Deer Damage and Crop Loss in Agribusiness

It’s not just crop growers who have to be concerned with the damages caused by deer. Livestock growers feel the effects of the Bambi invasion nearly as heavily as do those farmers raising cash crops. Deer not only chew through feed crops and water supplies, they bring down fences and introduce disease to livestock.

How extensive the damage is remains to be seen, but the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Gus Douglass, has requested cooperation from the agriculture community and urban residents to determine the levels of damage caused by deer throughout the state. The state will measure direct crop losses; property losses; increased costs to deter deer, and; changes to what farmers plant in order to attract fewer deer. 

The study* will attempt to uncover the true level of damage caused by deer in the state, and hopefully will help with deer management programs going forward. But farmers in all states where deer live have their own issues with controlling the animals. If deer are a problem in your farm operations, consider the following preventative measures:

• Fencing. For fencing to be an effective deer deterrent, it has to be high enough to prevent deer from jumping over it. While most experts contend that deer choose to go under or through a fence rather than jump it, if they’re hungry, they’ll jump. Deer can jump up to ten feet high.  Researcher at Montana State University has shown that fences that are 6 feet high can be an effective deterrent to keeping deer and elk from crops.  Here is a resource for cost effective methods to modify existing fencing here. 
• Electric Fencing. Electric fences can be an inexpensive way to deter deer from destroying your crops. Fencing off small fields is a cheap way to decrease the deer damage. However, deer probably won’t be deterred by the shocks of an average setup unless it’s through the nose. Many farmers will place peanut butter baits on the fence, giving deer a jolt when their noses touch the bait.  
• Repellents. Used regularly, this can be an expensive option, but modern repellents are successful in keeping deer damage to a minimum.  Dogs can also be a very effective repellent – if confined to the property, the smell of their urine when marking the property works well, with the added bonus of rabbit, mice, and groundhog eradication. 
• Noise. Alarms, and automated lights are just a few ways to scare deer from the property.  However, to be most effective, they should be random, and motion activated.
• Deer management programs. Work with your local game commissioners to discuss and resolve deer control issues. Many commissions offer special hunting licenses for areas of heavy damage.

Deer damage crops, trees, plants and flowers and the damage is increasing every year as populations continue to climb.  Disease and parasites which infect deer can affect livestock.  West Virginia is conducting a Deer Damage study*.  Farmers across the nation have issues with deer.  What deterrents or deer control methods have you used?  Which ones have you found to be effective, and which ones haven’t?  How much crop/livestock loss to you attribute or factor in to deer and other pests?

*Read the study details: http://www.wvagriculture.org/news_releases/2010/5-13-10.html