[ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: FW: Question of the all knowing

  • From: pmick12@xxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, mlgray@xxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:12:14 -0400

God bless Google............I looked it up.    They are trying small 
sections of 3-strand wire fences, if that's what you've been seeing. 
\
Keeping large animals from wandering onto public roadways is an 
important goal, particularly in a large, rural state like Wyoming 
where both livestock and wild game significantly outnumber the human 
population.  Good, well-maintained fence along highway rights-of-way 
is WYDOT's first line of defense in keeping critters away from the 
road, but that in itself presents a secondary problem.
Animals such as antelope, deer, elk, and moose must move seasonally 
in order to survive Wyoming's harsh weather. They tend to follow well-
established migration patterns, often across highways, to reach 
winter feeding grounds.

Right-of-way fencing is here to stay, as WYDOT is not about to back 
away from its mission of improving highway safety for travelers. 
However, the agency recognizes that highway fencing does hinder 
wildlife movements and that anything it can do to ease the situation 
ought to be considered.

That's the reason WYDOT recently coordinated with the Wyoming 
Department of Game and Fish and the University of Wyoming in 
researching novel uses for "high-tensile electric fence," or HTEF for 
short.

Electric fences are not a new concept, and for the most part they 
have been used to pose a barrier, to either keep animals within an 
area, or to keep them out. However, the recently completed WYDOT-WGF-
UW research project used HTEF to both include and exclude animals 
simultaneously. The goal is a fence that contains livestock, yet 
permits wildlife unrestricted movement.

Test sections of HTEF were installed at several locations in Wyoming 
and Colorado. The final design consists of three parallel, galvanized 
wires spaced 22", 32", and 42" above the ground. The top and bottom 
wires are "hot," while the middle wire is neutral. What makes HTEF 
work so well is the fence's relative flexibility, which allows the 
wildlife to go under, over, or through the fence without becoming 
entangled. Livestock, including bison, normally lead with their nose, 
and receive a painful stimulus when they touch the fence, causing 
them to avoid it thereafter. Conversely, wildlife tend to brush up 
against it with the chest, effectively insulating them from shock.

The HTEF research project concluded last October when WYDOT and UW 
teamed to conduct clinics on the subject for WYDOT maintenance 
personnel. Attendees learned about all about HTEF, with topics 
including risk, liability, maintenance, electrical theory, and 
monitoring the electrical charge of the fence. Video clips from 
cameras mounted on fence end posts showed wildlife easily traversing 
the fence, yet containing cattle and bison.

Some participants also learned technical aspects of building and 
maintaining HTEF, including wire splicing, proper wire tensioning, 
and proper use of insulators. They also learned how to monitor 
electric load and especially how to turn the electricity off before 
beginning repairs!

Comments heard during the clinics were illustrative. Many have seen 
antelope become trapped inside right-of-way fences, then panic and 
race back and forth across the road looking for a way out. With HTEF, 
the potential for this situation would be greatly reduced.
Upon review, HTEF has been deemed to be "legal" fence in accordance 
with state statute, at least for Wyoming. In this context, a "legal" 
fence is one that does what it is designed to do, in this case, it 
contains livestock.

Story by Michael J. Patritch, WYDOT research manager. He may be 
contacted at michael.patritch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Story posted on 2/2/2005, read it here:  
http://www.transportation.org/success/71.aspx


> All along I-80 in Wyoming there are what appears to be little sections of
> fencing. Any one know what they might be for? Dog related: We are now in
> Colorado and it is raining and hailing at the Ranch.
> Mike Gray
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
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POST is Copyrighted 2007.  All material remains the property of the original 
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Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 

ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY 
MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS 
PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY 
FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE 
PROSECUTED. 

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