Also, take a look at other publications on wildlife and land management from MSU Extension
Deer are probably the most widely distributed and best recognized large animal in North America. Two species most common in Montana are the white-tailed and mule deer.
Deer habitat includes wildlands, agricultural areas, and, in some cases, residential areas. Deer favor early vegetation stages that keep brush and sapling browse within reach. Dense cover is used for winter shelter and protection. Because deer are so adaptable and residential areas sometimes provide suitable habitat, deer pose challenges to homeowners.
Damage identification is not difficult. Because both mule deer and white-tailed deer lack upper incisors, deer often leave a jagged or torn surface on twigs or stems that they browse.
Homeowners can be frustrated in keeping these pests away from their trees or garden plants. Scare devices, exclusion and repellents have a place in deer damage control. Initial selection of plantings may provide the best remedy to prevent deer damage.
In addition to planting tolerant plants, harvesting garden crops as early as possible reduces the period of vulnerability to deer. Planting susceptible crops as far as possible from wooded cover will also reduce deer damage.
"Contact" sprays are applied directly on the plant and repel by taste. These are most effective on trees and shrubs during the dormant season.
"Area" repellents are applied near the plants to be protected and repel by odor. They are usually less effective.
During the winter dormant season, apply contact repellents on a dry day when temperatures are above freezing. Be sure to treat to a height of six feet on trees. The effectiveness of repellents depends on how much it rains and how hungry the deer are. Deer-Away®, Hinder®, Thiram®, Miller's Hot Sauce®, Tankage®, and Ro-pel® are some of the repellents available.
To build a deer-proof woven-wire fence, follow the steps below.
2. String a light wire between two corners and apply light tension.
3. Set 16-foot posts along the wire at 40-foot intervals, to a depth of 4 to 6 feet.
4. Roll out an 8-foot roll of high-tensile woven wire along the line posts. Attach one end at ground level to a corner post with steel staples.
5. Apply tension to the wire with a vehicle or fence strainers and attach the wire to line and corner posts with steel staples.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary around the perimeter of the fence.
7. Attach two strands of high-tensile smooth wire to the top of the fence to raise the height of the entire fence to 9 to 10 feet.
To build an 8-wire vertical deer fence (see Figure 1 below), follow the steps below.
2. String a 121/2-gauge high-tensile wire around the corner assemblies and apply light tension.
3. Set 8-foot line posts along the wire at 33-foot intervals.
4. Attach a wire to insulators at 8 inches above ground level and apply tension.
5. Attach the remaining wires to insulators at the spacing indicated in Figure 1 and apply tension.
6. Connect the second, fourth, sixth and eighth wires from the top to the positive (+) post of a well-grounded, low-impedance fence charger.
7. Connect the top, third, fifth and seventh wires directly to ground. The top wire should be negative for lightning protection.
8. Clear and maintain a 6- to 12-foot open area outside the fence so deer can see the fence.
This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply discrimination or endorsement by the Montana State University Extension Service.
Table 1. Ornamental plants, listed by susceptibility to deer damage.
| Plants Rarely Damaged: | |
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Berberis spp. | Barberry |
| Berberis vulgaris | Common Barberry |
| Betula papyrifera | Paper Birch |
| Burus sempervirens | Common Boxwood |
| Elaeagnus angustifolia | Russian Olive |
| Picea pungens | Colorado Blue Spruce |
| Plants Seldom Severely Damaged: | |
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Betula pendula | European White Birch |
| Calastrus scandens | American Bittersweet |
| Cornus sericea | Red Osier Dogwood |
| Crataegus laevigata | English Hawthorn |
| Gleditsia triacanthos | Honey Locust |
| Juniperus chinensis | Chinese Junipers (green) |
| Juniperus chinensis | Chinese Junipers (blue) |
| Picea abies | Norway Spruce |
| Picea glauca | White Spruce |
| Pinus nigra | Austrian Pine |
| Pinus mugo | Mugo Pine |
| Pinus sylvestris | Scots Pine |
| Syringa vulgaris | Common Lilac |
| Plants Occasionally Severely Damaged: | |
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Abies concolor | White Fir |
| Acer rubrum | Red Maple |
| Acer saccharinum | Silver Maple |
| Acer saccharum | Sugar Maple |
| Aesculus hippocastanum | Common Horsechestnut |
| Amelanchier arborea | Downy Serviceberry |
| Campsis radicans | Trumpet Creeper |
| Cotoneaster spp. | Cotoneaster |
| Cottoneaster apiculatus | Cranberry Cotoneaster |
| Cotoneaster horizontalis | Rockspray Cotoneaster |
| Hydrangea arborescens | Smooth Hydrangea |
| Hydrangea paniculata | Panicle Hydrangea |
| Juniperus virginiana | Eastern Red Cedar |
| Parthenocissus quinquifolia | Virginia Creeper |
| Philadelphus coronarius | Sweet Mock Orange |
| Pinus strobus | Eastern White Pine |
| Potentilla fruticosa | Bush Cinquefoil |
| Prunus avium | Sweet Cherry |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii | Douglas Fir |
| Pyrus calleryana "Bradford" | Bradford Callery Pear |
| Pyrus communis | Common Pear |
| Rhus typhina | Staghorn Sumac |
| Rosa rugosa | Rugosa Rose |
| Salix spp. | Willows |
| Spiraea(x) bumalda | Anthony Waterer Spiraea |
| Spiraea prunifolia | Bridalwreath Spiraea |
| Syringa (x) persica | Persian Lilac |
| Syringa reticulata | Japanese Tree Lilac |
| Syringa villosa | Late Lilac |
| Tilia cordata ÔGreenspireÕ | Greenspire Littleleaf Linden |
| Tilia americana | Basswood |
| Tsuga canadensis | Eastern Hemlock |
| Viburnum rhytidophyllum | Leatherleaf Viburnum |
| Plants Frequently Severely Damaged: | |
| Botanical Name | Common Name |
| Abies balsamea | Balsam Fir |
| Abies fraseri | Fraser Fir |
| Acer platanoides | Norway Maple |
| Chamaecyparis thyoides | Atlantic White Cedar |
| Clematis spp. | Clematis |
| Euonymus alatus | Winged Euonymus |
| Euonymus fortunei | Wintercreeper |
| Hedera helix | English Ivy |
| Malus spp. | Apples |
| Prunus spp. | Cherries |
| Prunus spp. | Plums |
| Rosa (x) hybrid | Hybrid Tea Rose |
| Sorbus aucuparia | European Mountain Ash |
| Taxus spp. | Yews |
| Taxus baccata | English Yew |
| Taxus cuspidata is | Japanese Yew |
| Taxus (x) media | English/Japanese Hybrid Yewborvitae |
| Thuja occidental | American Arborvitae |
Copyright 1998 MSU Extension Service
We encourage the use of this document for non-profit educational purposes. This document may be reprinted if no endorsement of a commercial product, service or company is stated or implied, and if appropriate credit is given to the author and the MSU Extension Service (or Experiment Station). To use these documents in electronic formats, permission must be sought from the Ag/Extension Communications Coordinator, Communications Services, 416 Culbertson Hall, Montana State University-Bozeman, Bozeman, MT 59717; (406) 994-5132; E-mail - APBTK@Montana.edu.
The programs of the MSU Extension Service are available to all people
regardless of race, creed, color, sex, disability or national origin. Issued
in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics,
acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture, David A. Bryant, Dean and Director, Extension Service,
Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.
File under: Wildlife
A-2 (Big Game Animals)
Issued Sept. 1998 (271500998 ST)