Building Closed-Top Winter Deer Cages for Young Arborvitae and Yews from a 4-Foot Welded Wire Roll: 42-Inch Cylinders, a 48-Inch Lid, and Six Cages per 100 Feet

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

A 4-foot welded wire roll is too short for an open deer cage, so close the top. For a shrub 30 inches wide and 36 inches tall, cut 11-1/2 feet for a 42-inch cylinder and 4 feet for a lid. At 15-1/2 feet per cage, one 100-foot roll makes six cages.

Do deer cages around shrubs need a top?

Yes, when the cage is shorter than about 6 feet. Deer browse up to 6 feet above the ground, so a 4-foot cylinder only works with a wire lid and enough space that a deer can't push its snout through the mesh to the foliage.

Iowa State University Extension's winter animal damage guide says deer feed up to about 6 feet high and often browse arborvitae and yew in winter. It sets cage height at 6 feet or more unless the cylinder is enclosed on top, installed in September or October and removed in April.

Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County's deer damage page adds that a wire cage must stop deer from reaching over the top or pushing their snout through the openings. It also says to anchor the cage so it stays put.

Cutting Plan for One Cage

Piece	Cut	Math
Plant	30 in. wide, 36 in. tall	Measured at the widest point
Cylinder	42 in. across	6 in. clearance each side
Wall	11-1/2 ft. of roll	132 in. circle plus 6 in. lap
Lid	4 ft. of roll	A 48 x 48 in. square
Per cage	15-1/2 ft.	Wall plus lid
Per roll	6 cages	93 ft. used, 7 ft. left

The circumference is 3.14 x 42 inches, about 132 inches, so the 138-inch wall leaves a 6-inch overlap to tie.

Materials and Tools

• 12-gauge 4-foot by 100-foot welded wire roll; check the mesh size on the roll before buying
• Two 4-foot rebar stakes or short T-posts per cage
• Galvanized tie wire or hog rings for the seam and lid
• Bolt cutters or heavy snips, a tape measure, work gloves, and safety glasses

Cage Steps

1. Measure the shrub. Record its widest spread and height; this plan fits plants up to about 36 inches tall.
2. Cut the wall. Unroll 11-1/2 feet, cut on the far side of a vertical wire, and leave the stubs as tie tails.
3. Roll the cylinder. Stand the piece up, curl it into a 42-inch circle, and overlap the ends 6 inches.
4. Tie the seam. Wire the overlap every 6 inches from bottom to top.
5. Set it. Lower the cylinder over the shrub so the plant sits in the center with 6 inches of space all around.
6. Anchor it. Drive two stakes inside opposite walls and tie the cage to each at three heights.
7. Cut the lid. Cut a 4-foot piece for a 48 x 48 inch square and lay it on top.
8. Fasten the lid. Bend the corners down over the rim and tie the lid every 8 inches around the edge.

Put the cages up in September or October and take them down in April, as Iowa State advises.

Cage Mistakes

• Leaving the top open on a 4-foot cage
• Letting branches touch the wire, where deer can browse through it
• Skipping stakes, so wind or deer roll the cage over
• Caging a plant already taller than the wall

For trunk protection against smaller animals, see rabbit- and vole-proofing young fruit tree trunks with 24-inch hardware cloth cylinders. Larger plantings need an 8-foot T-post deer fence around a vegetable garden.

Mesh sizes and gauges for every kind of guard are in the hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide.

The same clean-cut method for wire edges is in how to cut hardware cloth without sharp edges.

FAQ

Will snow make the cage useless?

Deep snow lets deer reach higher, so brush heavy snow off the lid and check the stakes after storms.

Can I store the cages for next year?

Yes. Untie the lids, nest the cylinders, and keep them off the ground.