My neighbor just had a service install a deer fence. From the looks of it, it stands about 4.5 feet tall - black chain-linked fence that is set around the entire back of their property line. It works. I know this because the families of deer scamper through our yard now.

Long and narrow may work, my vegetable garden is divided into 16 foot long strips by 4 foot wide strips by cedar posts and 3 foot fencing(as trellis) but the the perimeter fence is 6 feet high. The deer don't like to enter areas thy can't see or that look like they don't have enough room to turn around in. But, old man groundhog(woodchuck) just laughed and tunneled under it last year(despite landscape ties that were buried 6 inches deep) this year he'll find a buried fence(hope he doesn't remember how to climb!

Long and narrow may work but the deer in NY are getting more determined

Thanks everyone. I've put up an 8 x 16 foot long narrow garden fence of poles with netting to about 6'. I took the advice of someone and angled the poles out at 40 degrees or so and have staked down the extra netting at the bottom with pices of bent coat hanger. I shall not plant anything too close to the sides of the fence. Planted 12 tomates and zukes and beans am heading to Yosemite for a week. Hope it works and I find no destruction upon my return. Faith

I don't have a deer problem, but am always reading posts like these. I've been wondering if you fence in most of your garden, but leave a few plants on the outside, will the deer eat those and leave the rest alone?

My deer would laugh heartily at that idea.

Long and narrow works. 4' high rabbit fence around my veggie garden that is 5' wide and as long as you like. They will nibble at anything that grows above the fence or pokes through, but don't jump in it.

I also have a baited electric deer fence around a large formal rose garden that works wonders. Single- strand wire at 42" height keeps deer out as long as the lure stays scented and the batteries are changed regularly..

FYI ,,,,, here is Faiirfield Cty CT. we have more deer per acre than any where else

they are also LARGE ,,not those little. cutsey deer like in the south ... these critters clear 7' fences like nothing ... we use 8' fences with barbed wire on top ,,,, local vegetable gardens look like maximum security prison yards

having moved into the woods to get away from fences and such ,,i just allow them to walk thru and i plant things they avoid ,,, or so I think