I have used old 4-foot tall used field fencing cut into 13 foot lengths and formed into hoops to go over a tree. Also have used 5 foot and 4 foot welded wire (2x4) from the farmstore, but that gets spendy every time you buy a hundred foot roll. So I cut that stuff into 10 foot lengths to get 10 hoops from a roll. Overall, used field fencing is cheap to free. Ask farmers or fencing companies if you can have some old stuff -- I know one company that offers it occassionally instead of taking it to the dump.

If your deer are aggressive, you may have to tie the hoops to one or two metal posts as well. My deer are rather small, so I only get problems with them past September. They pretty well respect my wire cages all summer long. Even after the trees get up there, I keep a cage around them so the deer don't rub antlers on the bark!

I don't have rabbits, but you may have to watch out for them. I do have mice and voles, so I wrap 6 or 8 inches of used metal windowscreen around the trunks for the winter, all the way to the ground, tying it in place with twine. Keeps the critters from chewing the bark off the trunks.

I use 5 ft. I think 14 gauge wire fencing which you can buy in 50 ft rolls from Home Depot. I cut 10ft lengths so one side has long wire fingers for closing. I weave it to a single 8ft P.T. post well driven into the ground with a post driver. I close it with just 3 or 4 or the wire fingers so it can be opened easily.

Most of the installations I do in a county with very restrictive hunting laws that allow bucks to reach methusa's age. 10% of the time a couple varieties may need 3 stakes and another foot of wire.

This is what I have to do to all my trees in West virginia. Its the only way the deer wont eat them.

I used 4 foot stakes and heavy gauge wire. I keep the wire about 2 feet off the ground, which gives me appoximately 6' total height.

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The terrible state of grass competition at the base of these trees reveals the shortcoming of this system- too hard to get in. Young trees like this should never have to compete with grass- sets back their growth almost as bad as deer.

I have the same species of deer and just as hungry- I'm talking herds and 8 point bucks. The deer even browse on pines and junipers (and junipers are poisonous). My cages take a fraction of the time to install and cost less as well.

Over the years I have installed thousands of trees using my shelters in 3 states and hundreds of sites so I know of what
I speak.

Mr Harvestman...

You must have a reputation beyond belief in the horticultural world.

"...Over the years I have installed thousands of trees using my shelters in 3 states and hundreds of sites so I know of what I speak."

Let us see O' great one...I think its time for you to produce

I do believe in criticism as long as it is constructive. I have a small apple/peach orchard (about 115 trees) that was developed on a whim. I am guilty of not researching properly and doing some things "my way". But as a work in progress, itÂs coming around. IÂm happy to say in my third year, my trees are bearing fruit. Maybe they are not growing as quickly as I would like, but productive none the less.

The best I can tell, this forum, consists of primarily amateur orchardistÂs that have many questions and ALOT to learn. Most of us are not professionals, but tend our trees out of joy and the excitement to see what they may produce the coming season.

My apologies to the forum for my post, but I have read "thousands" of Mr. HarvestmanÂs posts. So I too know of what I speak.

"ItÂs not what you say, itÂs how you say it".

Concrete contractors often leave roll ends (up to 30'!) of 6"x6"x7'x10g reinforcing wire on jobsites. Find the general contractor and get permission before removing. I've scored tons of this. The large openings require a larger diameter cage, and they are self supporting.

Let'em eat Cake!
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I use hardware cloth cages to keep off deer, rabgits, voles, etc. And mulch with newspaper to prevent weed growth within the cage.