The Electric Fence for Wild Animal Deterrence: Red Deer, Fallow Deer and Wild Boars
Preventing wildlife damage on agricultural land is an ongoing issue. Red and fallow deer cause feeding and treading damage to field crops, and the massive burrowing of wild boars is known to most of us. Damage costs caused by wildlife quickly reach thousands of euros and the compensation paid by the state often does not cover the actual cost of damage.
A mobile electric fence can be used for sustainable deterrence of wild animals. The strained litz wires, fence tapes and signal tapes are a mechanical and optical barrier, but the most effective wildlife deterrent is achieved by the current conduction of the wires in an electric fence .
Here are some tips on different fences:
The Fence for Wild Animal Deterrence
For a fence to function reliably, a well thought-out plan and high-quality design of the electric fence is essential. Depending on the fence length, we recommend solid wooden posts with insulators for the corners, a 12V rechargeable battery or a 230 V power supply unit and high-quality conductor material. Regardless of the type of wildlife, you can provide the top fence line with a blue signal tape for better visibility. Of course, an electric fence is only as good as its grounding, so be sure to have an efficient one! And do not forget the gate for passage 😉
A successful electric fence also needs daily monitoring along the fence system, removing vegetation above and below the fence, and a regularly check of the battery voltage.
The Deterrent Fence for Red Deer
Red deer live in herds in semi-open landscapes, and cover a large portion of food requirements with field crops.
The deterrent fence for red deer should have a height of 1.60 to 1.80 m. One or two strained wires or tapes are generally sufficient, except in areas with wild boars. In this case, additional wires should be strained near the ground; see below. The fence voltage should be 4000 V to 5000 V and provide a pulse energy of 1 to 5 joules to the fence. In addition, it helps to hang rags or fluttering tapes on the fence in regular intervals when there is a lot of wildlife. This way, deer are able to see the fence even better.
The Deterrent Fence for Fallow Deer
Fallow deer often live in large herds, separated by gender. They like to eat milky wheat and oats, potatoes or young corn plants.
The deterrent fence for fallow deer is somewhat more complicated since they tend to jump through the wires. It is recommended to use 8 strands at a total height of 160 cm, with about 20 cm between each strand. The fence voltage should be 4000 V to 5000 V and provide a pulse energy of 1 to 5 joules to the fence. In the case of fallow deer, there is a danger that the deer could entangle their antlers in the blue plastic tape, so it´s better to leave it out. For the same reason, it is advised that you do not use an electric WildNet!
The Deterrent Fence for Wild Boars
Wild boars like high-growth field crops, such as rapeseed, rye and corn. This naturally leads to considerable damage. In order to protect the fields effectively from boars, the electric fence must be set up and connected before the crops are highly grown! Otherwise, animals may already be fenced in.
The deterrent fence for wild boars should have a height of 50 to 60 cm. Due to the strong expected vegetation, we recommend a fence energizer with an impulse energy of more than 5 joules. Three current-carrying wires or tapes at 20, 40 and 50 to 60 cm high is a proven method for boar deterrence. For the deterrent of boars, you can also use a WildNet.
For more details and information on other kinds of deterrent fences (for example against fox or muffel deer) you can consult this E-Book by AKO.
A more general introduction and useful information about the construction of electric fence system is compiled in the Litzclip guidebook, which you can download here.
