source: Farm and Food Report
They may be a pretty sight in the yard when the sun rises, but deer can also be a bit of a nightmare when it comes to keeping them away from stacked hay and grain stored in the open.
Lindsey Leko is a Conservation Officer at Saskatchewan Environment’s (SE) Weyburn Field Office. “Every year, producers have come to expect some amount of damage. It is not so much what the deer eat that is a problem, but what they soil. Cattle won’t eat the feed once deer have urinated on it. In some areas, the damage is considerable and recurring. Our officers will work with producers to minimize damage, and there are a number of strategies we employ.”
One of the most common techniques is the use of intercept feed. SE will buy a bale from the producer and move it to a location away from feed storage areas. The deer will be drawn to the high quality feed at a non-threatening location and leave critical stacks alone.
Unprotected grain piles are always a challenge. Even a tarp will eventually break apart from the trampling action of deer hooves. Leko’s advice is to move the grain to a more secure location as quickly as possible.
If one must absolutely leave bales in the field, it is always best to create multi-bale stacks in order to minimize the total surface exposure of the feed to wildlife. Bales may be harder to pick up when they are stacked, but the overall protection is greater that way.
Where problems persist, the use of cenoflex, a nylon mesh that comes in a roll and can be wrapped around the stack, provides a viable solution to exposed feed.
Closer to home, building a fence with straw or slough hay bales using a building as an additional wall will give the necessary protection for feed stored in the yard. A gate may even be built to facilitate regular access. Key to success will be the periodic removal of snow near the fence to preserve the integrity of the protective structure. You might want to even blow the snow on top of the bales to add height to your fence and provide an additional deterrent.
Conservation officers recommend a combination of protective measures to ensure maximum success. Scarecrows will assist in keeping deer away. A couple of 2 x 4s assembled as a cross with some old clothes will do. Moving it around regularly will prevent deer from getting used to it.
Scare cannons that run on propane are another option, although perhaps not the wisest solution when used near a home.
Lindsey Leko recommends stringing pie plates, installing strobe lights or using motion sensor-activated yard lights, coupled with perhaps a transistor radio blaring out tunes.
Hungry whitetails that come out at night will quickly lose their fear of humans, but they will always keep an eye out for dogs. A male dog of any thick-coated, naturally territorial breed that is trained to patrol will work wonders. Just remember that under the law, dogs can be shot if they chase deer. Making sure they don’t stray too far from the yard is crucial.
SERM’s deer depredation mitigation tactics are most effective when agricultural producers show a willingness to find long term solutions. This may involve even the erection of a permanent fencing structure paid for by SE using the producer’s labour to build it as equity, in the case of particularly vulnerable operations.
A partnered, commonsense approach makes a world of difference.
They may be a pretty sight in the yard when the sun rises, but deer can also be a bit of a nightmare when it comes to keeping them away from stacked hay and grain stored in the open.
Lindsey Leko is a Conservation Officer at Saskatchewan Environment’s (SE) Weyburn Field Office. “Every year, producers have come to expect some amount of damage. It is not so much what the deer eat that is a problem, but what they soil. Cattle won’t eat the feed once deer have urinated on it. In some areas, the damage is considerable and recurring. Our officers will work with producers to minimize damage, and there are a number of strategies we employ.”
One of the most common techniques is the use of intercept feed. SE will buy a bale from the producer and move it to a location away from feed storage areas. The deer will be drawn to the high quality feed at a non-threatening location and leave critical stacks alone.
Unprotected grain piles are always a challenge. Even a tarp will eventually break apart from the trampling action of deer hooves. Leko’s advice is to move the grain to a more secure location as quickly as possible.
If one must absolutely leave bales in the field, it is always best to create multi-bale stacks in order to minimize the total surface exposure of the feed to wildlife. Bales may be harder to pick up when they are stacked, but the overall protection is greater that way.
Where problems persist, the use of cenoflex, a nylon mesh that comes in a roll and can be wrapped around the stack, provides a viable solution to exposed feed.
Closer to home, building a fence with straw or slough hay bales using a building as an additional wall will give the necessary protection for feed stored in the yard. A gate may even be built to facilitate regular access. Key to success will be the periodic removal of snow near the fence to preserve the integrity of the protective structure. You might want to even blow the snow on top of the bales to add height to your fence and provide an additional deterrent.
Conservation officers recommend a combination of protective measures to ensure maximum success. Scarecrows will assist in keeping deer away. A couple of 2 x 4s assembled as a cross with some old clothes will do. Moving it around regularly will prevent deer from getting used to it.
Scare cannons that run on propane are another option, although perhaps not the wisest solution when used near a home.
Lindsey Leko recommends stringing pie plates, installing strobe lights or using motion sensor-activated yard lights, coupled with perhaps a transistor radio blaring out tunes.
Hungry whitetails that come out at night will quickly lose their fear of humans, but they will always keep an eye out for dogs. A male dog of any thick-coated, naturally territorial breed that is trained to patrol will work wonders. Just remember that under the law, dogs can be shot if they chase deer. Making sure they don’t stray too far from the yard is crucial.
SERM’s deer depredation mitigation tactics are most effective when agricultural producers show a willingness to find long term solutions. This may involve even the erection of a permanent fencing structure paid for by SE using the producer’s labour to build it as equity, in the case of particularly vulnerable operations.
A partnered, commonsense approach makes a world of difference.
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