Using barbed wire to direct movement

[dtabor]

Wasnt sure where to post this. Ive read of people using barbed wire to direct the movement of deer. Much of what I see these days say to use hinging etc to block paths and funnel deer etc. My problem has always been that trees that I would normally hinge, are firewood! I live in a cold climate and heat with wood so dropping and leaving trees is like leaving money there on the ground. I had thought I could use 3 strands of barbed wire around perimeter property lines and leave openings like I would if I was dropping trees and leaving pathways. Still leave tops etc and could even "brush up" the fence using tops etc.

It would serve two purposes, mark my boundary lines and also create funnels.

 

[Bigeight]

It will serve a similar function as far as directing traffic. Just keep in mind when you use it around the border, it's on the edge of property line and easy for your neighbors to key in on the deers new found runway

 

[dtabor]

Yeah I had thought of that too. Could maybe do it a few yards inside the line so that its not as obvious.

 

[Bigeight]

Just so I was clear. I wasn't meaning so the neighbors don't "see" it. Rather, there is going to be a massive new deer trail funneling deer through the gap in your wire, or off the edge of it when they come/go across the property line. I would expect a neighbors tree stand to be <30 yards away from each gap. Funnels close to the line make GREAT ambush spots ....for both sides of the line.

 

[dtabor]

Right, understood. I meant that the deer basically travel all over in the main areas Im thinking of doing this. My thought was that if I moved it inward a ways, that they wouldnt start concentrating until they got further into my property. That probably would be the case until the deer learned the gap then it would still be a bee-line toward it, anyway.

 

[Bigeight]

If my property lines butts next to others in the woods, rather than run the hinges/fence along the perimeter/ parallel to the property line, where others may key in on those. I have hung stands 10-15 yards off the line, then started my hinges (fence) 25 yards away from my stand (bow hunting) going 90° for 50-75 yards perpendicular to my property line. It works great if you have good bedding in the center of your property. Even engulfing/including the barricade. You have your scent blowing over your neighbors property, and those bucks will cruise downwind of the bedding and out and around the end of your barricade. Puts them right in your lap. They get the wind how they want to scent check the bedding area, and you can keep the wind good for you and blowing off the property.

A few strands of wire would do a nice job of this if you were going to cut wood, I'd concentrate the efforts in areas where they would cater to making those Funnels even more affective.

 

[Sampson]

Just a thought and I am not sure what the laws would be in your area, but in some states a boundary fence line that is left in place and uncontested for a number of years will be considered the new boundary line. So if your thinking of placing the fence line off the boundary mark to keep your neighbors from sitting on your fence line to hunt, this maybe a bad idea. I would establish my boundary fence line then plan on a different approach to influencing the deer travel patterns. A simple top wire pulled down and hooked on the second wire down will make a good location to encourage the deer to start using. They are lazy and will choose the path of least resistance. I am not trying to change your mind or shoot down your ideas, I am just throwing this out there to be considered.

Keep us posted on what you decide to use and if your successful at influencing your deer travel patterns.


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[THE LLC]

Barbed wire dang sure funnels them in Nebraska. Even short fences.

 

[Chainsaw]

Barbed wire dang sure funnels them in Nebraska. Even short fences.

Interesting-how tall do they need to be? What wire spacing works the best and how long can it be and still be effective? Thanks LLC. I don't have any experience with barbed wire except for what is already there. Already there is only two wires to about thigh high and the deer definitely travel thru where it is down.

 

[j-bird]

This is just my opinion, but I would avoid using wire - especially barbed wire in the woods. In my area there is lots of old woven wire fence in the woods and it can be dangerous to people, and animals alike. If you don't know it's there it is nearly impossible to see. I am all for using brush to steer the deer and the like, and I understand the wire may help in that process, but you have to consider the long term as well after that brush breaks down. If your going to use wire at least use some sort of flagging on it to make it VERY visible. I have even heard of folks using snow fence before to sever this purpose as well. I am not trying to rain on the parade here - just offering a different perspective.

 

[OkieKubota]

I don't use barbed wire to funnel deer but have our land fenced completely around our hunting area on the borders. If fence funneled deer we would have trails alongside the fence running parallel to it but we don't. The does walk through it like it is not even there and the larger bucks simply jump it anywhere they like. The trails that cross it just walk right up to it and straight through...

 

[dtabor]

I don't use barbed wire to funnel deer but have our land fenced completely around our hunting area on the borders. If fence funneled deer we would have trails alongside the fence running parallel to it but we don't. The does walk through it like it is not even there and the larger bucks simply jump it anywhere they like. The trails that cross it just walk right up to it and straight through...

Ive seen it described both ways OK. Some say it moves them and if you tie it down then THAT is where they will cross and others where they just hop over it. To be honest it never made sense to me that they would bother to walk out of there way when a short 4' hop and they are on their way.

As far as the brush use as J-bird talks about, Ive cut alot and piled all of the brush that wasnt firewood around plots before to steer deer to a different entry point. It works for a couple years but breaks down so fast that after that, it doesnt even look like it was there in the first place. As I mentioned, Id love to hinge but my primary heat source in the winter is wood so cutting to leave there is a catch 22 for me, makes sense for habitat but not for financial reasons!

 

[OkieKubota]

Ive seen it described both ways OK. Some say it moves them and if you tie it down then THAT is where they will cross and others where they just hop over it. To be honest it never made sense to me that they would bother to walk out of there way when a short 4' hop and they are on their way.

As far as the brush use as J-bird talks about, Ive cut alot and piled all of the brush that wasnt firewood around plots before to steer deer to a different entry point. It works for a couple years but breaks down so fast that after that, it doesnt even look like it was there in the first place. As I mentioned, Id love to hinge but my primary heat source in the winter is wood so cutting to leave there is a catch 22 for me, makes sense for habitat but not for financial reasons!

If you already know where they are wanting to cross you can either pull the bottom wire up or the top wire down to make it more appealing for them and they might walk 20 yards one way or the other to cross at that point but if you think you are going to move them 50 yards from where they want to cross with 3 strands then that will be a non starter... Fence crossings are some great spots to sit but I just can't bring myself to sit next to one unless I own the land on both sides...

 

[MPlineman]

They sell different types of deer fencing that is made of plastic. It's pretty tall and you can zip tie it to trees or use posts. It is mostly advertised for around gardens but we use it to direct deer in the wanted direction, and it works great.

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[Buckly]

I agree deer fencing or netting is much safer. I usually drop some trees parallel to the fence just as a visual barrier then install the net behind. Keeps them from running in to it and they learn not to go that way in a short time.

 

[John Barnes]

There is barbed wire surrounding my property. To get the deer to enter where i wanted all i had to do was remove a couple of t-posts, so that the fence would sag in that area. Does cross with their fawns in the low spot, and just like that they're trained to enter in that spot from then on.