Effectively protect your vines from roe deer

Ein Rehbock im Wald nähert sich dem Wildabwehrzaun Roe deer prefer habitats with plenty of different species and structures, which include wine-growing areas. They do not cause any relevant damage to classic crops. Not so in vineyards. In April and May, they nibble the fresh shoots after the vines have blossomed. Bucks mark their territories, causing fraying damage to vines. In September, they love to eat the grapes. Yet other wild cloven-hoofed animals in the region appreciate grapes, too. Another problem is the rooting damage caused by wild boar in the often green lanes between the vines.

Damage like this can be avoided with a properly set up and maintained AKO electric fence. The power is supplied by a powerful 12 V AKO electric fence device. If a 230 V power supply is ensured, then 230 V AKO power packs or AKO Duo electric fence devices can also be used. For long fences with multiple wires and where heavyn vegetation is to be expected, we recommend a pulse energy of more than 5 Joules. Optimum earthing is essential.

Please note:
Due to the specific terrain of vineyards (e.g. steep slopes, terraces), an electric fence must be set up so that the animals cannot jump over the fence from above. Roe deer like to slip under or between obstacles.

Recommendations:
to keep away roe deer and, where necessary, wild boar, three wires are tensioned at 20, 40 and 60 cm from the ground. A wooden post should be sunk at the corners and, depending on the fence length and for stability, halfway along each side of the vineyard, to which insulators are screwed. 90 cm long AKO plastic posts with integrated wire eyelets are installed in between (depending on the terrain) at intervals of 6 to 8 metres depending on the height of the fence. The wires are tensioned on the wooden posts, whereas they only need to be inserted into the eyelets of the plastic posts. On stony ground, you will need to prepare holes using an iron rod or auger. The electric fence absolutely must be placed at the main wild animal interchanges and can then protect the vineyard in a U-shape. You can then decide for yourself whether to fence in the “harmless” side.

Rehwild-Abwehrzaun

Roe deer defence fence
  1. Premium WildHog Polywire
  2. Blue TopLine Plus fence tape
  3. Blue signal tape
  4. Aluminium strips or rags
  5. Fence connection cable with alligator clips
  6. Signal light
  7. Warning sign
  8. Insulators


Important:
the electric fence must be clearly visible to boars and deer. This is why you should tension a blue AKO TopLine Plus fence tape at 40 cm height. A white- blue AKO TopLine Plus polywire is then tensioned above and below this. A blue signal tape can also be drawn through the uppermost guides of the plastic posts. Where roe deer occur, a blue AKO TopLine Plus fence tape must also be tensioned at a height ofm 160 to 180 cm. Depending on the terrain type and wildlife occurrence, the AKO “WildNet” wild animal defence net is also recommended.

Our tip:
to effectively protect vineyards, winemakers should take accompanying measures. Keeping the ground vegetation in the lanes between vines very short means the roe deer are not offered any additional attractive browsing or cover. In some areas (countries), there are state subsidies for defence against wild animal damage in vineyards.

“Our vineyards around Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, Austria, are cultivated with great diligence and experience. Wild animal damage caused by roe deer biting at buds and young shoots and the resultant damage to the vines are a major issue in viticulture. We are getting this problem very much under control through discussions and working together with the hunters and using short-term electric fences to keep wild animals at bay.”

ÖK. ALOIS SCHUSTER, Halbturn (Österr.), Halbturn (Austria), President of the Burgenland Wine-Growing Association from 1997 to 2009