Electric Fencing?

[greenbean]

Hi guys! Alright so, I have several predators where I live (NC), bears, panthers, coyotes, bobcats, domestic and wild dogs. All of those have walked in my yard less than 10 feet from my house just to give you an idea haha. Anyway, we have a 4 acre pasture with a horse, 3 calves, and hopefully soon to be goats. Would an electric fence work to keeping most of those out? I know a panther will just jump it, but we havn't really had a problem with them trying to get any of my animals(plus I have plenty of guns to choose from), the bears, coyotes, and dogs are all different stories, all 3 have killed several of my rabbits (had 2 dogs attack about 3 days ago, killed some of my does, they will be shot on the spot if I see them on my property again), now the bears are turning their attention from my rabbits to the calves. There was a 500 lb bear that just came right up to the house a couple months ago, literally 20 minutes before it did, I was walking in the exact spot. Him and several others have been spotted at the bottom corner of the pasture. (including cubs, oh yay there's a momma around ) Yesterday evening when I was fixing the motion sensor out at the rabbits, one went charging through the woods next to me about 70 feet away, I froze, I had no gun or anything on me except a shovel that was laying on the ground lol. Lucky for me it just kept going! I don't think the bobcats would bother them, but they are all around, I almost walked up on one a few months ago, he was laying down right next to my truck, I was looking at the ground while I was walking, I got about 15-20 feet away, next thing I know I look up and see him running up the hill, about 50 feet away he stopped and started growling at me. As for the panthers, I've never had any problems with them, but they are also everywhere around here, you hear them all the time, saw a few during summer/fall last year in the field next to the pasture. Coyotes are everywhere around here as well, a few got hit by a car down the road from me and some shot. Dogs are one of the most common I have problems with sadly, people let them go around here all the time :/

Sorry for the long post, just trying to give an example of what I'm dealing with!

 

[greybeard]

Wow--that's some serious predators ya got there. Similar to my own situation having a National Forest as my only neighbor--we share property lines. Electric fence--hmmm--you ever see the movie Jurassic Park and the hot fence they had? That's about the only (tho frought with legality and liabilty issues) thing that might work. I don't reccomend it tho.

 

[redtailgal]

Hi the


I'm also in NC, but I dont have to worry about bears too much in my area.

A good will help, but isnt fool proof, be sure to make your fence HOT, and tall (at least four feet) and I'd run a 4-5 strand fence, starting at the ground with 6 inches, 18 inches, gradually getting more space between the wires until you reach four feet.

My men have started peeing in a 20 ounce bottle and "marking their territory". Yup, its gross. But it works.

I've tied a strip of bacon to the hotwire where I know a critter will cross......they get a good surprise when they give it a lick.

 

[bonbean01]

Redtailqueen...no...I don't think men peeing to mark territory is gross at all!!! I married a Southern man and live in Northeast Mississippi now and no bears here...but in Northern Ontario (Canada) where I lived before moving here, bears were a big problem. The male urine trick worked very well for keeping bears out of our area. Yes...it does work for sure!!!

 

[bonbean01]

oops...redtailgal...not queen...LOLOL

 

[greenbean]

Thanks guys! I think I'm going to get an electric fence, and a guardian animal (probably a donkey). I'm thinking about fencing in 2-3 more acres and using it too. Not sure yet!

 

[redtailgal]

you can call me a queen if you want to. I wont mind.

 

[MonsterMalak]

For many years, the coyotes would find a way to get past my electric fence (8 joule for 150 mile fence, on 5 acres). Trapping, snares, poison, shooting, deterents, flashing lights, fencing all failed in time.

Eventually I figured out that getting a good Livestock Guardian Dog was my best investment.

Peace of mind, and ZERO losses since I got the dogs I have now.

The Pyrenees I ran for 16 years were effective for most of the time. But it was the few times they were not effective that would hurt.

The Turkish breeds of LGD are far more proactive in their predator control.

Good LUCK!!!

 

[Tokoloshe]

I've been installing electric fencing in Africa for 30 years. You can certainly erect a fence that will keep out any mammal - it must be designed for the the job and sometimes needs a different technique for different targets. If a fence is not working then it has not been erected correctly, insufficient power, badly maintained or badly designed.

Lions and Elephants are routinely controlled by EF so I cannot see an issue with your problem.

 

[greenbean]

Dogs came back today and got my show Californians, Creme D' Argent doe, and my Mini Rex that recently won BOV twice at the Hickory show. My blue American Jr. Doe climbed on top of the nestbox in her cage (I give everyone nestboxes during cold days/nights) so they couldn't get her, my white American Jr Buck escaped, he took off running into the woods. I caught the puppy that was with the white dog (who turns out to be its mom) and me and my uncle went over to the neighbors and confronted him about it. He said he wouldn't blame us one bit if we'd have shot them and that he's getting rid of them. So hopefully they won't be back to get anymore rabbits. I'm still putting the electric fence up around the pasture and am thinking about putting some around the rabbitry. Turns out the same dogs have got another neighbors chickens, and anothers cats. Gonna be glad when they're gone.