Column: Fencing with wildlife in mind

I’ve seen a couple of animals caught in barbed-wire fences this past winter. It’s always tough to look at, especially if the animal died in the fence.

In both cases, what appeared to happen when the animal attempted to jump over the fence was that the hind leg apparently didn’t quite clear the top wire, but got poked through the space between the top and middle wire with no chance of pulling loose.

Any game animal caught this way will die from starvation and shock while attempting to pull free.

A Colorado Division of Wildlife pamphlet entitled “Fencing With Wildlife In Mind” will, when followed, dramatically reduce mortality due to entanglement in wire. The primary considerations that benefit wildlife the most are the height of the fence and the space between the top two wires.


Most entanglements can be avoided if the top wire is under 42 inches in height and there is at least 12 inches of space between the top wire and the next wire down on the fence.

Both animals I saw that died in the fence were youngsters. So the next thing to keep in mind is the height from the ground of the bottom wire as well. The recommended height should be 16 inches, as younger animals usually go under a fence rather than jump it.

Ranchers also might consider electric fencing. But such a fence can pose a hazard to humans as well as wildlife.

Here are some ideas when building an electrified fence:

• Attach warning signs to make humans aware of the electrical hazard.

• All bottom wire should be at least 16 inches above the ground and at least 12 inches between the two top wires.

• To give wildlife a clue that a new fence has been erected in the area, flag the top wire spans between posts.

• Don’t use yellow or red insulators, as they might attract some birds and electrocute them. White insulators do the same job and don’t pose a problem to investigating birds.

Other types of fencing livestock ranchers use in certain situations include lay-down fences, where the only things that remain upright are the primary fence posts. The rest of the fence is actually laid down on the ground, both to avoid damage from migrating wildlife and from snow overloads in heavy snow areas.

Adjustable wire fences use clips rather than staples to secure the wires to the posts. Additionally, portions of the fence can be lowered to the ground. For instance, if the top wire is lowered from 42 inches by 17 inches, and the second wire lowered 5 inches, this will reduce the total barrier to about 25 inches, and can be handled both by deer and elk in most all conditions.

The height of the bottom wire doesn’t have to be at least 16 inches for the entire length of the fence either. Simply raising the bottom wire to 16 inches now and then will likely accommodate the little guys.

The DOW booklet also covers rail fence suggestions and special crossings for antelope too. Check out these ideas, especially if you’re going to build new fencing. Your fences will last longer and the deer and elk will benefit from your thoughtfulness.

<i>Local fishing and hunting expert Dick Hess can be reached at ColoradoHess@hotmail.com.</i>