Caging Young Yard Trees Against Buck Rubs with One 100-Foot Roll of 4-Foot 12-Gauge Welded Wire: 7-Foot Cuts, 24-Inch Cages, and Two T-Posts per Tree

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Cut the roll into 7-foot pieces, roll each into a 24-inch cylinder around a young tree, and tie it to two T-posts. A 100-foot roll gives 14 cages with 2 feet left, and the 48-inch height matches the top recommended height for antler-rub protection.

How tall and wide should a wire cage be to stop deer antler rubs?

At least 48 inches tall and at least 12 inches across, held by two or three T-posts. A 4-foot welded wire roll gives full rub height in one piece, and a 24-inch cage keeps the wire well off the trunk, so it has room to thicken before the cage must come off.

The Texas A&M Forest Service browse protection page says buck rubbing during the fall rut can girdle a tree. For rub protection it calls for welded cage wire at least 48 inches tall, at least 12 inches across, secured with two to three T-posts.

The University of Minnesota tree stem protection fact sheet rates 48 inches as maximum and 36 inches as minimum rub protection. It lists welded wire against rabbits, rubs, deer browse, and mowers, and says to remove guards before the stem outgrows them.

Cage Size and Count from One 100-Foot Roll

Cage diameter	Circumference	Cut length (with overlap)	Cages per roll	Left over
18 in.	56.5 in.	5 ft. 6 in.	18	1 ft.
24 in.	75.4 in.	7 ft.	14	2 ft.
36 in.	113.1 in.	10 ft.	10	0 ft.

Each cut length adds roughly 7 to 10 inches of overlap so the cut prongs can hook over the straight edge.

The 24-inch cage is the middle ground: room for a young trunk to thicken, but still small enough that one roll covers a backyard planting.

Materials and Tools

• 12-gauge 4-foot by 100-foot welded wire roll; check the mesh size on the roll before buying
• Two 5-foot or 6-foot T-posts per tree and a T-post driver
• Zip ties or galvanized tie wire, 6 ties per cage
• Bolt cutters or heavy wire cutters, a tape measure, and a marker
• Leather gloves and safety glasses

Caging Steps

1. Unroll and weight it. Lay the roll flat with blocks on the curl so it does not snap back.
2. Measure 7 feet. Mark the cut beside a vertical wire so one end keeps a row of prongs.
3. Cut the piece. Snip each horizontal wire at the mark and stack the pieces.
4. Form the cylinder. Roll the piece around the tree with the trunk in the center.
5. Hook the seam. Bend the prongs around the straight edge with pliers.
6. Drive the posts. Set one T-post on each side of the cage, tight against the wire.
7. Tie it. Fasten the cage to each post at the bottom, middle, and top, 6 ties in all.
8. Check it seasonally. Look for leaning posts and branches poking through the mesh.
9. Remove it in time. Take the cage off before the trunk or lower limbs press against the wire.

Cage Mistakes

• Cages narrower than 12 inches, which hold the wire too close to the bark
• A single post, which lets the cage spin and lean
• Cut ends left pointing inward at the trunk
• Cages left on so long that the tree grows into the wire

Deer also feed on buds and branches up to about 5 feet, so a 4-foot cage stops rubs but not all browsing on taller trees.

Bark at ground level needs its own guard against rabbits and voles, as in rabbit- and vole-proofing young fruit trees. For a whole planting instead of single trees, see setting an 8-foot T-post deer fence around a garden.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide compares wire gauges and openings.

Clean cuts that leave no sharp burrs are covered in cutting hardware cloth without sharp edges.

FAQ

When should the cages go on?

Before the fall rut, when bucks start rubbing young trunks.

Do I need the cage on mature trees?

No. Rub damage is a young-tree problem; take the cage off once the trunk outgrows it.