Tall fences, 9’ excessive, are the solely method to really deer-proof an space, they will and can bounce over something shorter. If you wish to develop one thing actually engaging to deer, like a veggie backyard, a fence is the solely method to maintain it 100% protected.
Small fences can shield particular person crops. A circle of 5’ tall fencing round a single tree or shrub will normally maintain the deer out. You need to use small fence circles to guard particular crops when they’re younger, particularly timber. As soon as the timber are tall sufficient to flee the deer’s attain you possibly can take away the fence.
Most repellents work properly, if used as directed, and that’s a giant “if”. You need to reapply repellents religiously, when you skip an utility these deer will probably be again instantly. I like to recommend utilizing repellents with all new plantings in deer inclined areas, even when putting in crops which have confirmed resistant in the previous. The deer love novelty, so something new is fascinating to them. The repellent ought to maintain them away whereas the plant is a novelty. Hopefully, by the time it wears off they may have realized it isn’t one thing they need in any case.
Biodiversity can shield your backyard too. Plant as many alternative species as you possibly can as an alternative of giant swaths of the similar factor. In case your deer immediately resolve they like azaleas, and also you’ve planted nothing however azaleas since you thought they have been protected, your total backyard will probably be eaten. If, nonetheless, you planted 50 completely different species of flowering shrubs, simply one among which was azalea, the deer may eat your azaleas with out having a big effect on the panorama as a complete.
In the event you’re planting timber, select taller specimens whose leaves are above the top deer can attain. Sometimes, the small deer in North Florida received’t browse above 5’. They will stand on their again legs to succeed in increased, however that conduct is unusual.
Male deer prefer to rub their antlers on small diameter tree trunks. Even when deer don’t wish to eat a tree, this rubbing can strip the bark off a tree and kill it. They normally rub low on the trunk, so any barrier that protects the backside 2’ ought to cease this conduct. There are wraps for trunks, you possibly can arrange a small fence round the trunk, or you possibly can strive pounding some wood stakes into the floor round the trunk.