Cheap and Easy Deer Proof Garden Fencing using Fishing Line 

I used this method and quickly learned it was better to keep the lines tied to each pole instead of just wrapping it because when a line breaks it means fixing the line over your entire fence instead of just a section. The deer will eventually test the lines so fixing a section is easier than the whole perimeter.

My grandmother taught me a trick that works wonders. Place a small doghouse at the edge of a garden. Run an outdoor extension chord out to the doghouse and plug in a small radio. Turn it to any station with a clear signal. Unlike a scarecrow that never moves (causing other animals to eventually ignore it) the noise coming from the radio is ever changing. The sounds of people talking, echoing out of the small doghouse, wards off deer and other small animals that may be looking for an easy meal. She started doing this when I was a kid. I am now 40 and I have a radio by my garden. I have never had a nibble taken from my garden. And I have no fences. Also, this radio can be turned down very low so as not to disturb the neighbors. An animals sense of hearing is far superior to that of humans. They can hear the radio from a long distance where as I only hear the sound when I am at my garden.

I've been doing this for years. I put the rows lower, with the highest one at about 5 feet. I've watched the deer... they creep up slowly to a garden .. as soon as they bump into the fishing line it scares the P out of them and they take off. I start at 2 5 feet, 3.5 feet, then 5 feet. Baby deer like to munch out on tomato tops too, and that's why I start low 😁👍🏻👍🏻

This method has worked for me for the past 4 years to keep the deer out. 30 pound wire, 3 lines on 5ft posts, tied off to screws on each post. I've only had to replace a couple of lines in that time. Also, growing the Alliums and potatoes on the perimeters seems to make the garden not as inviting to them.

I've heard of doing it across the top of the garden, to keep birds out. The idea is that birds don't like spider webs and don't want to fly into them. When the lines are all crisscrossed they do look like spider webs. The sun still shines through to the garden but the birds don't eat the berries and other tender yummies.

Doing this for years and it works. I use the fishing line alone as the fence. We also hang chimes from the posts for added effect.

This has worked for us for three years. This year a doe figured it out. Apparently she was jumping in, given that a couple of sections were only four feet high or so. We've just added a row at six feet and so far, so good.

I also clip bounce dryer sheets on my posts with a clothespin. And l throw a few bars of Irish spring around the garden.

Your deer are very polite. The deer in my neck of the woods simply take their hoofs and push down fencing then walk through it. Yeah they did that this morning. They ate my blueberry & Elderberry bushes. I'm attempting to grow a little produce in containers on my 8 foot high back deck. They have not started climbing steps yet.

This was just by accident but when I was measuring my new garden space I didn’t have any string. My daughter ended up giving me a roll of balloon string. When the wind would blow ever slightly it would make a sound, an erry one at that. It scared me a few times. I noticed no sign of deers or rabbits. Even the bird want nothing to do with it. 👍🏻

I have used fishing twine for several years for my garden. We had a horrible time with birds pulling up our newly-sprouted corn and beans. So I started stringing the twine across the top of the garden, as well, from post top to post top. Never had any more issues with seedlings being plucked up!

We have done the fishing line thing, and it worked for a few weeks. Please be sure it gets disposed of properly after it breaks. Birds tangle in it and take it to their nests and kill their babies. The Heron Scarer water activated motion detecter attached to a hose has worked for us for ten years. We occasionally move it and we do forget it’s on and get wet, like when we mow. Can’t use it when it freezes. For the veg garden, finally gave in and put up a real fence. Thanks for the goji info! Love the water iris!

I told my gardening pal about this today and looked for a video about it. I learned about this method in the book about wildlife safe fencing from a forestry department in some western state. Thanks for filling in the detail. We’ll use bamboo from the neighboring land.

Thank you for this tip. I'm definitely going to try it. Last week I spent hours in my backyard, planting my garden and, this morning, I woke up to much of it being decimated by the deer. I thought our fence was high enough but it was not. Your video has given me hope.

Ten years ago we had to string over the entire backyard to keep a hawk from hunting our kitten and keep them out of our backyard from above. We still have the cat and the hawk left the area the same year. We used about half of our supply of fishing line and it was well worth it~

I'm glad that works for you. A straight up and down fence never works with my deer pressure. I have went 7 foot high with electric fence and they jump it like it is 1 foot high. I have used probably 10 or 12 different fences and the only one I've had success with is a double fence of electric. One 3 ft tall and then another 3 foot further away at 18 inches tall. Deer don't like to jump across, only up. So they crowd the low fence to get as close to the taller one to jump it and get a zap. They are gone in a hurry.

This works fantastic! I got the idea from SSL Family dad as well and have been using it all season.. .NO DEER in the garden!! (We see them every day in our yard!!) and last year they devastated our cucumbers.. but with this fence, no problem.. now the smaller critters are another story!!

I’m a new gardener and I love this channel for its information and Luke’s good-natured enthusiasm. Many blessings and continued success to you!

36"x13" fire ring here in wa state $62.93. just looked it up. just shows how much stuff has gone up from 3 yrs ago!

Great idea, thank you for sharing and crediting "SSL Family Dad". Have a great weekend.

The fishing line has worked for me for about 4 years now. In my part of NJ, we have way too many dear but there is no culling. I have the top line and my nose height and then another about a foot under it. Orbit brand water scarecrow works great too.

Those suckers ate my special lilies that my daughter gave me, the tall asiatic lilies, my prize hostas were eaten below the dirt, cukes, tomatoes, eggplants, okra, and perennial hibiscus. No problem for over 14 years, then Bam, her yard is a salad bar! My husband just put fences around everything. Wish me luck. I will keep you posted.

Lol, second...Am a Proud Canadian Deplorable watching and LOVING your channel. Am very glad I’ve subscribed Am learning a ton of information. Started gardening (veggies) last year with good books, non GMO seeds, a wing and a prayer. Lol, got completely hooked and conned hubby into expanding my garden into an additional 300 square feet. Planted veggies, a herb garden, rhubarb and added berry bushes (black raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and gooseberries. Omg, garden is looking awesome and I can’t wait to harvest. Bought a good dehydrator and vacuum sealer...it’s going to be epic 😉😉😉

Hey Luke, we learn so much from your channel. Thank you for all the great info!

I did something similar - just added 'jingle bells' to it. Worked great!

Cool... Thanks for this video. We are about to put in a fence in our back yard to keep the deer out, and like you said it's difficult to find tall enough fencing, I'm glad you have this video. Thanks again.

Fishing line is so great for the environment too! Wraps around legs and amputates wings. Fabulous for sticking around for years and years after it was discarded and snaring unsuspecting wildlife. Such a cool idea!

I had a deer go right through my fishing line fence. She stuck her head through the line and then pushed her way in. Deer are quite powerful and can easily push through fishing line. Some deer are determined to get in, and don't scare so easily. I switched to 6' chicken wire with rebar uprights. Kinda ugly, but cheap and deer can't get through it.

Those posts are sooooo wobbly!

One of my favorite videos off migardener is when you did the 2 part harvest at the cottage garden

Thanks for the video! I had some extra T post and 25 lb test and just put it up last night. No deer came last night but I’m excited to see how they react the next time they show up

We have used this technique for a year and it REALLY works! We saw this idea from an older gentleman on youtube.

Great job! I just bought a 7 foot deer fence and it was $25 for 100 feet and it’s easy to put up. But the wind keeps blowing it down I’ll be using the fish line now

First off GO TRIBE!! Thanks for all the great tips and guides. New gardener this year. Between you, Roots and Refuge, and The Square Food Gardening book I have had a good start. Still had a few corps fail, but we live and learn. Thanks again keep doing what you are doing.

I've noticed that a hand held sprayer and peppermint oil has kept the deer off my green beans so far. Fishing line is always in the arsenal.

We’ve got some bucks here who get their antlers stuck in the fence. I’ve had 3 fences ripped to shreds by angry bucks. I’ve used fishing line, deer fence, but the only thing these deer ended up respecting is 20 acre electric fencing charger. It’s the only fence that never got trashed. Now, I’ve got the fat a@@ raccoon to deal with. That little fatty waits until the day before I harvest the prize tomato to take one big bite 🙄. I’ve tried everything short of camping out with a 22. It’s gone all-out caddy shack in our garden. My neighbor has a smaller garden, and built an all-out cage.

Great idea for keeping deer out of your garden Luke. I had a customer who was doing something similar to keep birds out of his raised bed gardens. I think it was a little more fatal for the birds.

Thanks Luke. I'm in northern Wisconsin on a wooded lot. This will help reduce costs with alternative to large fencing. Waaay cheaper

So how well has this worked out for you? I'm in a new house in the mountains. Last Thursday I witnessed from my den a small family of at least four deer walk through my backyard up to my deck. They then trotted from the wood pile around to the side of my house. Before I could get to the front of my house to see them they'd already crossed the road. There is a 6' wide 150' long clearing in the woods that you can see from my backyard, so it is obviously a deer highway. My son and I planted some white pumpkins in the few open/sunny areas in the backyard. We discovered deer scat back there too and I'm really wanting to get some 3 Sisters planted in the side yard they traveled through. I'm an avid fisherman, so I've got hundreds of yards of 25+ lb test line and I'll be trying this for sure. FULL DISCLOSURE: I practice catch and release. The avid population in the wild has really taken a huge hit since this pandemic struck and everyone is suddenly off work to go fishing, so I'm just doing my part. 🤣

Where I come from the fire rings are called culvert. They're buried under driveways where they cross the roadside ditches.

This video applies to me in no way since I live in Cali, but I enjoy watching your videos regardless!

Good old cottage garden! Miss watching tutorials from there

Did this. Worked for a couple days. Deer ate everything after.

Sounds useful if the line is low enough to bump into. My chainlink fence is 5 ft and the deer jump over it. If I put fishing lines higher than this, the deer will not bump into it and will jump. I think this would have to be line that can be seen if it is installed higher than a deer is tall. Otherwise they will jump and hit it, maybe knock down the posts or injure themselves or both.

I put chicken wire flat on the ground around my garden works like a cattle Gard, works like magic

The deer just ate the buds off of my day lilies growing along my house foundation☹ . They ARE delicious though, cooked like green beans! And the blossoms made into tempura! They're taking Revenge for fencing around my raised beds, haha. Green beans are deer candy!! After a meal of all my Hostas.

Absolutely beautiful garden!

Hey MI, Ive got to disagree with you. Downstate NY here, and we have alot of deer. I used the fishing line technique just like you did. But they still would slip through the line!!!! So I had to redo the stringing going horizontally AND vertically. Good Luck! I have since switched to bird netting.

We have used 30 lb test fishing line around t posts at 1' levels. It's worked for 5 years.

yes I use this method. I had the same problem the deer jumped the three foot fence.my garden has been safe for the last month.

thanx for the terrific idea concerning the possible deterent for the deer ! I appreciate your giving the pricing as well as where to purchase the different items such as the galvanize rings...love the yellow wild iris..Have blue ones in NC that stay fairly close to the ground but never saw the yellow....

Great ideas! Here in Florida we have an iguana problem..😒😒😒

If you wanna take this to next level.. Use galvanized ring hook screws.. And instead of setting posts.. Use your wood line trees and span individual segments of line between trees and tie them to the rings anchored at the desired heights..

LOVE THE TIGERS SHIRT

In my part of Central Europe Goji berry is invasive and soon becomes a vexation when planted.

I use three strands of electric fencing on solar panel and battery . Works great.

Wonderful idea! Will need to try with the apple trees at my parents lake house. Turkeys love them along with the deer!

The facial hair is a GREAT look for you Luke. Wish my grandsons would grow facial hair too. Really appreciate or videos. SHALOM

Certainly worth a try. Any good tips for fending off groundhogs?

Has this worked? I'm asking because it's been over a year since you posted this video.

Thanks. I'm trying a new area in my yard so will use this way of fencing (fishing line) for the entire 4 x 4 area.

Great idea! I have strings of solar lights around my garden. You could use less wood if you cut them in half and attach them to your tposts.

I love the smell when i brush past my tomato plants

Watched an old, experienced gardener use one line of fishing line at waste level. He emphasized the key is they have to not be able to see it. Too thick and they see it and jump it, too thin and they accidentally walk into it and it breaks. So, 30 pound line (if memory serves) and no wind tails to mark it/give it away. They feel it but they can't see it and won't jump unless they are sure about height and distance. He filmed a deer run just 2 feet away from his garden and promised none in his garden for 10 years. If my beds weren't scattered around, I would try this approach.

I recently tried mixing Tabasco sauce in water and spraying my plants. I haven't had deer bother the plants since then. I don't know if that worked but I will keep trying it.

your intro makes it look like youve been watching James Prigioni

About to move onto more land so new to keeping deer out. Can't wait to try this method! Thanks!

looks like a great idea, but how do you get in the garden yourself after wrapping it in fishing line?

Thanks for sharing this great idea.

Use log's for your raised bed's like SSLFamilyDad did in his high tunnel. We will be using pallets cut in half and filling in the space's with pieces wood from other pallet's. Then some cheap landscapers fabric stapled to the inside and screwed together in 4x20 beds. Would use log's if I could get our red pines cut down and hauled to the garden next month. Thank's for the info. God bless

I want to see more of the cottage garden

Try Irish Spring bar soap, I also tried the fishing line, up to 7 feet, the deer just squeezed thru. I guess I need a lower fence of 3 or 4 feet.

My first year at gardening and they are eating every tomato as they start getting red. TY for addressing this!

How did you get posts that tall securely in the ground ? Love your work

Great tips! How do you get in and out of your fenced in garden? Trying to come up with easy "diy gates."

How do you get IN to the garden...? Do you have to dip through the fence? thanks. :)

Props, I like both of your channels and plan on doing a similar method with bailing twine. I may use fishing line on the top so they can't see. They have ravished our food forest since its beginning!

Very good tip ..i live in Nevada in the city i do nat have that problem but is good to know ..i love your channel ..!!

So happy I found your channel

I've also seen the same concept but with the use of tin cans. The deer bump into the fishing line and the cans fall and make noise and they run off.

This is great for my deer. Now how do I keep the bunnies out?

A little more expensive, but if you use fluorocarbon fishing line it will not degrade. Make sure it is 100% fluorocarbon as opposed to the cheaper "fluorocarbon coated" lines.

Hey, Luke... What a terrific idea! Thank you so much for sharing! Best wishes from Kate in Olympia, WA - 7/4/2019.

Silly question but for those of us who may be building it as an entire fence (floor and higher) how would you make a place for humans to get through? Do you just climb through the gaps? I suppose I could do something that is maybe only starting 3ft above the ground as the taller deer couldn’t fit but I could duck.

Deer attacked my hosta night before last and must have dined the whole night long. Definitely spraying today. Those critters really can eat. Also ate every flower off my geraniums, and every flower bud on the rudbeckias, wonder what’s next on the menu?

Great video! Just a quick tip: your clothing line message in your post is missing the forward slashes "//" in the URL :). This means it's not clickable.

Fishing line works great for me, but if they get thirsty enough, only a good dog can keep them out! I love these comments about the danger to animals, guys it’s fishing line not razor wire. The only harm this method ever caused me was wrapping up in a weed whacker!

I tried this a few years ago. The lines break and get tangled in the plants and I felt like I was never going to be free of fishing line in my garden! Also be careful if you have chickens, they can get it tangled around their feet from scratching and digging and it can cut off the circulation and really injure them.

Thanks for info.

First!

LOVE This ! Will use in North Dakota..

G'day Luke. Such a good idea. Thanks for sharing. Blessings

This is my favorite method to keep deer out- just one difference. No ribbon hanging from the line. If deer can see something, they can probably jump over it. They regularly jump over 8-10 foot fence here in Kentucky. 10 is the highest I've ever heard. However, if the deer can't see the fence, they won't jump it. Hanging a ribbon from it lets them know that there is in fact a barrier there, and they will try to jump it. Hopefully, they walk up on the fishing line and when they touch it, it spooks them. Aside from a physical barrier over about 10 feet tall, there is nothing that will stop a hungry deer. Don't let some old man tell you that you can put something smelly in your garden or whatever. Deer are actually interested by weird smells, no matter what it is. They get used to anything and everything you can throw at them. Sounds, sights, whatever. On that note, good luck with your deer problems everyone! Haha

I hope this works woke up this morning and they ate all my tomatoes and watermelon. This is the second time this year. Luckily they didn’t top my plants like they did last time . Luckily I have a couple buds still and a couple months before frost.

You can buy 8ft t posts from tractor supply

Will this work for sasquatch too? They've decimated my cucumbers already this year.

Is this fishing line save for birds ?

I gave ya a green thumbs up! :)

Awesome, im glad you posted tgis video. I was wondering what I could do to heighten my fencing to deter deer! 👍

I’ll have to give it a try.