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Post by Coolkat on May 30, 2024 9:09:09 GMT -8
I didn't even know this was a thing and admittedly while I've been out west I've never had to sleep in grizzly country. I've never heard anyone here talk about bringing an electrified fence system on their hikes so I'm wondering if they are preying on the fears of new backpackers. bearwatchsystems.com/en-us/collections/fence-systemsThat was from the website so they clearly marketing to backpackers.
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trinity
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Post by trinity on May 30, 2024 11:14:35 GMT -8
I've heard of them being used before, but only for more base-camp style trips in high-density grizzly areas in Alaska. Seems like the weight of these systems has come down quite a bit since I first heard about them, but it still seems like overkill to me, at least in the lower 48.
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swmtnbackpacker
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on May 30, 2024 11:49:58 GMT -8
I’ve heard about their use in serious grizzly habitat. Backpackers, but also camping kayakers in parts of Alaska. The latter from an acquaintance who was shadowed by a grizz mom and cub while kayaking close to an Alaskan shore (bears: .. meal delivery! )
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 31, 2024 9:27:09 GMT -8
A good friend raises golden retrievers and has an electrical invisible fence system. She kept having to retrieve one of her pups, a big goofy male. She didn’t know how he was escaping. Then two of them started to show up wandering so they watched. Turns out he had discovered if he backed up and took a big running start at the invisible barrier he could run right through it with some momentary yelping; and he was teaching his siblings. Totally good thing he was your prototypical golden curtie. 😎
Bears can open car doors using the handle, goldens can’t. Add in grizzlies are faster than goldens. So what are the odds any system that’s backpacker portable would be even remotely effective against a really motivated 700 pound grizzly that can hit speeds of 30 mph and is smart enough to game the system?
I’d think the current emphasis on eliminating the motivation has the best chance. And behavior is very light weight.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on May 31, 2024 11:05:40 GMT -8
I learned that they used battery powered electric fences in parts of Africa to keep elephants out of the gardens. As smart as elephants are, and as motivated to get food, I was surprised it worked at all.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on May 31, 2024 11:18:30 GMT -8
Possibly a learned associated response: the system warns them off places not worth the ensuing trouble?
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 31, 2024 11:22:04 GMT -8
A good friend raises golden retrievers and has an electrical invisible fence system. She kept having to retrieve one of her pups, a big goofy male. She didn’t know how he was escaping. Then two of them started to show up wandering so they watched. Turns out he had discovered if he backed up and took a big running start at the invisible barrier he could run right through it with some momentary yelping; and he was teaching his siblings. As some gardeners can attest, this works the other way as well when trying to keep critters out.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on May 31, 2024 14:38:37 GMT -8
A good friend raises golden retrievers and has an electrical invisible fence system. I have one of those around my yard but unless your friend has a completely different type of system, the "fence" is underground and doesn't deliver the electrical shock. That comes from a collar that the dog wears, and the collar has these spokes that poke out so that it touches their skin. The collar buzzes a few feet before it shocks, to warn the dog of what's coming. Once trained, the dog rarely gets shocked because they learn what the buzzing means. It takes quite a bit of training to keep a dog from running through it. In fact, the company that installed ours won't sell it to you for puppies younger than 6 mo. A live electric fence to control livestock and such are obviously different. I'm amazed that a grizzly would even feel it through all that fur. I'm guessing it works for elephants because they don't have much fur.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Jun 1, 2024 20:06:19 GMT -8
Yes hers had the collars. Which is why there was the bit of yelping as he’d run through.
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Post by bluefish on Jun 2, 2024 6:04:41 GMT -8
An elephant getting hit on the tip of their trunk I can easily see. E fences don't work on Scottish Highlander cattle. Black bears go through anything that isn't really high amperage after bee hives. Just happened twice last week in my town. If there's food , or scent of, in that measly 400 sq. ft. , I would not trust it. You may be the food, too. Camping along a salmon creek in AK? Likely a deterrent for a curious bear. Just imagine the fun jokes you could have in camp lighting up your friends.
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Post by downriver on Jun 2, 2024 23:52:24 GMT -8
As mentioned I’ve seen these used in camps in Alaska. I’ve also seen videos of bears defeating these types of systems, too. These were studies by researchers who had food (usually some sort of dead game) inside of the base camp. The bears would get “zapped” several times but would eventually figure out how and what was “zapping” them before they destroyed the “zapper” and entered camp to eat the game. Grizzly bears are extremely smart. I even attended an event where the speaker mentioned recent research where grizzlies are now regarded to be on par with the great apes in intelligence.
Regards,
DR
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jun 3, 2024 3:48:04 GMT -8
Horseback riders use electric fences in grizzly country I believe. Keep the horses in and the grizzlies away from the horses at camp.
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Post by va3pinner on Jun 5, 2024 3:34:06 GMT -8
OOH..OOH..OOh I gotta have it!!!! It's labeled "Ultralight" it'll help me with my pack weight!!!!!!!! But I live in Black Bear country.....
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on Jun 5, 2024 4:23:19 GMT -8
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Post by dayhiker on Jun 5, 2024 7:43:05 GMT -8
Lake Louise has electrified fence around their campground, but they still want you to practice food safety, They have rangers responding to bears trying to get in, don't rely totally on fence, but still it seems like it could work esp. in the wild with bears who are no habituated. Backpacker? Over canister? not sure. Sleep inside? www.bearsmart.com/wp-content/uploads/electric-fence_fact-sheet.pdf
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