The Cooperative Extension recommends hanging a fragrant bar of soap in the tree, but garden shops sell a veritable arsenal of deer repellents that can be used on trees. They are organic, but don't need to be sprayed on the fruit because deer usually wait for apples and peaches to fall on the ground. The only drawback to these sprays is that they must be repeated, especially after a rainfall. They also are smelly, but they work pretty well. Deer also like to rub the velvet of their antlers off on trees, so the hardware cloth would seem a good move for this reason, too.
Birds go after the ripening fruit, as do squirrels.
Some say the drier the weather, the more bird and squirrel damage there will be. These animals are the hardest to deter, and netting is probably the most effective method. If you have dwarf trees, this is a definite possibility. Hawk kites are popular bird deterrents. They are better than fake owls because they move, but the birds still get used to them.