The guy at my semi-local nearly native told a friend of mine that deer take the path of least resistance in their wanderings. So you want to make it difficult to get into your area. My friend had just built a house in a newly developed area, and deer fence are prohibited by the HOA. In her case, the deer come out of the woods into her backyard.
He said her best bet was to make it difficult for deer to get into her yard. Plant thorny or dense shrubs close together, that kind of thing. Deer would rather not have to push their way through something. They prefer an easier path. If they're leaving the woods and are blocked by a row of bushes, they'll naturally flow to the left or right of that row, and go into her neighbors' yards instead.
I don't have a deer problem here (yet) - there are some who walk through my yard on occasion, but they've never gone after the stuff in it that I care about, so I have no first-hand experience. But my nursery guy is VERY knowledgeable.
