electric fences work
I hope this post will get to a lot of the right people. I've just spent a couple of hours reading many of the threads in this forum about bears, because I'm planning to travel from West B.G. Virginia to B.C., the Yukon , NWT and Alaska, and want to know how to keep from having bears ruin a trip. For several reasons, including that I will be an American in Canada, I will not be taking a firearm along.
In lots of these threads, electric fences come up, and a number of people ask if they work. I have a small farm and we have a good electric fence and IT WORKS. My most recent encounter was my own stupid fault: I was taking grain into the goat night pen (we have had bears kill goats, but never when they were within electric) and was ducking under a hot wire that I was too lazy to disconnect, without even a cloth hat to protect my bald spot. The goats jostled me.... I do not remember being knocked down, I just remember being on my knees with the goats standing 20 feet away looking at me! It HURTS. (by the way, I have had a couple of fence encounters over the years, due to my carelessness, and I have very clear memories of each, but this one was easily the worst.) Ed:Good electric fences will also keep aggressive bulls apart, and keep an amorous bull away from the heifers.
BUT...not all electric fences are equal. I have a very good energizer, which usually puts out 4500-5000 volts at a very high energy level (3-5 joules). Few inexpensive farm store energizers are this good. Premier fencing in Iowa has a terrific catalog and website (premier1supplies.com)to educate yourself.
At least one person had asked about safety to people, especially children. Electric fences are pulsed DC systems. They will not electrocute you (although some old farmers just plug a bare wire right into an outlet---this fence will electrocute you). And you won't get a jolt every time you briefly touch them. The people most at risk are those with heart conditions, especially pacemakers. However, ALWAYS SUPERVISE CHILDREN NEAR ELECTRIC FENCES. It is easy for playing children to fall into them and become entangled, so you need to be ready to shut them off quickly.
By the way, after our first goat loss, our local DNR biologist suggested hanging either strips of bacon or aluminum foil smeared with peanut butter on the metal wires of the main fence. Then when the bear comes along and tries a taste... I wouldn't suggest this on a fence around a campsite, though. You'd be attracting bears to you.
After reading the various threads, I plan on getting bear spray and taking along a section of electric netting and a good portable energizer.
