Mule Deer Fence Height

There are several factors to consider when choosing the height for deer fencing.

Mule deer fence height.

Height or width is probably the most important factor with deer fences especially if high deer pressure. For deer and elk the top of the fence should be no higher than 40 to 42 inches. On average a standard white tailed deer can jump 8 feet high so your fence can be approximately that high to prevent these deer from leaping into your property. Looking at the different types of fence for deer management can be overwhelming.

However some fence configurations reduce negative impacts. The additional angling will. White tailed deer can jump almost eight feet high so effective upright fences against them should be this high. Another opinion is to to build a six feet high fence that is angled outward.

Generally speaking we have found that an effective deer fence starts at 6 tall but some need to be as high as 8. Deer may be able to jump high but not both high and over a distance. One should first consider the type of deer that are problematic blacktail mule or whitetail. The reason for this is simple.

A healthy adult animal can typically clear that height on level ground. Best solutions in this situation are to drop the top wire or install a wildlife pass more on this shortly. However white tail deer cannot jump both 8 feet high and 8 feet across. On a steep hillside however the effective fence height from below is much higher.