I'll be making new raised beds for some figs in 2014.  If I made a soil mix that was heavy on 1" gravel such that it's awefully hard to dig in would that deter voles from the bed?  I need to make my bed well draining and 1" gravel should help that :)
 

Her eis the link to the UM site (above link not working).  Good primer on grafting in general, too.  Use some of the year old tips to do the graftin.  I would recommend doing as many as possible around the tree's diameter

http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/fruit/grafting-and-budding-fruit-trees/

This land where we live has gophers and voles, and all other kinds of critters.  We plant everything in gopher baskets, so that at least the gophers can't destroy the plant.  They can nibble on what root goes out of the gopher basket, but, I do regularly put poison down in their sweet little tunnels.  i am not a friend of any gopher!  Or vole!  And I do use poison!! Period!  I bought a dispenser that puts the poison into the tunnels and away from the "ahem, friendly birds."  But for the birds, I have bird netting.  If they are so stupid to get caught in it... so be it!
Suzi