Rotisserie motors are readily available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Expect to pay anywhere from 20 to 30 dollars for a small unit and upwards of 150 dollars for the big ones, which might power a super large moving deterrent for extreme deer predation.


I've had this small one operating 24 hours a day for 2 weeks now.

Found it at a local Walmart. A recent visit reveals it might be a seasonal item.


The next thing you need is a large hex key. They usually come in a set, which helps make it easy to choose the size that fits your rotisserie motor shaft holder. I'll save those details for the next post.

A 5/16th hex key is the size I ended up using for the low budget do it yourself rotisserie motor backyard deer deterrent.

The trick is connecting this hex key to the rotisserie motor shaft holder in a way that it won't fall off.

You'll need to open up the motor case, which is just a few screws. Remove the shaft connector from the motor. Notice how it almost fits the hey key? Place it on a solid surface and force the curved end where a rotisserie shaft would normally go. Use a few light taps of a hammer to firm it into place. Test the connection by trying to pull them apart. If it's a bit loose add some heavy duty glue or epoxy. Mine seemed pretty well stuck and it's still holding without any adhesive.

The next step is to re-install the shaft holder onto the motor and put the case back together.

Now you're ready to start making some automatic deer deterrent noise and motion, which is what the next post will explain.

The next step for the do it yourself rotisserie motor deer deterrent is to take about 8 inchs of 14 gauge galvanized wire and wrap it around the end of your hex key so that it forms a loop like in the picture above. Use some electrical tape to secure it in place.

This gives your chain something to pivot on and will help to decrease the chances of it getting stuck.

You could use a small stretch of nylon rope, but a chain will give you that metal scratching sound that's more likely to spook a nearby 4 legged garden predator.

You can buy chain by the foot at most hardware stores. I started out linking together several metal shower curtain hooks as a make shift chain for the rotisserie motor deer deterrent because that's what was in the barn.

I've found that a length of 12 to 15 inchs gives you enough swing without being in the way.

The gray metal shelf leaned up against the tree stump was positioned there to provide a place for the golf ball to pause and build up enough momentum to hit whatever you've placed in its way that might sound scary and unnatural.

I think most retailers lose the summer spirit somewhere around Labor Day and put away most of the barbeque equipment so they can start cramming more Christmas crap on the shelves.

The most reasonably priced motors can be found at your local Ace hardware store. Expect to pay 19 bucks for each one you get. My local store didn't have them in stock, but it only takes about a week once you make a special order and by picking them up you save on shipping.