Dogs Defeat Deer In Wisconsin Orchard

Dogs Defeat Deer In Wisconsin Orchard MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pest Animals 24-5-15 Deer no long steal profits from a Wisconsin apple grower who lets six dogs run free in his orchard to chase deer away. Al Vignieri, Richland Center, Wis., recently told The Country Today Newspaper that he's pleased with the Off Limits Crop Protection system he installed to keep his deer-chasing dogs confined to the orchard. The Off Limits system is essentially the same as the "Invisible Fence" system that people use to keep dogs around the house. The only difference is that the components are sized to work on a much larger scale. FARM SHOW first reported on the Off Limits system six years ago (Vol. 18, No. 1). Vignieri has two blocks of young apple trees, ranging from 20 to 30 acres, that are surrounded by an underground wire that transmits radio waves to collars that the dogs wear. When they get near the fence, a small shock stops them from crossing. Vignieri says he has $12 to $15 invested in each new tree he plants, and he plants about 500 trees per acre. So he says it doesn't take much in savings to pay for the dog protection system. To keep the dogs moving, Vignieri puts the dog house and water on one end of each block of trees, and their food at the other end. He initially used purebred German shepherds to patrol the orchard but he has since added mixed breed dogs. He says you don't need a purebred. You just need an active dog. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Off Limits Crop Protection, 507 Bay St., Treverse City, Mich. (ph 905-983-3647).

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