Deer Fencing for a West Tennessee Garden, and What Jackson City Limits Allow

Somebody plants a garden. Tomatoes, beans, a row of hostas by the back steps. Deer eat it in a week. So the next call is to a fence company, and the person on the phone says "what is the shortest fence that will stop them?"

The extension sources say a short fence will not do it. Deer can easily jump many decorative fences. Oklahoma State says a fence that works is eight feet tall or carries a charge, and Nebraska says at least eight feet. In the city of Jackson the electric kind is against the rules.

One thing about this page. I am citing university extension sources from Oklahoma and Nebraska for deer fence height, because they are what I could verify. That is out-of-state guidance, not a Tennessee figure. The University of Tennessee has its own publication on deer fencing, and it is worth looking up after you read this. Where I give you local rules, those come from the City of Jackson and Madison County documents.

What Two Out-of-State Extension Services Say

Oklahoma State University Extension says deer can easily jump over many decorative fences, and that to keep deer out of a landscape or garden either an electric fence or an eight-foot deer fence is necessary. The University of Nebraska Extension also recommends fences at least eight feet high around gardens, orchards and other sensitive areas, because deer clear shorter ones.

So there are two answers, and the rest of this page is about picking between them.

Option One: A Tall Fence

Oklahoma State describes two ways to build one. Commercial polyethylene netting is one. A standard hog wire fence on tall posts, twelve feet, is the other. The sources do not say more than that, so the details are for a site visit.

A fence that tall is a different build from a yard fence.

• The posts are long. Oklahoma State's hog wire design calls for twelve-foot posts, which is a bigger job than a yard fence, and soil matters. See what Madison County soils mean for fence posts and our post depth and concrete page.
• Wire or netting is the fill. Oklahoma State names hog wire and polyethylene netting. Our field wire fencing page covers how it is built.
• Gates have to match. As a matter of common sense, a gate shorter than the fence is a gap in it. Plan for a gate you can walk or roll a cart through.
• Appearance is a trade. Oklahoma State says a deer-proof fence does not fit well with most landscaping plans, and suggests that placing it at a forest edge, where it blends with shrubs and brush, makes it less noticeable. If wood is part of the build, the mildew guide covers how wood weathers in this climate.

Call Tennessee 811 before the posts go in. It applies to hand digging too. A tall fence needs a lot of holes.

Option Two: An Electric Fence

Electric costs less to build, according to Oklahoma State, but it needs more maintenance. It has to be kept electrified at all times. The extension's warning is worth repeating, because it surprises people. Deer may learn to go through one that was not electrified for several days.

So an electric fence is a commitment. Power has to stay on and someone has to check it. If it goes off for several days, the extension warning applies.

And inside Jackson city limits it is not an option at all.

What Jackson City Limits Allow

The City of Jackson's construction guide quotes its zoning ordinance on this. No fence in any zoning district may contain an electric charge or be connected with electric current. Barbed wire is prohibited too, with an exception for industrial areas. And the city requires a permit for every fence.

So if your garden is inside the city limits, an electric deer fence is out, and a tall fence would need that same permit. I am not going to tell you the city will or will not approve an eight-foot garden fence, because we have not found a published rule that answers it, and it is not our decision. A tall fence in a required front yard also runs into the city's vision rule. Call the City of Jackson planning office with your address and the height you want, and ask. Our guide to fence permits in Jackson and Madison County walks through the application.

Outside the City, in Madison County

In the unincorporated part of the county, the zoning resolution says it does not require building permits or regulate buildings, other than street setbacks, on land devoted to agricultural uses. Whether a backyard garden counts is a question for the county. The residential code the county adopts normally exempts fences seven feet or under from a building permit, but the county's construction guide has no fence provision of its own. An eight-foot deer fence is over that line, so ask the county building department before you start. The county's rules are on our Madison County fence page.

Other towns have their own rules, many of which are not posted online. If you live in Medina, Humboldt, Milan, Henderson or elsewhere, call your city hall or building official and ask about a tall fence at your address. Do not assume.

Is It Really Deer?

Before you spend money, confirm the culprit. Oklahoma State says deer have no upper incisors and feed by tearing, so damage is identified by the jagged remains of browsed plants. As a general rule, a clean cut points to something other than deer.

Smaller Options

Eight feet is not the only tool. Nebraska's list also includes tree guards for individual plants, raised beds with fencing or netting, temporary mesh or netting during peak feeding, and repellents. Oklahoma State says a much shorter fence can work for a very small plot because deer hesitate to jump into a tight space, but it says that is not a workable option for most gardens. For larger gardens and orchards, both sources point to a tall fence, and Oklahoma State also names electric. We have not verified how well any of the smaller options hold up in West Tennessee, so we do not promise results.

If you want a lower fence for dogs or kids that also looks good, that is a different question, and our dog fence guide and picket fencing page are the place for it. Just do not expect it to keep deer out.

How We Would Approach a Garden Fence

1. Walk the garden and decide the real edge. Fencing just the plot is a smaller job than fencing the yard, and Oklahoma State notes a deer-proof fence can be expensive if large areas are protected.
2. Decide tall fence or electric, based on whether you are in the city and on how much upkeep you will actually do.
3. Check the permit question for your address, before the quote, since it can change the design.
4. Call 811, set long posts properly, and build the gate to match the fence.

Our farm and horse fence pages show the wire and post work behind a fence like this. Whether a tall deer fence is practical for you is something to settle at the garden, not on a web page.

Common Questions About Deer Fencing

Bottom Line

Deer fencing, per the extension sources, is a tall-fence job or an electric job. Inside Jackson electric is off the table, so the first question is whether the city will approve the height you need. Check the permit rule for your address first, then talk about posts, wire and gates. Start with fence installation in Jackson if you are inside the city, or the Madison County fence page if you are outside it.

More plain-English answers on cost, permits, materials, and repairs are in all of our fence guides.