Protect them from day 1 … The best way to protect your trees from antler rubbing is to make it hard for a deer to get close to your trees. By fall, the antlers are fully grown, but the velvet coat starts to itch. The best thing you can do to protect your trees from deer antler rubbing is to prevent the deer from getting close to the tree trunk or branches. I don't discriminate--I'll shoot any legal deer. At this point, you might be thinking, “How will a fence just 6 feet tall keep out the deer?” Well, it’s true that deer can jump a fence of that height, but because I’m enclosing such a small area (with a tree filling most of it), it would take a very bold (or a very stupid) deer to enter such an unforgiving, restricted space. If the tree wrap touches the ground it … They’ll do one of two things. Protecting Young Pecan Trees Against Deer Damage Tree . In this area, we’ve had a lot of problems with deer and young fruit trees. It seems that deer like nothing better than to eat special plants standing out in the open—forget that there’s a whole national forest to consume, let’s focus on fruit trees—so I knew beforehand that my trees would be vulnerable to deer if left unguarded. Deer love trees that are easy targets, so the best way to protect your plant is to make it hard to reach. He lives on a farm in northern Wisconsin, where he cares for more than 100 apple trees and one 40-foot pear tree that should have been pruned long ago. Instead, my trees are happy and healthy, protected from harm while they wait for the taller perimeter fence to be constructed. There are several ways to do this. Plastic drain pipes also make an effective barrier. This will take more effort than the above deterrents but it’s the best, permanent deer-proofing solution available. Deer stripped new growth off young fruit trees, cats used vegetable plots for litter boxes, and visiting dogs dashed through flower and vegetable gardens, trampling as they went. The wrapping needs to start at the lowest branch and go down as far as possible toward the ground. For a description of fencing types see BPG Fencing. Deer Deterrents. J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, farmer, blogger and videographer with a passion for pruning trees. So I’m sure you can understand my concern when I planted 10 young fruit trees to start a new orchard on my farm. My related channel, Yankee Militia, showcases my music. New antlers, coated with a furry, velvet-like cover, start to form in the spring. Netting is one way to protect your fruit from hungry birds and squirrels while still allowing light and air into the tree's canopy. Caring for fruit trees can be a fun and relaxing activity that reduces your stress and gives you access to fresh fruit. Another way to scare the deer off is to spray them with water. Mar 26, 2016 - Deer damage to trees is most often the result of males rubbing and scraping their antlers against the tree, causing significant damage. @deathbybunjie (https://twitter.com/deathbybunjie)Gear used by me (not necessarily in this video, but in general):HUNTING:Excalibur Axiom, upgraded with a Dyna Flemish string and Vari-Zone scope from Excalibur--recurves are simply perfect!Firebolt arrows with Burt Coyote LumenocksX-Act Broadheads (also from Excalibur)Scent A-way products by Hunter's SpecialtiesFILMING:Canon T5i (or 700D for you foreigners) DSLR cameraGoPro Hero 2, Hero 3 Black Fencing*– excluding deer from areas using fences. The album for the current season is available wherever you download music online, and the Special Edition CD is available on Amazon.com.Check me out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/deathbybunjieSubscribe here on Youtube.Twitter? Although there are a number of popular ways to scare deer away from gardens, a determined male deer in rut isn’t going to be bothered by a banging pie tin or the smell of soap hanging from your tree. Please try again. So, I wound up constructing variations of the simple, effective fence I built to protect the farm garden from marauding deer. Have you ever seen 30 deer at a single time? Ultimately, I plan to surround the entire orchard area with 8-foot, deer-proof fencing that will eliminate the issue once and for all. There are a number of methods of protection that can be used which are described below. Because deer are stubborn, resilient and surprisingly capable of overcoming blockades, it would have to be a good fence. This channel is the result of combining my interest in filming and hunting......and music, too! You will usually need to buy the plastic tubes called tree shelters. Episode 22: Protecting Fruit Trees from Deer, Squirrels and other Critters When it comes to deer gnawing on the branches of your young fruit trees, the buck stops here! It might sound ambitious, but it was really pretty simple. Published on November 4, 2013 by . Set posts a few feet outside of the base of your tree and affix this strong mesh material to prevent deer from having access to your trees. Instead of building a fence around your entire woodlot you put a small fence, cage or plastic tube around each tree. To do that, I set up this channel to showcase the crossbow and help others film their hunts and get those videos online. Protect Fruit Trees From Deer You. There are a number of fencing methods with some more successful than others in keeping deer away from fruit trees. No matter whom you expect to harvest the apples, one thing is for certain: If you do not protect the newly planted and young trees from deer, the trees will never reach maturity to bare fruit. Ultimately, I plan to surround the entire orchard area with 8-foot, deer-proof fencing that will eliminate the issue once and for all. Provide protection from browsing and barkstripping or f… Fencing and Tree Guards for Deer. An adult deer can eat about six pounds of plant material daily – that’s a lot of plants! Many a homeowner has lost the battle with the cunning local squirrel. I hunt almost exclusively with the crossbow. Deer further damage trees by chewing on low branches as well as pawing at the soil below a tree, and urinating around it to mark territory. If you're not on-site as you suggested in another question, it may be too late when you find out you do have deer nibbling them. Your email address will not be published. Wrap the hardware cloth or plastic tree guard around the base of the tree. Tree shelters work only on trees with leaves and not needles, but cages work with either. Young trees require protection so they can establish themselves without disturbance, with browsing deer and lawn trimming equipment among the major threats to young trees. However, fruit trees can sometimes be destroyed by foraging animals like squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons. If deer are only an occasional issue in your garden, you may find that they provide enough protection. Sure, like a lot of kids, I started hunting with a good ol' Model '94 Winchester 30-30 back in the 80's, but drifted away from hunting when I went off to college, law school, and started a family. To keep deer from rubbing trees, you’ll need a much more hands-on approach. … Squirrel Fruit Tree Protection. They will return to the same trees and repeat the same behavior, so it's important to protect tree trunks. I won’t go into the specifics, but the big hold up is that we are currently waiting to clear off a section of the land so that … Your email address will not be published. Deer love eating apples and apple trees.Many plant apple trees for themselves, some for wildlife, including deer. Because these fences are only temporary until I build that perimeter fence, I’m not too concerned about weeds coming up around each tree. The most reliable method for deer proofing fruit trees is fencing. But because a project of that scope takes time to prepare and construct, I needed to start with a simpler solution. I want to help spread the hunting lifestyle. Even our own dog loved to dig in planted areas rather than the natural wooded areas. Keep limbs away from the home where they will often gain access to the tree. While deer may look harmless enough, they’re the single biggest wintertime threat to shrubs and young trees. Meet The Honking Geese Running Free At Hoof And Feather, New Regenerative Farm Certification In The Works, Petaluma Was A Poultry Town: California’s Egg Rush, Build a Simple Fence to Protect Fruit Trees From Deer. They’ll either eat all the leaves as they come out in the spring, or they’ll use them for rubs in the fall. Up on my northern Wisconsin farm, deer are a pretty big issue. I’m talking about deer. Because I’m not as concerned about smaller critters in the orchard as I am in the garden, I skipped the step of adding hardware cloth to the bottom of the wire enclosures, choosing to install only the 6-foot welded wire. Culling–maintaining low deer densities to prevent over-browsing and fraying of tree species. The use of deer repellents can also be used for keeping deer away from trees. Because it usually takes a lot of time for trees to bear fruit, this can be incredibly frustrating. Here is my deer protection solution for young fruit trees: a cylinder of wire fencing, open on both ends, about 5-6 feet (1.5-2m) high, and about 3 feet (1m) in diameter. In the end, it took very little time to construct a fence around each tree, and thus far the results have been perfect. If you have many trees, surround the entire area with woven-wire fencing. My husband built fences higher and higher around the orchards. This means that it’s easy for me to open up the wire to access the inside of the fence, which is ideal for weeding and for adding or removing tree wrap and tree guards from the trunks. As my daughter got older, I regained my interest in the outdoors, and I consider myself lucky to hunt on the same property today that I hunted on as a kid. We have so many plans for it, but honestly time, money, and circumstances have made things move slower than we had hoped. Fencing must be at least 6-8 feet tall to effectively keep deer out. Now we have it figured it out with big cages and I discuss that in this video.To custom make your cages, here's the math:100 foot roll 4' high, about $7510 foot lengths yields 10 cages, a little over 38\" each12' 6\" lengths yields 8 cages, about 4' each14' 4\" lengths yields 7 cages, about 54\" each16' 7\" lengths yields 6 cages, about 5' 4\" each25' lengths yields 4 cages, each about 8 feet across!50 foot roll 5' high, about $50, needed if deer are more aggressive10 foot lengths yields 5 cages, a little over 38\" each12' 6\" lengths yields 4 cages, about 4' each16' 7\" lengths yields 3 cages, about 5' 4\" each25' lengths yields 2 cages, each about 8 feet across!I hope that helps!This is not a channel about shooting big bucks. Every spring, deer trade in their old antlers for new ones. Culling may still be required where individual protection is in use to control populations. Alas, if you’re trying to protect a larger tree from getting the fruit taken off it, you will need to use more fence and make a wider circle around the tree in order to keep the deer away from the fruit that could be growing on the branches, Install a Motion-Sensor Water Sprinkler. They will also rub their antlers on a tree, damaging it irreparably. planted 10 young fruit trees to start a new orchard on my farm, to protect the farm garden from marauding deer. Protecting Fruit Trees from Deer. How to Protect Apple Trees (and Nut Trees) from Deer - YouTube Fencing is the most effective way to protect trees from deer. We were frustrated. I love it. However, it is not good for the tree wrap to touch the ground. Here’s hoping that the trees blossom and produce fruit next year. I have. And it’s easy to lift this cylinder up and set it aside to do weed control and mowing around the tree. I've planted 28 trees now, and gone through several methods of protecting them from deer. Install a plastic or metal mesh trunk guard around the apple tree’s bottom. The main ingredient, of course, was 6-foot welded wire fencing, which I attached with zip ties to a quartet of metal T-posts to form a square of protective wire around each tree. Because deer are stubborn, resilient and surprisingly capable of overcoming blockades, it would have to be a good fence. You can make tree cages yourself with fencing. Includes permanent, temporary and electric types. Thank you for choosing this service. When damage to trees is severe and there is a large deer population that isn’t likely to go away anytime soon, fencing is the most reliable deterrent. This can be done in a variety of ways. Saturday we went out to the land to try get some work down. So, in order to protect them, I’ve used concrete reinforcement wire. Tree shelters – plastic. Prevent deer from eating fruit trees tree protection best practice guidance tree guards protecting trees from mice planting fruit trees people s trust protecting from deer damage to fruit trees deer proofing fruit trees tips on. That’s wide enough to not tip easily, and it keeps the deer away from the tree. To prevent damage to your tree from male deer, the tree guard on your tree should cover the trunk to a height that is slightly taller than the average buck. However, in case weeds do start to get out of hand, I left one end of the wire around each tree disconnected from its stake, choosing instead to tie the wire in place. How To Protect Young Trees From Deer Rabbits Small Animals. Caging the Apple Trees for Deer Protection. Learn how to protect your trees from deer … Required fields are marked *. ;)I want to help make YouTube the #1 place for quality hunting entertainment. Please let us know a convenient time to call you on, (*All time slots are available in CDT zone.). Deer Damage to Shrubs and Trees. Protect new trees from deer with sprays you can mix up at home. A solution of 6 percent hot sauce and 94 percent water or straight blended up habaneros at 8 percent and 92 percent water will offend the deer’s sense of taste. With the sides of the square measuring about 6 feet long (just enough to enclose my trees with some room to spare on each side), I needed about 25 feet of wire per tree, so 250 feet total plus 40 T-posts. Since deer usually return to the same location, it’s important to know how to protect your trees from deer, especially if the trees have previously been damaged. Trees can be surrounded with fencing or other suitable barriers to offer deer rub tree protection. Plant them together correctly spaced and put deer proof fencing around all of them in a single area, as otHers have suggested. Why do deer rub their velvet off their antlers onto trees? That is where protecting trees from deer with tree shelters and cages comes in. They also seem to dislike chicken eggs … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The soundtrack for this channel is provided by my band, so the two are intertwined. I’ve seen plenty of deer wandering through my orchard, but I’ve found no evidence that they’ve interfered with the fences or tried to push through to grab a bite. Wrap the plastic or metal mesh around the tree, paying attention to not damage the bark. These repellents are usually clipped or hung from the branches of trees and shrubs that deer enjoy. Oh, they’re nice enough to watch frolicking in the fields or meandering along the edges of the forest, but they’re voracious eaters, very destructive and altogether too numerous. Because I had no intention of allowing my future orchard to be eaten by hungry deer before I’d tasted so much as a single apple or plum, I knew I needed to construct fences around the trees to keep the deer away. Even in the best of circumstances, repellents will never completely eliminate deer damage, but they can help reduce it. Most gardeners are familiar with squirrel baffles for bird feeders and some forms of tree barriers. Some of the music is hunting-related, so check that out, too! The best way to accomplish this is by putting up fencing. Our experts will call you on your preferred time. I got the Excalibur Axiom crossbow in 2010 and I haven't looked back. Either way, they can destroy a fruit tree. Here are some of the suggestions: Plastic tree wrap can be wrapped around the tree trunk. Of course, this won’t always be possible through simple spraying — you won’t … And as far as squirrels and raccoons go, we're also drawing the line. However, in order to be effective, it must be at … Now is the ideal time to protect your trees from deer damage. Protecting Trees from Deer Rubs. There is error while submitting your request. 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