Daver
PMA Member
This past year, 2015, was the first time we had ever taken the plunge and put up an electric fence. Overall, it worked out very well for us. Really short description of our "system"...three total strands, two strands on one set of poles on the "inside" and one strand on the "outside" pole.
Inside pole...one strand at 18" off of the ground and the second strand at 36" off of the ground. Outside pole...about 36" outside the inside pole and the one strand was at 24" off of the ground.
Clearly a deer could jump that...but they hardly ever did. I only had to repair downed strands a couple of times and I suspect those were cases where the bucks were chasing does during the rut, perhaps even at night, and the chasee ran into the fence causing mostly minor damage.
I used a solar powered charger and it worked well all of the time the fence was up. We put it up around a bean plot sometime in early July and took it down after Christmas...at which point the deer began using the preserved beans very well.
Look up the subject here on IW in Dbltree's Corner and also on Outreach Outdoors, where Dbltree also posted a great deal of information. I pretty much based my setup on what I read in those threads.
Inside pole...one strand at 18" off of the ground and the second strand at 36" off of the ground. Outside pole...about 36" outside the inside pole and the one strand was at 24" off of the ground.
Clearly a deer could jump that...but they hardly ever did. I only had to repair downed strands a couple of times and I suspect those were cases where the bucks were chasing does during the rut, perhaps even at night, and the chasee ran into the fence causing mostly minor damage.
I used a solar powered charger and it worked well all of the time the fence was up. We put it up around a bean plot sometime in early July and took it down after Christmas...at which point the deer began using the preserved beans very well.
Look up the subject here on IW in Dbltree's Corner and also on Outreach Outdoors, where Dbltree also posted a great deal of information. I pretty much based my setup on what I read in those threads.
Elec fencing
Have bought energizers, inner long fiberglass fence rods, stainless steel fence clips, insulators, electric rope, and energizers/solar battery from Premier fence, washington iowa/they have web site. Outer shorter fence step in posts from farm fleet. Have run 30plus ac of fence for 7-8 years or so. They take work to keep weeds down every 3-4 weeks. Do keep deer out but some will jump it if they find a week spot then harder to keep out. Best to have up and functional in 1 day so deer think they cannot cross from day 1. Have lost 3 or 4 bucks over the years tangled in ropes
Have bought energizers, inner long fiberglass fence rods, stainless steel fence clips, insulators, electric rope, and energizers/solar battery from Premier fence, washington iowa/they have web site. Outer shorter fence step in posts from farm fleet. Have run 30plus ac of fence for 7-8 years or so. They take work to keep weeds down every 3-4 weeks. Do keep deer out but some will jump it if they find a week spot then harder to keep out. Best to have up and functional in 1 day so deer think they cannot cross from day 1. Have lost 3 or 4 bucks over the years tangled in ropes
Windwalker
Life Member
Get a 12 not the 6 . I have four 6 volt solar don't seem to last long like the 12 volt. They do cost a lot more but are ALOT hotter.