cost of electric fencing

[yoderjac]

Brand new wire for the food plot. Like I said, I was pleased with our results with a good crop for fall attraction. The 3 wire Gallagher fence, in our experience, is a useful deterrent but it is NOT a complete exclusion. I would expect to see some deer in your plots or at least some nibbles here and there.

I have had a similar electric fence setup around my apple orchard for 3 years now so I am pretty knowledgeable about deer getting through an electric fence and not in a good, happy way. I started out with 3 inner wire and 2 outer wires around the orchard. Added a top tape on the inside 2 falls ago. Then a 3rd outer strand and 5th inner strand last summer. With 3 outer strands and 5 inner (with the top tape at about 5ft), I cannot keep the deer out. They push through or jump it when they decide they really want to get inside. They stay out most of the year and anything very vulnerable has a small diameter cage now or protection of the central leader. The fence has been a good deterrent most of the year but it is not an exclusion.

I would say that if deer are pushing through, there is likely not enough juice. I can certainly see deer jumping over. That is a more of a psychological barrier than a physical one. I have not had deer break into mine to got food, but I have seen a spooked deer run and easily jump it. I suppose that after that happened a couple times some could learn. They are fast learners. That is why some need that third wire on the inner fence. When food becomes scarce enough deer will do almost anything to get to it. They will acclimate to eating out of peoples hands so they will probably brave just about anything in the right circumstances.

Perhaps the best way to put it is that a Gallagher-style E-fence is probably the most cost effective temporary fencing for protecting a crop from browse pressure in high deer density areas during establishment. In areas with less pressure some folks may be able to get away with cheaper less effective protection.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[chickenlittle]

For comparison, my nephew planted sweetcorn in a field between our fenced food plot and my fenced orchard. He got a decent crop with a single row of 2 strand electric fence. I'm sure the deer were in his too but the electric kept them out enough. He just wasn't smart enough to put his posts where he didn't have to remove them before plowing again. We had a small food plot nearby did not have any ears of corn and the next door neighbor planted several acres of sweet corn and didn't get an ear. E-fence can do a good job without keeping every deer out but it surely helps that they have something else to keep them occupied.

If you really want to keep deer out, Gallagher would recommend something very different from the 3 strand fence. Those are high tensile 8 strand slanted design or 96" high 15 strand design. But to protect a food plot enough, a few strands of electric can be a nice investment that will last you many years.

 

[Big Snow Man]

I have not done a e fence yet but maybe if you have both fences in the Gallagher set to close to each other they may jump it. The wire and the tape in relation to the distance is a deterrent in there mind with depth perception.