Electric fence for deer

[monkeybackfarm]

I have about 3000' of electric aluminum fence wire around my garden, a small field and a pig pen. When I tilled the small field up that was planted in buckwheat and planted soybeans the deer have invaded. I check my fence around the field with a digital meter and it reads 5.1 , at the charger it is 8.5.

I have watched them squezze between the wires with no regard to being shocked. My charger is a Zareba A20 should I get a stronger charger?

Maybe a stronger charger for the field and garden and keep the current charger for my pig pens?

[edmonds]

First you need a good ground, with 2 or 3 ground rods (preferably 8 foot long) about 10 feet apart.

Second, make sure you have a good charger. I had a Zareba and then got a Parmak. The Parmak actually hurts when it discharges. The Zareba would shock me and make me flinch, but it didn't really hurt. With 3000' you need a good charger.

Third, check for shorts to ground like grass. Spray round up or something along fenceline.

Finally, you want the deer to touch the fence with their nose and then become afraid of it. If you put up one or 2 more wires then they might not be able to squeeze thru but would jump it (unless you have 8 foot fence). Take some aluminum foil, fold it a couple of times, attach it to the wire in several places at deer-nose hieght, and put peanut butter (and maybe molases) on it. Don't do this step until you make sure that #1,2,3 are good, or the deer won't learn to avoid the fence.

The Zareba may work well for the pig pen, but I wouldn't use it for a large field.

[monkeybackfarm]

I have the three ground rods in the ground when I installed the fence. I run a grass free fence line. The charger I have maybe the problem, I shall endeavor to get a Parmak. Had to tell with a charger that only blinks how good a charge you have without checking the fence all the time.

As for the baiting on the fence, I have been told that it wasnot a good idea as it drew deer to a field...

I was looking for advice from someone who might recommend a charger for the application I have. I didn't want to buy a $300.00 charger if it wasn't needed..

[Bearfootfarm]

I didn't want to buy a $300.00 charger if it wasn't needed..

Par Mak's are very reasonabley priced.

Here's a good one for about $120

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/...=2&pf_id=12151

Their best is $240

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/ssc/...&pf_id=0028431

The bad news is the deer will learn to jump over it.
You need a 10 ft fence to stop a hungry deer

[Harry Chickpea]

Bad ground. If you have ground issues that you can't solve with proper grounding, alternate the wires between hot and ground. 3,000 feet is a substantial distance though. I'd whump it up to a more powerful unit.

[Micheal]

Another problem you may have - using aluminum wire - being out in the weather the wire could have oxided. Which would make it more resistive therefore less shocking.........

[fishhead]

The tinfoil/peanut butter won't bait the deer to the field. They already know it's there. What the foil will do is to educate the deer to fear the fence by getting them to put their wet nose on it. I did it with a little 600 volt pet fence charger and the deer immediately stopped mowing down my garden so it doesn't take a lot of voltage. It also encourages the deer to jump backwards when it gets hit instead of forward breaking the wire.

As was suggested if you run uninsulated wires between the hot wires the deer will make a good circuit if it tries to squeeze between the wires. Just fasten the wires directly to the metal fence posts.