Stapling Two Stacked Courses of 4-Foot Woven Wire into an 8-Foot Deer Fence on Wood Posts: 12-Foot Posts, Staples Turned 30 to 45 Degrees, and 14 Staples per Line Post

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Hang one 4-foot course of woven wire flush with the ground, hang a second 4-foot course directly above it, and join the seam where they meet. Staple both courses to the deer side of 12-foot treated posts, turning every staple 30 to 45 degrees and leaving line-post staples loose enough for the wire to slide.

How do you staple two rolls of 4-foot woven wire into an 8-foot deer fence?

Set 12-foot treated posts at least 3 feet deep, hang the bottom course flush with the soil on the deer side, and stack the second course on top. Staple the top two, bottom two, and every other line wire of each course, rotate each staple off the grain, and never drive line-post staples tight.

The BC Ministry of Agriculture deer exclusion fencing factsheet lists two pieces of 4-foot woven wire, one on top of the other and clipped together, as an alternative design. Its 8-foot design calls for 12-foot posts, set at least 3 feet deep.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture deer fence specifications call for 1-3/4-inch barbed, class 3 galvanized staples. They staple the bottom two, top two, and every other wire between, with each staple rotated 30 to 45 degrees from the post face.

Post and Staple Count for a 40 x 50 Foot Garden

This layout has a 4-foot gate centered on one 40-foot side, a brace post 10 feet in from every corner, and no gap wider than 15 feet.

Post type Count Staples each Staples
Corner posts 4 20 (every wire) 80
Gate posts 2 20 (every wire) 40
Brace posts 8 14 (7 per course) 112
Line posts 3 14 (7 per course) 42
Total 17 274

The counts assume a 10-line-wire roll; the first number in a style code such as 14/78/12 is the line-wire count. Buy about 300 staples to cover bent ones and knots.

Fabric needed is 176 feet per course after the gate, or 352 feet for both courses, plus about 1 foot at each gate post for the wraps.

Materials and Tools

  • Galvanized fence staples, barbed, 1-3/4 inches or longer, about 300
  • Seventeen treated posts, 12 feet long and 4 to 5 inches across; heavier posts at corners and gates
  • About 356 feet of 4-foot woven wire for the two courses
  • Hog rings or fence clips for the seam, plus a wire stretcher
  • A framing hammer, fencing pliers, leather gloves, and safety glasses

Stapling Steps

  1. Set and brace the posts. Set every post at least 3 feet deep and build the brace assemblies before any wire goes up.
  2. Pick the deer side. Run both courses on the outside face of the line posts and around the outside of each corner.
  3. Tie off the bottom course. Wrap each line wire around the first gate post and back on itself; staples alone should not hold the tension.
  4. Stretch and set the height. Pull the bottom course snug with the bottom wire flush with the ground and no gaps in low spots.
  5. Staple the bottom course. At each line post, staple the bottom two, top two, and every other wire between, 7 staples on a 10-wire roll.
  6. Turn every staple. Rotate the staple 30 to 45 degrees off the post face so the legs cross the grain instead of splitting it.
  7. Leave line staples loose. Stop when the crown is just over the wire, so the wire can still slide.
  8. Hang the top course. Stretch it on the same posts with its bottom wire against the top wire of the lower course.
  9. Join the seam. Clip or hog-ring the two touching line wires together between every pair of posts.
  10. Staple the top course. Repeat the 7-staple pattern, then staple every line wire at corners and gate posts.

Where Stacked Deer Fences Fail

  • A gap at the seam that a deer can push its head through
  • Bottom wire riding over a dip, which leaves a crawl space
  • Staples driven straight with the grain, which split the post
  • Line-post staples driven home, which pin the wire so it cannot move
  • Fabric on the garden side of the posts, where deer pressure pushes it off the staples

A lighter, faster option is in setting an 8-foot T-post deer fence around a garden. Hole depth and tamping for wood posts are covered in hand-digging 8-inch holes for wood line posts.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide explains how wire gauge numbers compare.

Staple sizing on smaller fences is in stapling 2x4 welded wire to 4x4 treated posts.

FAQ

Can I add strands above instead of a second course?

Yes. The BC designs use taller woven wire with single high-tensile strands above it to reach 8 feet.

Why not stack the courses on the garden side?

Deer push from outside, so wire on the inside face pulls against the staples instead of the posts.

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