Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Deer Killer and updates...

The nicest fence and gated entry system that I have ever built has killed at least three deer.  It is in the country and over 200 feet of very ornamental iron with old Victorian Spear Points as finials, lots of little scrolls to make it even stronger and one of my original Stone Posts every 24 feet.
 Trip Bar added to center section
   It is not a tall fence, about six foot high, a lazy jump for any deer.  It was designed to be beautiful, keep some dogs in and people out.  Every season about 20 Elk practically just step over it to graze on the lush vegetation, always greener on the other side.  Deer attempt this too, a lazy high jump and a quick bounding leap and sometimes they fail misjudging the height.  Failure is permanent in the animal kingdom and the fence is unforgiving.  Three times the farmer has had to get his tractor out and lift off a dead, impaled deer from the fence.
   Deer have a path and pretty much stick to it.  A couple of years ago I added a "Trip Bar" to the central section of this fence, the area of the path and the place where the deer began to impale themselves.  It works great and actually doesn't look too bad, framing the fence and offering the deer an embarrassing moment of misjudgement when they trip over it rather than the final jump of a misstep.
   I think they are hunting for a new path now or maybe they are leaderless because they are attempting to jump the fence just about everywhere.  Mostly they succeed but failure is permanent and messy, painful and slow.  They just sort of hang there as if from a meat hook and bleed to death.
   So, I am out to save the deer and I got a job!  Not often one can be virtuous, do the right thing and get paid for it.  Nice farmer, huh?  and just before Christmas I've got work to do!  about 240 feet of "Trip Bar" to be added to the entire fence line.
   Okay, on a different note!  I solved the paint in my hair problem.  It is amazing to me how many people couldn't resist pointing it out to me.  I must have heard "you've got paint in your hair" about a hundred times!
 One little spot left.
Three days of this and lots of shampoo was enough.  It must be good paint because it wouldn't come out.

More fencing and Entry Gates can be found HERE

4 comments:

SooZeQue said...

Way to go on gettin' the job ~ and for saving the deer! Santa will be happy. Great job on the fence. Thanks for combin' the hair, I could of cared less about the paint! HAH

T. said...

Beautiful fence, too bad about the deer but it's heartwarming to hear someone cares enough to try to save some.

Timaree said...

I am sooo glad you get to fix the fence problem. What a horrible way for a deer to die.

Anonymous said...

I too am glad to know that the property owner wants to save the deer. Poor things! It never would have occurred to me that this type of thing can happen. Sigh...

I must say that is one gorgeous fence, Jer! I so love your stone posts! The one I really love is one you shared with some leaves or type of ornamental iron work, narrower stones/bricks...Do you know which I'm talking about? Your work is flawless, my friend!

And by the way...you asked my thoughts on the student loans being forgiven after 20 years. I am ALL FOR IT! Do you know that you end up spending 2 to 3 times the actual loan amounts due to the interest the bank/lender earns? That is usury to my mind. Those loans could have/would have been paid off twice over at 20 years without the enormous interest fees. I've been paying mine for ten years and still owe darn close to what I started out owing.