Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cattle Guard Question

The cattle guards here don't slow these little East Texas whitetails down at all. Even the 10' wide ones, they just hop right across them. A 20' wide one? I don't know. Never seen one built. Most of the ones here are built out of 2"-3" heavy wall pipe to take the weight of truck & tractor traffic.

Best wishes on your adventure!

Ed

Matt, Is there another way to keep the deer out? I don't recall seeing vineyards with deer fence here in the valley. Maybe there just aren't as many deer and it's less expensive to suffer the loss than buy fence.

CCCC: Numerous times I have seen Antelope jump across cattle guards.
In fact last fall a rutting Buck Antelope jumped the cattle guard on our paved drive to get into my yard.
He spent an hour or so in our yard and then jumped the cattle guard to exit our few acres.
Again this jumping was done off of and back onto pavement!
I don't mind the Whitetailed Deer, Mule Deer and Antelope that often traverse my lawns but the cattle in the adjoining fields must be kept out.
I have NEVER seen cattle jump a traditional round pipe with spaces in between cattle guard.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Every vineyard in this area has deer fence and it is needed. New vines (11,000) which we will be planting in June are especially vulnerable.

Call these guys.

They guard the Queen, might be good enough to guard your grapes.

What are they using for fences? The vineyard here use a double row of 4' high fencing, spaced about 4'-5' apart. The deer won't jump parallel fencing for some reason.

Yes, it's expensive, but so is losing your new vines.

Ed

You're screwed. You need wolves.

Contact your local animal lover groups, they will have a bunch of goofy ideas on this. None will work, but there is entertainment value in seeing their clueless nonsense.

Why couldn't the gate just have a button any driver could push? That would get rid of remote control, radios, probably a few relays too. It isn't for security against people. and would it have to be closed all year, or even all day?

Wouldn't even have to be a button. PIR (Passive Infra Red) sensor(s) set above deer height on both sides of the gate(s) would allow vehicles to come and go without undue delay.
Cheap, plentiful, and easy to install with any electric gate system.
There are also in-ground loop sensors that will do the same thing and only open for vehicular traffic. Slightly more expensive, but reliable and invisible.

Ed

Spank, don't believe your telling all.
You put in a vineyard with a road right down the middle of it so delivery trucks just drive by your grapes vines all day? Or do you have two fields left and right. Just fence in each field, put a gate on them, then open and close the gate with a latch each time. 8 foot high fence by the way.
This is a tax write off so don't worry about the expense guy.
Get it done.
Lots of money to come up with your 2 buck chuck.
Get used to it.

no sense in spending all that money to stop a few deer


dig a shallow pit in the soil

lay down in it and cover everything but your eyes and nose with loose soil

when the deer come in to eat, jump up and yell "boogedy,boogedy, boogedy"

deer problem solved, deer communicate, in short order you'll be known as one not to be trifled with.

oh and if they get a few grapes, oh well those were probably sour ones anyway

I'm sure your people will tell you this is indeed a foolproof plan

More and more automatic gates seem to be the way to go. They would save me 2250' of fencing and five internal gates.

We had always planned on installing a decorative wrought Iron entry gate but held off because of the expense. Now might be the time to do it.

Illegal alien Mexican guards are much chipper.

Pretty much the same here except 5-6 foot tall with deer and rabbit wire below. Yes it is expensive but grapes are a high value crop and need protecting. Next comes bird netting, not nearly as expensive but labor intensive.

Yep, definitely more expensive that postage for sending magazines to our Afghanistan marines.

Your going to spend a million one way or the other on the project.

Just do it.
Grapes are real expenive up front.

Do it right one time.

They make special wide ones that the highway department uses to keep deer behind them and seem to work

A double fence around the vines is the only real solution. With your type of money I am not sure why you are even worried about it.

Spano you are just being a cheap, get in the piggy bank and fork over the cash... after all it's just chump change to you.

Sure you can use gates!
You guys way over thinking this gate thing. ( think K.I.S.S. )

A couple "Bump Gates" problem solved.

http://www.bumpndrive.com/?gclid=CNOatIDG6r0CFcyTfgodySYAdg

Drunk neighbors would have to pass through it, though.