Traditional Elk Fencing. Most elk fencing used in
Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Colorado and throughout the West
measures 7’-8’ tall. Past experience stipulated that going to
greater heights or electrifying the fence was the best way to elk
and deer out of a designated area. Federal and state agencies use high fences to
protect highway frontage, pastures, and elected land. This fencing can be
expensive, time consuming and difficult to install, and may not be ascetically
appealing for homeowners.
Elk Proof with Double Fence. We have another fence
design that is simple, well designed, long lasting, environmentally friendly, and attractive. It is a barrier that offers another path toward elk and deer
proofing your precious landscaping and gardens. No tall fencing is needed, just
smarter fencing. Simply, it consists of two fences – four feet tall and four
feet apart.
Our first attempt to create a garden for our family gave us
plenty of wildlife experiences - but no vegetables. The rabbits, gophers and
especially deer and elk destroyed the plants before they grew large enough to ripen.
Sometimes the elk would just walk around in the garden, tasting everything, and
never actually eating anything. They trampled everything, thus ruining hard
work in our garden. The first attempt at garden fencing was a 4 ft tall
vintage, looped wire design. It was beautiful, but useless when it came to elk.
Our bedroom overlooked the flower and vegetable garden, so we
kept our window slightly ajar and listened for the invaders throughout the
night. Using this technique, we harvested plenty of sleep deprivation, and
gained an education into the nocturnal habits of Rocky
Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus
nelsoni).
Observing these large, horse-sized creatures trying to enter
the garden always followed a precise well-learned process, and was usually
instigated by cow (female) elk. Below are the methods they use:
Sizing up the fence. First
the elk push against the fence. This tells the elk how tall and how sturdy the
fence is built. Elk prefer to enter a garden or yard by simply muscling their
way into the structure. It's safer for them and they aren't as likely to get
tangled in wire or fencing material. If the fence is not extremely strong
(which many are not) this is a fastest way for the large creatures to get to potential
food.
Fence Jumping. If the elk
are unsuccessful at pushing a fence down, they will attempt to jump from a
standing position. The jump is usually easy for them, even at heights of 6 feet
or more. Watching these creatures jump a fence looks quite effortless. In
reality, they jump only after careful consideration and sizing up the height
and width. If they have jumped the fence in the past, elk biologists have told me that the animals have a way of remembering it. As they jump, many elk will “tap”
the top of a fence line with a hind foot when they jump. When I heard this,
I watched them closely, and many elk certainly do tap fences, especially the
cows. Experts believe their brains “remember” each fence in their territory and
store its height for reference when fleeing predators.
Repeated process. Each
night, the elk started their practiced routine: pushing, bumping, leaning, and
finally jumping into forbidden area. The elk would enter and exit the garden on
the same side, always on the farthest side from the house.
Think Outside the Fence. After
reading a pioneer Alaskan’s advice on moose fencing, and watching the elk purge
our garden night after night, we decided to add another fence outside of the
original garden fence. We outlined the fence so that it was 4 feet away from
the first one. It was made from cedar poles with 3 rails, measuring about the
same height, 48 inches. The results were immediate and unfailing. We had one
elk purge the garden fence in 5 years. We left the gate open and she was actually
“trapped” between the 2 fences.
Size Matters. Elk do not
like being restrained in small spaces. They will enter a small area if they can
quickly escape - but as prey animals, if they cannot flee, they do not feel. This game animal behavior is the basis for the double fence design. Our
specifications are below.
I Install the 48-52” high inside
fence first. This fence works best if it is made of livestock wire. Our
garden was 25 feet square (25’ x 25’ x 25’ x 25’). We do this because we can purchase a 100 foot roll of fencing. You could have some left over. You will
nee to plan ahead for a gate and we left the tops of posts high - up to 72”
tall. These tall posts create nice spaces for bird houses, gathering baskets
and other garden décor.
Measure 4 feet from inside fence,
and then install the outside fence. (We originally determined this space
with one of our horses as a model, standing her between the proposed outside
and inside fences. She’s a big mare, and 4 feet was tight for her, so we
decided to use the dimensions for our fence separation).
Use split cedar, three-rail or
wooden slats for outside fence. This fence should be minimum 48” tall. The tops
of the 6 foot posts should be set at about 50”, placing them about 22” deep. Pack
and tamp them well. The sturdiness of the posts is crucial. Elk will not jump into the
alleyway that is created between the two fences and therefore do not get into
your garden.
Garden Access. We took an
extra step and created a walk-through arbor into the garden with a gate at the
second fence. We never had an elk able to walk into the from arbor.
Important Note: if your two fences are different, elk pay
better attention to them. I believe they view them as two obstacles instead of
one.
Prettiest Wire Fence. I love vintage style wire
fences, especially the double looped, cottage style, garden wire that surrounds
old homes in small towns. Many gardeners are re-stretching the old wire and
buying reproduction wire from new manufacturers. The double loop design can be
important because the bottom half of the wire is smaller and will discourage
rabbits and large rodents.
Updated and republished from 2013
C Haese, copyright 2024
