Got the two gates finished.
Take a look at the top finials, hope to castrate a few of those Ba$*@%# 's
Each section is 9 ft by 8 ft.
I have to work out the hinge details for 2 motors to open & close them & take them down to Grand Rapids to be powder coated in a deep forest green color.
At least I got the gate part almost done.
Joel.
This message was edited Aug 26, 2009 4:33 PM
gate 2
gate 3
gate 4
very nice I love dark forest green You will look like one of those big estates !!!
Gloria
Wow, that fence is really nice.
I feel for your frustration with the deer. I have fought them for years. I gave up on my lillies years ago.
We have a large parcel of woods next to our house and we like to hunt. The deer seem to prefer around the houses, to the woods.
Last Feb we had about a third of our woods select cut. We had many very large poplar trees that needed to go while they were still usable. (we ended up with a quarte mile of logs stacked 18 ft high, quite a sight!)
This year I saw lillies. I had colors and lillies I didn't even know I planted. I even had a sick little hosta plant. Never once did the lilly eating #@&^*'s come into the yard.
The woods is full of new trees growing. Most have the tops nipped off. I really feel that by removing those trees, we helped generate new life and natural food for the deer. I would have never believed it, but it helped.
I never wanted to fence. But, I really like your fence. I think it will work well. Good luck and now you can plant what you like!
great fence-i sure hope it helps!
Beautiful fence. Does it go around your whole property? Reminds me of the fence around dad's cemetary.
Hi Folks,
Thanks. I'm still trying all the methods of deer deterrent you guys have recommended. I'm just sick of them.
I just bought the steel a couple of weeks ago when I got pissed off at the deer. I was going to put that 8 ft deer fencing up along the five acre perimeter and try to hide it with anything that grows tall. The cost of the deer fence alone is staggering.
No I don't have my property fenced in. I’m kind of liking the gate though. I'm thinking stone pillars or columns to attach these to.
I'm at the point where I should think about what I'm going to do fence wise. It would be cost prohibitive to fence in the whole five acres this way. more than three quarters of it would be in deep woods unseen and trees falling down on it.
I am thinking of doing the whole front property and both sides till it goes out of sight in the woods with this steel then use the deer fencing & try to hide that or just leave it. That way anything within eyesight will look nice and you would have to take a walk in the woods to see the regular deer fencing.
I don't know. I have to think about this one. I just got pissed off one day and bought the steel and started to build.
Brenda,
I was afraid of that. (looking like a cemetary)
Well maybe in the long run when I die from busting my rear on this property, it will be my cementary....
penth
Ever think of planting some food plots for the deer aways from your house....?????? There are all sorts of food you can plant for the deer.....they gotta eat to, don'tja know....
If you would like some help and information on how to do this, I will be happy to pass that on to you.....I know it can be frustrating, as I lost a 7 rows of small sunflowers for cutting to the deer.....I guess it was candy to them, but when you live on acreage, you learn to live with them...
Deann
Hi Deann,
I was thinking about that also. I found out my neighbor down the road has done that to attract them for hunting purposes. He has spent a great deal for hunting purposes.
I know they have to eat but it seems they have to eat my stuff. There is no shortage around here. Even in the winter there is plenty. I think they are lazy and just want fresh beds.
Last winter I plowed out an area away from the property and gave them beets,apples & other stuff. While snowblowing the drive I have one walk right up and start chowing forsythia. The blower was going and a lot of racket. I was surprised to look up and see him right there. I threw an M-80 (1/4 stick of dynamite)at him and that was the only way he took off. They won't even paw one inch powder snow away to get at a pile. They would rather walk down a fresh plowed drive and eat the shrubs. I've even had them climb two flights of stairs on the deck to eat.
I think this is a nationwide problem and here in Michigan the DNR should pull their head out and open season them for a while to lesson the car accidents/deaths. Your auto premiums are in check with deer/car accidents. Crop damage resulting in increased prices at the stores for anyone doing their grocery shopping. Crop damages also mean insurance companies need to pay the farmers their claim, which in turn, raises the future cost of crop damage insurance.
The amount of money hunters bring to this economy each year is staggering. You will see every business with a welcome hunters type sign. Every store out there will sell something used for whitetail deer hunting. Even gas stations get in on the act with orange and camouflage hats and other odds and ends.
You have the cost of the guns and ammunition. You have the cost of blaze orange or camouflage jackets hats and boots. You have the money spent at a restaurant for lunch break. You need to buy food to take out in the woods with you. You buy a license, with supports other wildlife interests. The money spent for whitetail deer hunting season is unbelievable, and it keeps people working! Take a look at the big box retailers like Wal Mart in your area when whitetail deer hunting season nears. You’ll see sections of the store designed just for the merchandise they need to hunt.
"Annual estimates of deer damage are
reported to exceed $2 billion nationwide,
including $1 billion in car damages, more
than $100 million in agricultural crop
damage, $750 million in damage to the
timber industry, and more than $250 million
in damage to metropolitan households
(e.g., landscape plantings). These
estimates are conservative, and it is often
difficult to obtain reliable statistics for
wildlife-related losses."
Quoted from:
http://wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/Documents/Deer/Deer_factsheet.pdf
Ok, off the soapbox. I just think we need to manage them more than what we are doing.
I agree!
Funny, I tried feeding deer away from my yard and it didn't work. They seem to like yards. They are safer from coyote etc.
This is why I was so surprized that they stayed out of my yard this year and are staying in the woods. Good woods management helps alot. The forester told us this would happen, but as you walk in the woods and see the large mature trees, you can't bear to have them cut down. Even though it is good for the woods and wildlife.
If we would have left the woods alone, in less than 10 years, those same poplars would have rotted in the center, fallen and rotted on the ground. Harvesting them, made pulp, interior trims, chip boards and other usefull items. Let the sun in to the ground for more growth of hardwood trees, ferns and wildflowers. And left brush for cover for bunnies, partridge, turkeys, ducks, and other small animals. We have seen a huge positive difference.
I believe we need to manage the deer, but also the habitat to make it more sutible for them to live in the woods and not in subdivisions and cities.
