On the rows that I have planted for barrier and hiding purposes, they only walk through the holes I have cut in them. My rows are dense, 5' thick. I use these holes to channel them through where I want them to go. They have followed the script.
On rows that I didn't plant to turn into barriers but just screening, they have spots in them that aren't dense and they have cut trails through them.
The dense rows were planted as 2 rows staggered, 18" between rows and between plants initially. Every two row planting has the same results, deer don't penetrate them unless I have opened a hole. I had near 100% success initially and made it so the next spring if there was any spot missing a plant.
The single rows, at 18" spacing have allowed some trails to be made through them. These rows were planted as such as they were the short term backing of double row, staggered, cedar screen plantings. The cedars now have the screening taken care of with a few spots I specifically left open to influence the deer to cross there. It has worked well.
My miscanthus all came from Maple River Farms initially(if interested in another source) and I have taken rhizomes and created more screening from them. This is easy to do, it just take some sweat equity/physical exercise to get it done.
