Trouble with deer who learned to jump electric fence

[Hoytvectrix]

I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what to do about deer who have learned to jump a Gallagher style temporary electric fence. I keep a cell camera on each of our food plots just in case The fence goes down for whatever reason and have noticed a few or the same deer getting in.

We got really dry for about a week or 10 days and I think the charge on the fence wasn't strong enough or the temptation of the only soybeans around got too much, and now we are regularly getting deer inside the fence despite it still functioning.

Any thoughts on what to do? Can the distance between the two fences be widened? More tape/string above and below where the current lines are? Just accept that some deer will hop fences now?

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

You could bait the fence with Peanut butter In a few strategic locations hoping that would knock them back. Or maybe run a 3rd line in diagonal between all your posts like a W pattern. This way you don’t have to buy a bunch of posts. I ran a double fence of single strand poly rope with flagging tape and so far it’s kept them out (but it’s only poplar and willow whips).

I did see where a deer had obviously jumped the fence and took my line for a ride about 30 yards into the field. Would have liked to been a fly on the wall for that one!

 

[yoderjac]

Spacing is key for that fence. If you get the spacing wrong they may be crawling in rather than jumping. I like to both twist and bait the outer tape so it flutters in the wind as a visual cue. I have known guys to have to add a third internal wire above the other two. I never had that issue. On a rare occasion, a deer may get spooked and jump in. It is not that deer can't physically jump in but that they are reluctant to because of the design and their inability to judge distance. Using inner turbo-wire rather than tape is important so they see something is there but not see it clearly. Another key question to ask if deer are getting in is about the availability of food outside the fence. When food is scarce, deer will take much more risk and become quite bold to get food.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

I made it to the farm this past week. The batteries in the chargers were going bad. I went and watched one of the fences one night and watched deer jump over and some just walked though. Reference photos below. I changed out the battery in one and the deer got zapped and clearly spooked, but others just jumped it all together. A camera left on this fence still showed deer getting in, despite the fully charged battery.

My question for those with more experience, should we just go a year without the fence, or by this time next year will they have "unlearned" they can get around it?

 

[yoderjac]

If it is a gallagher style e-fence and spaced properly, deer should not be able to crawl through it providing batteries are fully charged. I'm guessing you have a problem with the battery or charging system if they went dead. Most fencers are setup so that in full sun they should stay charged.

Now, to address your problem, deer that have learned to jump it. I know some guys that have to add a third wire on the top of the inner fence. From the pictures, I'd say you are far past establishment where the fence is critical. Peanut button on aluminum foil on the outer fence will help retrain some deer.

 

[Spike_Horn_Shooter]

From raising hogs and cattle - once they know they can beat a fence - it’s tough to keep them on the right side. (It’s a sight to be seen a 2000lb bull jump a 5’ tall hi-tensile fence to get to your neighbors heifers! I’d run a stringer of just poly rope 8’ high. Put some flagging on it so they know it’s there. The ploy rope - not tape - is inexpensive and you can tighten it up much better than the tape. I’d bet they try and get caught up and tear shit up - but there only going to do that once.

 

[goatman]

What do you have for a ground rod? Like mentioned. Once they have gotten through it's tough to turn them with a solar unit. Also failure comes with not enough grounding.

 

[SwampCat]

I quit soybeans and sunflowers in favor of clover and wheat. Life is much easier, now - and have just as many deer and same quality antlers as before

 

[Catscratch]

I quit soybeans and sunflowers in favor of clover and wheat. Life is much easier, now - and have just as many deer and same quality antlers as before

Bingo!
Two weeks after I had a doe learn how to navigate my electric fence I took it down and never put it back up. Having raised animals I know that once they can get through they will always get through... and they teach others. If you don't want give up on the fence then kill the doe. It's your only hope at sanity! May the force be with you in these dire times.

 

[Nightvision]

No experience with the fence but old does are a problem. I’d shoot her asap and anyone else she led to the dark side Or just give up on beans.

 

[SwampCat]

My next door neighbor is a cattle rancher. Uses lot of single strand electric to position his cattle. They get one free pass if they get on the other side of the fence. Second time, and they get a free pass to the processor.

 

[yoderjac]

I quit soybeans and sunflowers in favor of clover and wheat. Life is much easier, now - and have just as many deer and same quality antlers as before

Good point! I too gave up soybeans. I'm using sunn hemp and buckwheat to cover our summer stress period. For fall, WR/CC/PTT/GHR mix into the summer plots and perennial clover in our small kill plots. I find this efficient and effective.