DEER FENCE INSTALLATION: FINISHING TOUCHES 5 FINISHING TOUCHES, CONTINUED Many deer fence owners have never become attuned to maintenance the way car owners have. The typical new car buyer doesn’t say “I’ve invested a good deal in this equipment, so now let it maintain itself.” But that is precisely what many new deer fence owners seem to say. In general, maintaining a new fence is not so involved or costly as maintaining a new car. But there are certain basic things that must be done, and if they are not done the fence’s effectiveness will diminish and the fence itself may fail. To begin with, all deer fences need to be periodically inspected. Angle-iron posts need to be inspected for rust regularly and touched up with rust-preventive paint (see item 15-08 and 15-081). Polypropylene fences must be searched for the small holes that rabbits and woodchucks make, so that these can be repaired before deer find and enlarge them. Whether the fence is polypropylene or metal, a lane 6 feet out from it in both directions needs to be kept clear of branches and encroaching vegetation. In addition, all deer fences need to be kept free of vines and fallen limbs, and any point along the fence where things have come apart as a result of deer assault or other events needs to be repaired. This is a significant point–because it turns out that when deer get inside a well-built fence it is often because a tree or dead limb has come down on a section of the fence, and the deer have simply stepped over the offending tree or branch and the fence. It is also worth noting that when metal hexagrid fence sustains a major blow, the fence first stretches and deforms on the bottom and then sags at the top. This can usually be repaired quickly and easily with an angle-iron post and a few heavy-duty zip-lock ties. Vines growing on the fence are of special concern, and it is not enough to merely cut them at the base and kill them–for dead vines can catch snow and ice in winter to an extent that the weight causes even a metal fence to buckle. Of course, extensive vine growth is hard to pull out in summer without damaging the fence, so in this circumstance the best tactic is to first cut the vines at the bottom. Then come back a few days later, when the leaves have died, and extract the dead vines from the fence. Other common-sense maintenance activities are as follows: Inspect the fence regularly, and also inspect it after any high wind. Following winter storms, especially ice storms, inspect the fence to make sure it is still up, and remove any accumulated snow and ice–something that should be done qingerly in the case of polypropylene fence in order to avoid damaging the fence. Also, remember to inspect all monofilament lines once a year or so and to tighten any that have stretched. All this sounds like more work than it is. With rare exception the inspection and repair activities outlined above take little time. However, they are vital. Failure to perform them invites failure of the fence. On the positive side, if a properly installed fence is well inspected and maintained, it will generally perform well and will defend reliably against deer for many years. |
McGregor Fence Co. 508-888-8305