Another common issue we get involved in is not just deer control, but deer exclusion. This is done by erecting deer fencing to stop them actually entering your premises in the first place.

We were called in to a very exclusive residence in Ascot to assess the deer problem and suggest a cure for this.

The damage was extensive, just about every plant and shrub had evidence of deer browsing – even the bushes next to the main door were completely stripped and browsed to almost nothing. This complex has about 20 flats and each of the residents contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the gardens, so having all your plants eaten is not an acceptable situation.

On inspection, it was very obvious that the deer damage had been caused by Muntjac. The evidence we look for are hoof prints (called slots), faeces, the browse marks on the bushes and the height of browse line (Muntjac deer are quite small in size). The grounds have a large area of wilderness covered in Laurel bushes making this an ideal place for the Muntjac to hide when humans appear but also a good place to shelter and use for their hit and run browsing sessions. I did not believe they were living in this area.

Deer Fencing

The property was fenced on two sides with iron railings and close board fencing, but the far end was a very wobbly chain-link fence with loads of scrapes where the deer had got under, and the near end had a large electric gate with a 2 foot gap underneath it. It was pretty obvious that the deer were using this as a walk through rather than as a permanent area to live in.

Some deer have been seen by the residents, but at all times of the day and night. Shooting was not an option as it is far too dangerous, so we had to look at exclusion.

Muntjac do not jump, they push through or under, so we had to make sure the fence was well dug in the ground and very tight along the bottom, but to be safe, we wanted to go to the full height of 6 foot just in case. The next problem was to erect a fence without cutting off too much of the Laurel cover, which also acted as a noise barrier. This makes fencing a bit of a nightmare as ideally you want to get as much cleared out as possible, but the customers get what they want with us!

Needless to say, the job was completed and just to make sure we had no deer trapped inside the property, we walked through the wilderness area to drive them out of the gates – but as I expected there was nothing in there. The gate guys arrived the next day to sort out the big gap and that will solve the issue.

If you have deer problems and would like us to survey your property and suggest the right solution, just contact Rapid Pest Control for a consultation on removing your deer problem.