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In Maine, whenever it is found impossible to keep deer from doing damage in 

 orchards, the Department of Inland Fisheries and Game may enter into an agreement 

 with the owner of the orchard whereby the Department may assume half the cost of 

 fencing the young orcliard. They supply fencing for young orchards only. Their 

 present policy is to provide the wire fence while the grower sets the posts, 

 provides the gates and strings the wire. It is the assumption of the Department 

 of Inland Fisheries and Game that providing the wire represents about lialf the 

 cost of the fencing job. It is felt that the program of supplying the fence for 

 the young orchards suffering deer damage has not been overly expensive, it is 

 thought that repellents will serve in some instances to prevent deer damage and 

 that their effectiveness depends upon the variety and supply of feed available to 

 deer as the seasons change. However, the only perfect repellent is wire fencing. 

 The Department of Inland Fisheries and Game feel that their law works well, 

 from both the standpoint of conservation of their deer herd and for the protection 

 of orchardists. In addition, they stated that they do not feel the cost of the 

 present program is unduly heavy and that in the final analysis sharing the cost of 

 fencing these orchards, in the Jong run, does save money for the state. 



The State of New Hampshire Fish and Game Department supplies six foot graduated 

 stock wire to growers setting out orchards in areas having high deer population, 

 Mr. James W. Alger, Game Damage Adjuster of the State of New Hampshire Fish and 

 Game Department states that a total tree loss by deer browsing or horning could 

 run to a figure where in two years the fencing will pay for its initial investment. 

 He believes that the fencing, properly maintained will last twenty years, Mr, Alger 

 states that the fencing program is of great value from the standpoint of grower 

 attitude, for the fenced-in young orchards grow normally and no loss of tree 

 growth is experienced due to set backs by deer browsing or horning. In addition, 

 trees are often injured so severely that replanting is necessary. 



He cites a case where 700 young trees were set out in June 1956, and the 

 delivery of 30 rolls of wire was slower than they anticipated. As a result, deer 

 damage was done between June and September which called for a damage payment of 

 $250. In this case if the damage were to persist for another year at the same 

 rate, with the orchard unfenced, it would cost the state $500. However, the 

 wire cost the state $420. and they are free of any future claims. Under the laws 

 in the State of New Hampshire Fencing Program no damages are paid on the fenced 

 areas. 



Mr. Earl W. Young, a fruit grower in Temple, New Hampshire, has had a deer 

 fence around his orchard for nine or ten years and thus far it has been 100% 

 effective. It is a six foot woven wire fence which was set into a stone 

 wall surrounding his orchard. Mr, Young stated that the posts set into the stone 

 wall have held up well but posts set into the ground had to be replaced in three 

 years with cedar posts. The original posts wc-e pine. He states also that the 

 only trouble experienced is with hunters that will not go around but climb over 

 the fence breaking posts. 



Mr. G. A, Morison, Upland Farm, Inc., Peterboro, New Hampshire, states that 

 his deer fence is a four- foot woven game fence, with small mesh at the bottom 

 gradually widening to about six inches at the top, and above this are three 

 strands of barbed wire making the entire fence eight feet high. This fence is 

 strung on pine or spruce posts. The fence has been very satisfactory and only 

 once has Mr. Morison seen a deer in the orchards that was so fenced. He said, 

 "This was a young doe, and from the tracks and hair left on one of the barbs, 

 she jumped through the lower and middle strand of barbed wire, the space being 

 16 inches wide and the lower wire 5»4" above the ground, so she was some jumper," 



