to protect the beans and other food plots so I have something to offer late season. Last FYI I also have plenty of bears around.

This year all I have done is shot does to try and control the population (and the mature bucks I have one never walked by my stand). I have also done some hinge cutting to provide more food. There are plenty of oaks for early season food. The easy late season food is a mile away in the form of a picked corn field.

Thanks in advance for any help or advise.

I'm in the same area as you roughly and one question I certainly have to ask.... Are you sure they didn't leave your area in search of thermal cover instead of food. We have a property that has tons of food up to and through the winter but our deer become scarce in winter due to lack of thermal cover (which we are working to remedy). Deer are known to migrate as much as 10 miles to find better habitat to overwinter.