Our Situation - The Cecarelli Farm owns a 45-acre parcel of land that had become unsuitable for anything but hay crops, due to high deer populations. For this reason, as well as others, it’s not recommend that properties less than several hundred acres in size be enclosed within a high fence. Buck my grandson Mason finished off. He needs to have at least 8 points to possibly make the cut at 3-years-old, if those 8 points are extremely long and well-formed with good length in his main beams, and he needs to be a 10-point at 3 years of age with long tines, plenty of mass and a wide rack. On the other hand, a high fence is not for everyone. Older, well-fed bucks means substantial changes in antler quality can be observed without the introduction of deer. I usually let the youngsters hunt over food plots and from enclosed blinds. The typical whitetail deer is known to jump well over 8' high. This is equal to approximately $503 per person – $100 more than the previous year. For all the reasons listed above, anything that compromises the integrity of the fence will allow animals to move on or off the property. Gardening is not just a hobby; it is a way of life. There are also the possibilities of no or mis-management by the property owner, which will negatively impact the deer herd, plant communities and likely value of the land. Also, keep cattle numbers at low to moderate levels if the primary interest is deer. for instance, if you plan to erect a high fence around a 1,000-acre piece of property, the wildlife consultant should be able to tell you how many deer your 1,000 . These traps can be characterized as either property “fingers” or a fence corners. © 2020 Jack Brittingham's World of Hunting Adventure, Jack Brittingham's World of Hunting Adventure, Deer Management Under a Whitetail Management Fence, Jack Brittingham’s 2003 Tajikistan Marco Polo Hunt, Jack Brittingham’s Instructional Productions, Jack Brittingham’s Secrets for Taking Trophy Bucks, The First 10 African Animals a Hunter Needs To Take, Ultimate Hunting For North American Big Game II. The Supplemental feeding of deer works well when it’s part of a designed management plan, but do not think that you absolutely must provide high protein foods if the number of deer is at or below the carrying capacity of the property. Information on personnel hours was not available for contractor-installed fences. This can vary greatly based on the habitat and conditions under which they live, but white-tailed deer naturally cover an area (home range size) that is a minimum of several hundred acres in size. We are meeting with some other local landowners with high fenced properties to discuss the pros and cons and hopefully answer a lot of questions regarding managing whitetail deer and a few exotic animals. The rest of the deer on the land need to be bucks. I’m not an all-out coyote hater, but if you have or plan to have a high fenced property where the goal is deer population management then this is something to be aware of. Even lumbering elk can jump low fences with nary a hitch. Energizers and Electric Fence Chargers (27) Fence Testers (4) Fence Tools (6) Garden Fence Kits (20) Gate Handles (3) Gripple Tensioners and Kits (4) High Tensile Fencing (26) Horse Fencing (13) Iguana (2) Insulators (27) Monthly Specials (6) netting (2) Polytape & Polyrope (20) Step In Posts/Fiber rods (6) Uncategorized (1) I try to keep the crops overlapping. No one must be more committed to predator control, specifically coyotes, that a person that owns a high-fenced property. Why, you ask? If you are considering fencing a piece of property, meet with a wildlife consultant first. I get the best results from Purina’s Antler Max Supplemental Deer Food. I establish different food plots to provide food for the deer at various times of the year. My question is about how many acres it would take to make High Fence Ranch fair-chase. That's a deer density of 1 deer per 5 acres. dec 14, 2015 this is obviously a high-fence buck, and it has generated a lot of i'd much rather shoot a “real” buck that measures 110inches than pay to Your email address will not be published. In this particular case, the property needs new fencing so the timing is right (and the money is available), but consider the short-term and long-term goals for the property before building that really tall fence around it. To collect the necessary data on deer movements, researchers placed GPS collars on three does and three bucks inside and three does and three bucks outside a 500 acre high fenced area. A 100-foot fence with 12 posts would equal 1,200. In addition, the tight, graduated design of the wire mesh deters other predators and unwanted vermin from getting into valuable crops and property. Although wild hogs will occasionally find and eat deer fawns, the larger problem will be the holes that big hogs create within the perimeter fence. Height and/or width is the most important factor with deer fences, especially if high deer pressure. Even on large acreage properties, strange boundary configurations essentially create “death traps” for deer. Deer & Orchard Fence was designed to prevent deer from entering an enclosure, and does this job exceedingly well. Jack’s video Wildlife Food Plot and Feeder Basics explains where to set up food plots, how to plant that food plot, and why to use game feeders so that all these practices will attract deer. Anyone that builds a high fence around a property should understand that they are taking full responsibility for the well being of the habitat and wildlife found within. It’ll be the first archery hunt. Overgrazing leads to the overuse of the protein-rich foods that deer prefer, both forbs and browse plants. The average deer woods will supply about 300 pounds of forage per year, while a clearcut or natural opening can provide up to 1,500 pounds per acre. Here is what a buck needs to not be removed from the herd until he is 6-years-old. Hello. Providing feed through genuine stress periods, of course, would be recommended. Such a slanted fence should be at a 45-degree angle, and may consist of fencing with a few strands of additional wire on top for extra height. If a buck has kicker or split tines, I will keep him in the gene pool of the herd. This ratio can shift closer to 1:1 as the total number of bucks, percentage of older-aged bucks increases. Second, what are your goals for the land? There will be necessary repairs caused by falling trees, running water at draws and creek crossings, as well as those caused by feral hogs, deer and domestic livestock on either side of the fence. Most landowners will cite increased control, management over the deer herd as their primary reason for putting a high fence around a property. All properties are “fenced in” technically. Therefore, if I start out with 10 bucks, only four of those 10 bucks will survive to be 6-years-old, even behind a WTM fence. I keep my deer herd at 60-percent of the land’s carrying capacity. Larger acreages will help with deer “proof-ness.”. When you do the math, I only can have 225 adult deer on that 1,800 acres. When you discuss increasing the nutritional level of a deer herd, someone always asks, “Shouldn’t you put out minerals?” I’ve experimented with minerals and compared the results on properties where I’ve used them with lands where I haven’t. However, this doesn’t always happen. First, determine the carrying capacity of the property for white-tailed deer. But because of my scientific deer-breeder permit, I have studied deer that are privately held in captivity. D. First, what are your goals? This way I have them in a controlled environment, which is very important when you hunt with young hunters. In his sixth year, he is hunted. The rest of the year the deer feed on native browse and the various food plots. The average estimated installation cost for self-installed fences was $446 per acre, compared to $2,400 per acre for fences installed by a fence contractor. It’s essentially a marriage between the owner(s) and the property. Once you decide how many deer your 1,000 acres can support, then you can determine whether or not you want to erect a high fence. habitat that provides the food, cover and water, carrying capacity of the property for white-tailed deer, exotic ungulate competes with white-tailed deer, CWD Found in Whitetail Deer in Del Rio, Texas. A fence of any size takes time and money to maintain, but a high fence constructed for the purposes of managing a deer population takes even more monitoring because  of predator issues and the fact that any breech means animals will enter/exit. The long term benefits of ease of management from good fencing is realised with a reduction in time taken on fence maintenance, as well as reduced personnel time chasing deer around due to inadequate fencing. Larger acreages will help with deer “proof-ness.” Predator Control is Important. Because a high fence, which limits the movement of whitetail, can and will be used by predators to make them more effective hunters of deer. Last years kills. You will also find your does to be at their highest reproductive rate at this stocking level. Some of these places are only 50 to 100 acres. What is it for a fencer to do the complete job post/wire/fence 2 gates per meter? Happy hunter from Indiana. Just about every exotic ungulate competes with white-tailed deer, so the number of whitetail plus the number of exotics must not exceed the carrying capacity of the property. 1 gate $250. An over population of deer in a high fence environment can be disastrous. Garden Fencing Panels. How much time will a high fence mean to you? In most of the deer parks around the world the average is 1 deer to 5 acres. Another critical component of managing a white-tailed … I make the buck-harvest decisions based on the buck’s ability to contribute positively to the gene pool of the herd. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Deer may be able to jump high, but not both high and over a distance. The land is very thick and tough to see a specific deer. It’s all an opinion on what is considered “free range”. Graph depicting Axis and White-Tailed Deer Populations in 96 Acre pen during a competition study by Texas Parks & Wildlife. So when I do a summer planting, I only disc up half of the clover field for the warm-weather crops. Only farmers growing high-value crops such as vegetables, nursery and fruit crops generate enough economic return per acre to justify utilization of high-tensile woven wire deer fencing—the gold standard for reducing deer damage. ): To each their own is really how I live my life. Couple of Qs than 1. For example, if you're installing a 100-foot fence that is 4 feet high, you need 200 linear feet of railing. I have learned that some of the does that produce some of the best buck fawns that grow to be trophy bucks were small does. These pellets provide 18-percent crude protein. Your email address will not be published. There are many different ways to provide forage for the deer on your property. So a fence may not be as high, perhaps six feet, but slanted outward. For a fee, you can shoot a “trophy” whitetail. Instead of using hunter sightings as I described in my article for unfenced properties you are probably doing actual deer … It’s a commitment. The first and most-important method is making sure you keep your deer herd below the carrying capacity of your land. Pickets: If you're installing a wood picket fence, you need to know how many pickets to purchase. This means the deer found there can be even more … As mentioned, one of the big reasons high fence hunting has fallen under such intense scrutiny in recent years is because of the growing number of small deer farms that have sprung up in the last 15 to 20 years in numerous states. 1 roll barwire $60. Deer, like people, will eat things that taste good when they are readily available, whether they really need it or not. Avoid fencing fingers, which also reduces corners. It really takes that kind of money to do this right. 11 cedar free. The genetic potential that allows a buck to survive until his sixth year on my property is varied. This puts less stress on the deer manager to make the exact right call at the exact right time. Thanks for the input and helpful articles I have found thus far.” — Submitted by Chris. Healthy animals grow larger bodies and that translates into bigger antlers, higher fawn survival rates and better hunting year-in and year-out. There are huge financial considerations which makes high-fence operations not feasible for most of us working folks. I’ve seen about 12-percent of the bucks on my property die from natural mortality every year. We also provide a wide range of height and mesh pattern options and are capable of installing the high deer fence that best suits your needs. Farmers estimated between $5 and $10 million per year in crop damage. For instance, some of my clover fields are perennials. On one prime acre of land, you may accommodate2-3 adult whitetail deer, 7-10 adult fallow deer, 4-7 adult red deer, 7-8 axis deer and 1-2 elk. 2 acres is about 8100m2 roughly so that is 360m of deer fencing. That under $3 and foot for us and we have 21 deer in 9 acres. I know some hunters who prefer not to shoot their big does. For maximum deer protection, we recommend at least a 7.5’ high deer fence to protect crops from deer … 22 tpost $176. Whitetail deer found within habitat that provides the food, cover and water that they need will make a content living. Managing white-tailed deer within an enclosed area is a huge commitment. Since deer adapt well to most terrain, acreage suitable for deer farming may be relatively inexpensive. On the flip side, deer also get in. Coyotes are smart animals and can take advantage of terrain, fences and use pack-hunting to systematically pick off a deer population, especially within small high fenced properties. I often bring young people to my ranches and give them opportunities to harvest does if they’ve never taken a deer or have taken very few deer. Ask anyone that owns property surrounded by a high fence (or adjacent one) and they will tell you that deer get out. For example, Lowe’s has a package made from 12 1/2 gauge galvanized wire and measures eight feet high and 330 feet long. When new minerals come onto the market, I try them. Height, of course, is relative, but in the world of high game fences, the minimum is eight feet. I also feed these pellets to the deer again in the late winter, from the first of February until the middle of March. The goal: Reduce the deer population to nine per acre. Further, always intend to shock the animal in front of its eyes so that when shocked, the animal backs up. And much like having a significant other, there are going to be costs associated with taking care of a high fenced property, in terms of both time and money. 6. For some terrain, 10 feet provides the extra protection needed to keep a trophy herd in and most predators out. One of the best things the owner of a high fenced property can do, or any property for that matter, is to prevent the deer population from exceeding the carrying capacity of the property. A high fence provides a landowner with the potential to manage deer density, buck to doe ratio and buck age structure, as well as the habitat found on the property (by manipulating deer numbers), but are you ready? Every doe on my property has dropped twin fawns after the second year. Bucks die each year from disease, fighting, post-rut injuries or poor general health. Since this ranch is in Texas, I know the most-stressful time for the deer occurs during the months of July and August and into the first half of September. To keep those numbers, we harvest 30 does and 20 bucks each year from this 1800 acres. Maintaining proper deer density allows good nutrition for individual deer and that maintains a healthy whitetail herd. 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