deterring deer

[Dexter's Shed]

I've seen evidence in my wood that deer have been in -

probably a few hours, but that's what shooters do, it's not all about the killing, I've been out somedays and not shot a thing, but being in the great outdoors makes up for it,
a shooter in a high chair would position himself before dawn, and stay for a few hours, as deer tend to come around when no ones there

[Wendelspanswick]

What a about a trip wire gun, perfectly legal in the UK and cheap.
Its a trip wire attached to a device that fires a blank 12 gauge shot gun cartridge. On this website the device is £15 and 20 cartridges is £10, I have seen them cheaper but I can't find the website!

http://www.airpistol.co.uk/alarm_gun_tr ... ivated.htm

[Dexter's Shed]

What a about a trip wire gun, perfectly legal in the UK and cheap.
Its a trip wire attached to a device that fires a blank 12 gauge shot gun cartridge. On this website the device is £15 and 20 cartridges is £10, I have seen them cheaper but I can't find the website!

http://www.airpistol.co.uk/alarm_gun_tr ... ivated.htm

but unless someone is constantly reloading it, one bang and it's finished until the next visit

[Wendelspanswick]

If you are electronically minded you could setup some strategically placed IR beams linked to high dB noise generators. A combined emitter and receiver on one tree and a reflector on another tree. A battery and a cheap small solar panel and it would run for months without maintenance.

[smojo]

Yes been thinking about some sort of trip wire, maybe some sort of Heath Robinson affair with wire and pulleys and old beer cans suspended above. But then

If you are electronically minded you could setup some strategically placed IR beams linked to high dB noise generators. A combined emitter and receiver on one tree and a reflector on another tree. A battery and a cheap small solar panel and it would run for months without maintenance.

Fantastic idea. I am a retired telecoms engineer and one of my other interests is messing about with electronic stuff. I shall look into that one. Great suggestion thanks.

[ballibeg]

I've kept them out of one area I'm regenerating with two stand electric fencing off a 12v leisure battery.

[oldclaypaws]

The electric fence is quite a smart suggestion, and yesterday I decided to have a sprinkle on a particular Hazel stool which the darlings have severely nibbled, partly as an experiment to see if this technique still works. I've tried it before and seem to recall some success. Just be careful if combining these two techniques, electricity and sprinkling, to have accurate aim. You wouldn't want your stream of deer deterrent to contact an electric fence.

[smojo]

I've kept them out of one area I'm regenerating with two stand electric fencing off a 12v leisure battery.

How long does the battery hold up before needing a recharge?

[oldclaypaws]

It'll be a similar system to the wiring used for chicken electric fencing, used to deter foxes. The batteries can last months. An issue to watch is that if any green matter contacts the wire, you lose your 'shock' and the fence becomes ineffective, because all the pulse goes via the plant matter into the ground. Therefore you have to strim along the ground layer under the fence regularly and also make sure no branches are touching the wire, so in a wood it might be quite high maintenance. It should also be remembered deer are excellent jumpers and could easily get over a fence the normal height of a poultry electric fence- deer fences tend to be about 1.8 meters. The height you'd need would depend on your deer species.
A further complication is batteries are one of the most nicked items in the countryside as 2/3rds of their value is the lead- its like leaving £40 cash out in the open to an opportunist thief.

[oldclaypaws]

I was starting to get a bit narked about Bambi & pals persistently nibbling the hazel I coppiced this winter, it seemed to be becoming a daily ritual for them to have a light snack on my shoots, they've been doing it for months. So for the last couple of weeks I applied essence of Paws on a particular Hazel I'm fond of, and not only have they stopped nibbling it, they've left all the others around it alone. It may only be coincidence, but I believe the 'sprinkling of man scent' is working.

To that end, I spent three days saving some of my deer repellent in an empty plastic milk bottle, collecting just over a litre. I then topped it up with water to make 4 pints of solution, and poured it into a garden sprayer. In the wood, it goes a surprisingly long way, I was able to give a good drenching to all my regenerating Hazels, a few sweet chestnuts they've nibbled, and strategically round the bushes on the boundary where I know they come in, in all about 20 locations from a fairly modest amount.

After three days in a bottle the liquid was certainly getting 'fully fragrant', any older and it might put me off going near the chosen Hazels.

At a cost of about £8 for the sprayer, its got to be a low cost option worth trying. Saves water too by not flushing.