Building Deer Exclosures for Park & Planning

Clair Garman
March 29, 2004

Using materials and guidance from Rob Gibbs of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission - Montgomery County, Friends of Sligo Creek has built two deer exclosures to monitor the damage to vegetation by the deer of Sligo Park. These exclosures will be maintained and monitored for 5 years by Friends of Sligo Creek. An annual survey of the vegetation inside the exclosure will be conducted and the results shared with Park and Planning.

A deer exclosure is a 30 foot by 30 foot area of the park that is enclosed within an 8 foot high black plastic mesh fencing. The fencing is erected on existing trees or on metal stakes where appropriately placed trees do not exist. Midway on each side of the enclosure is another tree or stake for support of the fence. A plastic wire interweaves through the top row of the mesh fencing and is tightened to hold the top of the fence firmly between the posts. Small metal stakes secure the bottom of the fence to the ground to prevent animals from pushing under the fence.

Each deer exclosure has a keeper to monitor the condition of the fence, making repairs as needed. One deer exclosure, labelled Alpha, lies between Forest Glen Road and Colesville Road. Its keeper is Ross Campbell. The second exclosure lies above University Boulevard. Its keepers are Kathy Michels and Ed Murtagh. Sally Gagne will monitor the vegetation inside both exclosures and make the annual reports to Park & Planning.

Rob Gibbs from Park & Planning says that, in addition to hungry deer, vandals are the major danger to deer exclosures. The exclosures are almost invisible due to the thin black plastic mesh fencing. Worry over deer blundering into an almost invisible fence prompted the hanging of small bags of human hair from each side of the exclosure as an olfactory clue to the deer.

Read a web photo essay on building the deer exclosures.

Update - July 2014

Ross Campbell, stream steward for Section 6, pointed out in June that the Parkside deer exclosure (Alpha) had deteriorated, and for continued use would have to be rebuilt. The metal posts had become rusted and wobbly, and the netting was torn due to fallen branches and vandalism. In recent months deer have been able to enter. After discussion with the Park deer manager, Rob Gibbs, who helped Friends of Sligo Creek erect the exclosure in 2004, it was removed in early July 2014.

Ed Murtagh and Kathy Michels
in front of their exclosure Bravo 		Ross Campbell in front of his exclosure Alpha
with Clair Garman, the construction head
Note the bag of human hair between them.
Several year old exclosure in upper Montgomery County
from the files of Park and Planning
Inside on left - outside on right