How to Get Rid of Residential Nuisance Deer With Fishing Line

Deer can be a major pest, even in residential areas. They find a wide variety of garden plants and fruit trees to be appealing targets for browsing and are not deterred by electric fences. A fence made of fishing line can keep them from feasting on your plants. Deer are colorblind, and running into an unexpected and unseen object makes them wary. If they encounter fishing line around your yard or garden, they will avoid entering.

Tomato stakes or metal fence stakes

Hammer or mallet

Monofilament fishing line

Scissors

Pound the stakes into the ground with a hammer or mallet around the perimeter of the area you wish to protect from deer. Place a stake at each corner and at five- to eight-foot intervals. Make sure the stakes are firmly in the ground and won't fall over.

Tie the end of the monofilament to one of the corner stakes, about 1 foot off the ground. Run the line to the stake at the opposite corner, wrapping the line around the in-between stakes at 1-foot height as you go. Keep the line taut as you go.

Tie the line to the stake at the opposite corner, also about 1 foot off the ground. Tie the end of the line from the spool 2 feet off the ground, then repeat the process.

Tie your fishing line fence at heights of 3 feet, 4 feet and 5 feet. Repeat for all sides of the garden plot.

Don't use colored line; the deer can see it. Stick with clear monofilament. Use monofilament that is 15-pound test or higher, so people can easily see it.

Make sure to place the fishing line where people won't trip over or run into it.