living deer fence

[Treeation]

Not sure why I have never thought of this before but surely a living hedge for a permanent coppice area would be a good idea for deer protection. Given the high costs of permanent deer fencing and the need to replace it every decade or two I am keen to find a more cost effective, environmental and productive solution. I have already explored dead hedges and piling brash around stools and am aware of their pros and cons.

Say planting a row stagerred row of native species such as hawthorn or hazel (preferably from propagated off the coppice stools) around the coupe with a gate for access. It wouldn't give immediate protection but would be a natural permanent way of protecting from browsers with also the added ecological benefits and the harvesting of poles and firewood for years to come.

I might even try it!

Anyone ever seen this? Thoughts?? Suggestions??

[Dexter's Shed]

similarly, I fancied having a laid hedge along my boundary with a public footpath, got a few quotes, cheapest was £7 per meter, almost double what I could get a sheep netting and post fence for

[Treeation]

Yes but how long would a sheep net last with softwood stakes - 5-10years is seems so you need to factor in as well in your costs. A living hedge well managed could last for hundreds of years, where as your looking at replacing stockfencing every 10 years with softwood or at the best 25 years with sweetchestnut as stakes.

[oldclaypaws]

I doubt there are many hedges that will prove to be any sort of effective permanent barrier against deer. They are good jumpers and wrigglers. I have decent hedges but when my dogs chase a Roe they seem to head for the nearest bit of hedge and are through it in a split second as if it hardly existed.

[Treeation]

Yes I think the hedge would have tobe checked over and any holes filled with deadhedge. It would be a challenge requiring a fairly regular input.

[Treeation]

But saying that the regular checking for holes could would only be for a couple of years until coppice regrowth pulled away then the hedge could left for five or so years and relaid a year before coppice is cut again.

[oldclaypaws]

You're assuming the deer won't eat the coppiced regrowth of your hedge (Hazel shoots are a favourite deer hors d'ouevres) , in which case you'd need another hedge to protect it, and another hedge to protect that one, and another, and be the time you've finished you've just got a large free-range deer park, fed on a diet of wholesome organic hedge.

[smojo]

Living hedges are great and have been used for centuries to keep stock in the fields but if you're growing one from saplings it's gonna take about at least 20 years before it's effective. I went to a hedge laying demo and it was a newly planted (15 year old) row of hawthorn. After it's initial "laying" I reckon it would need another 5 years to get high enough to stop deer.

[Wendelspanswick]

Living hedges are great and have been used for centuries to keep stock in the fields but if you're growing one from saplings it's gonna take about at least 20 years before it's effective. I went to a hedge laying demo and it was a newly planted (15 year old) row of hawthorn. After it's initial "laying" I reckon it would need another 5 years to get high enough to stop deer.

I agree with Smojo, it would be decades before a living hedge became an effective barrier to deer.
If you do decide to plant a hedge there are grants available towards the cost, I looked at planting 200m of hedge and costed it out at about £600 to £750 but with a grant of £400 being available from Somerset County Council.

[Dexter's Shed]

someone told me about the grants, but when I checked they ended in 2014, another has taken it's place, but seemed harder to get info on??