A few weeks ago, I felled, peeled, and split some black locust trees into fence posts, outlined in two blog posts (here and here). Since then I’ve been installing the fence to keep out rabbits, coyotes, deer, and other critters.
The basic set up is 12–14-ft sections of fence between posts. Along the bottom is a 39-in “field fence” with squares that get smaller near the bottom. Above this I’ve stretched two tension wires. These will deter deer from jumping over and hold the grape, apple, and other fruit plants that will be grown along the fence line. Berry bushes will be planted across the lower half of the fence, which will eventually turn the ugly, galvanized wire barrier into a living wall of vegetation.
I’ve built a larger gate between the back yard and garden area. It is cedar with mortise-and-tenon joints. The fence is attached through eye hooks and tensioned with the use of turnbuckles.
Because the bottom of the fence would not keep out burrowing animals like rabbits, I’ve added buried chicken wire. Instead of digging down 1 ft and installing the mesh vertically, I’ve buried it about 4 in and then extended it outwards another 8 in. The idea is that an animal will start to burrow and hit the fence below it but not figure out to dig it up that far back from the fence line.
The gate is like a piece of art. I also like the horizontal barrier idea. Very creative!