Deer deterrents - lights and noise motion activated

I'm curious if anyone has tried any of the long list of solar deer deterrents I just found on Amazon? I realize nothing is perfect, but I'm wondering if anyone has had any modicum of success with them.

I have four strategic areas that I need to protect for the first time in thirty years ( I'm sure because Angus is our first inside dog). I may not be able to improve my fencing this spring as planned. I bought plantskydd and have used blood meal with minimal success. ( I also have to be cautious with this product as it can attract predators, which I don't need any help with doing ) .

The one that has my interest peaked the most is one variety that emits a dogs barking, a gun shot, and bright lights. ( I don't have neighbours so the noise isn't an issue for me), Being on a well, I can't use the motion sensor watering one as Hubby says it could be hard on the pump (He's the expert of our system) although that one appeals to me the most. Also the three areas I'm most interested in protecting can't be reached with house water.

There are also varieties that light up with red eyes like a predator, just have bright lights, and make high frequency noises.

Some others that peaked my interest are used as vole, mice and squirrel deterrents with a high frequency sound.

I'd be very interested to hear what people have experienced. Thank you!

 

I use the water sprinkler motion detector. Works great. Put it where the deer least expect … it scares the …out of them. I don’t know much about the noise motion bombs I read about them seems a bit much. I also use a trail cam to find their fav spots to rest and graze.

I use Plantskyyd pellets it works great keeps the deer away. I have actually seen flowers I haven’t seen in years since I started using it. It has to be dry or light sprinkles-weather. Not the liquid…

In general the hot wired fence doesn’t deter them they just run right thru . I’ve tried so many deterrents . I actually have the best luck with my pellet gun. I don’t load it with pellets it’s the loud noise from air cartridge that scares them..I have gotten pretty good at sneaking up on them and the pellet gun does help keep them at bay.
I guess it will soon be that time of year again. UGH !

 

Thanks Pac. I know from your posts that you fight the good fight with your deer in your area of the USA. I'm afraid our living situations are a bit different.

Blood meal products ( like Plantskyyd ) are not an option for me anymore - in spray or pellet. I couldn't figure out why a young bear was choosing to hang around most of the spring and intermittently during the summer - only in certain parts of the garden and yard. A friend and an Uncle are trappers, and I asked them - they both use blood meal as a binder in their bait, and as a scatter attractant. My friend and neighbour with a tree farm has stopped using it as bears would sometimes show up at the loading area, and planters had some issues with bears following the planters and licking the trees ( thankfully not trying to lick the planter - but I'm sure that was going through their mind). I know it is highly touted as effective, but it is not something I would use again in my less populated area of wilderness. I wish I could Same as the motion sprinkler....I would love to have a few of those but it is not designed for our home and water usage.

Where I live shooting deer here with anything ( pellet, paint ball, air soft included) is highly illegal, and honestly if I was to injure one in the eye or cause an infection where the skin broke, especially a Momma or fawn, I wouldn't feel very good about myself.

My deer mostly come at night or the very wee hours when I am thankfully fast asleep. Hence, I'm exploring if anyone has tried the motion lights, motions sounds, or any of those items. I'm leaning towards trying the barking and loud noise one, and perhaps a motion flashing light one, for my memory garden which is my only free standing flower garden that isn't easily fenced.

If anyone has tried these devices I would be grateful if they shared their experience.

 

Maybe this device would be useful.



I have one near the fish pond keeps raccoons and deer out. Some fish are older than I am that is in fish years… Must have electricity available where the unit is placed. There are also bamboo knockers/clackers that can be rigged from a stream or type of running water that do not require electricity.

Question…Sometimes do you find that when answering questions other members ask that
the answer-ee hasn’t a clue about their area? Just as you have no clue about my area.

My intent was to expand on what works in my area. I went to a lot of explanation of what works in my area. Hoping to help. And yes we also have bears here and I know they are attracted by many deterrents used in gardens as well as other critters. I live next to an old growth forest.

Maybe best to check with others that live in your area. For clarity in some ways your area is not that much different than mine. We have herds of elk and deer. And have hunters during deer season. They cannot be hunted on private property.

I also wanted to clarify in the previous answer that when I explained the use of the pellet gun , the gun is ‘NOT LOADED’ with PELLETS. I don’t even point the gun their way. The small cartridge in the gun which is gas filled so when the trigger is pulled the noise from the cartridge is what scares the deer off…no pellets fly out from the gun. That would be inhumane to wound a wild animal, even with a pellet, at least in my book.

Another good deterrent are our horses they chase the deer off in the pastures 24/7. The deer and elk occasionally run thru the electric fencing designed to keep the horses inside the pastures. For clarity I did not add this because I don’t know if you have horses. ? Or at least I am not aware .

I also wanted to share the bamboo knocker, it is one of the best deterrents I have used over the years. Many are hesitant about them they work extremely well in my area.

Hope you have better luck this season deterring deer.

 

I too use motion detection water sprinklers for deer.

 

Update on deer raids at dark tonight. It was 5:35 pm almost dark and I was checking the property cameras. The usual characters are starting to show up. Caught the deer coming thru the woods thru the back pasture, grabbed my pellet gun..With No Pellets… went out and caught them just coming up to the garden and started shooting the pellet gun..no pellets …just the noise from the gas cartridge scared them off… got them this time …will set my alarm for tomorrow at 5:30 pm and wait…they are creatures of habit. I haven’t seen them all winter . They are back…they come down from the mountains across the valley this time of year…they know a salad bar is soon coming…

 

Thanks @Pacnorwest for the shishi odoshi instruction. I've thought about that, just for fun.

 

They really work… I hope you try one..I’m sure your garden would be a lot safer from most any critters.

 

Haha.. spotted the deer at 6:40 this am.. while out in the barn feeding the horses , they were down the neighbors pasture. I also blocked the paths they usually take while around the property with elec wire… I leave a twig touching the wire and it makes the fence snap loudly a noise that scares them that seems to keep them from running thru the fences.

 

Maybe this would be a space for all those elk and deer thinkin our gardens are their salad bars.

 

`Decided since it’s too cold outside to set up a blind to spot deer outside , then made one from the window sitting inside , nice warm spot and using the iPad to watch the perimeter cams which are set up at the deer entry on the pastures from the forest. I can sit at the window stay warm and when the deer are spotted then I open the window and shoot the pellet gun..No Pellets …surprise attack and scares them off .
I haven’t seen them in a few weeks since.

 

Pic of my bamboo clapper..the klapping noise is a continuous reminder to raccoons and deer that people are around. Have had fish in the pond for years.
Knock on wood …

 

It is now full blown deer snacking season. I have spotted and tracked the deer on their comings and goings in the am and pm daily . It’s like clock work the daily expeditions at the snack bar in the garden.

Here is what I did.
I set up a ‘deer blind’ , or a better description - a place inside the house to spot and scare off the deer at the same time. By setting up a chair at the west window , the entry point of the deer to the pasture then to the garden snacks. This is the pasture entry the deer trail used at night for them to sneak in at dusk and snack on the spring buds in the garden.

I also set up a motion light on a tree near by and camera close to the window blind. The cameras are on a security system on my iPad. At dusk I watch the cameras and when the motion detector on my iPad . When light comes on I see on my iPad this gives me time to run to the west window open it and grab the pellet gun . NO pellets just the cartridge shoot it out the window and scares the deer off. Finally success without getting wet, falling or freezing.
All from the comfort of a warm house.

This way I don’t have to go racing outside in the cold or worry about making any noise that can spook them before I can scare them off. The loud noise from the pellet gun is enough to keep the deer at bay for weeks.

I have noticed while mowing the pastures lately that the hot wire has been knocked down on the north side of the pastures. I repaired that issue and added 3 more lines of hot wire in that section boosted up the power and put a small twig on one wire . The small twig keeps the wire poppin loud enough to deter the deer in that section. However they are driven by their noses and will just find another way to pop up in.

I don’t think there is ever a failsafe method to keep the deer entirely from raiding the garden until drier weather. During dry weather I put out Plantskyyd in areas that are close to flowing plants. That keeps them out really well and fingers crossed I hope to see all my flower buds develop into flowers this season.

And then there are the under ground critters… it’s always something.

 

When you mentioned a bamboo klapper, it brought back a memory of something I saw in Indonesia. The farmer had a thick, green bamboo driven deep into the soil out in a sawa. It was split half way down with a rope attached to one side. The rope was perhaps 100m long and the other end was back in the trees along a path.
From time to time the farmer would give the rope a jerk and quickly let go. The resulting “crack” was surprisingly loud…like a firework.

 

Very interesting low tech technique for a clapper .

Some farmers use propane cannons to discourage birds and deer.

Then there’s the Air flow-Crow. And electricity is needed. Unless you have a battery op blower put on a timer.
Could work with rechargeable batteries. I might try this one in summer. hehe