USING ElectroBraid™ TO DETER CARIBOU

FROM HAY FIELDS
IN CORMACK, NEWFOUNDLAND, 1999

By Eric Menchenton, Conservation Officer, August 4, 1999

During the past 10 years there has been a rapid increase in the number of caribou in the Aides Lake Caribou Herd in Western Newfoundland. With increasing numbers the  caribou have expanded their range and changed some of their migration routes. They are now creating problems for farmers producing hay by heavily grazing and trampling their fields.  Newly seeded fields are severely damaged because they have not formed good sod.

Attempts to restrict caribou movements in recent years using cattle type, high tensile wire electric fencing have proven futile. The caribou have quickly penetrated the fences built. ElectroBraid™ Fence was tried as an experiment in 1998-99.

During November, 1998, approximately 43 acres of field were fenced with ElectroBraid™. Approximately the same acreage in adjacent fields was left unfenced. 

The following spring, on April 24, 1999, there was still two feet of snow around the edges of most fields.   Caribou were grazing in the fields where they were bare of snow. The electric charger could not produce an effective deterrent electric shock because the snow grounded out the bottom two strands of the ElectroBraid™ fence. The caribou simply stepped over the ElectroBraid™ fence where the snow was deepest.

By May 6, 1999, all four strands of ElectroBraid™ were clear of snow and the fence was fully charged with a voltage of about 8300 volts. The fence was designed to be four feet high with strands of ElectroBraid™ at around 24, 32, 40 and 48 inches.

From April 24 until June 6 the fields were monitored from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM by Newfoundland Government Conservation Officers. All fields inside the ElectroBraid™ fence, and adjacent fields, were checked every two to three hours and the number of caribou on each field recorded.

Results

Between April 24 and May 6, when the fence was grounded due to snow (no effective shock to animals), of a total 675 caribou recorded, 178 caribou (36%) were counted inside the fence and 497 (64%) were counted outside the fence.

After May 6 until June 6 when the fence was fully powered (effective electric shock to animals), of a total 551 caribou recorded, only 3 caribou (½ of 1%) were observed inside the fence while 548 were counted outside (99.5%).

At no time, before or after electrification, were the caribou herds able to physically break the ElectroBraid™ fence.