How strong does an electric fence need to be for bears?

Bears are more likely to pay attention to an electrified fence that delivers a painful shock. For deterring bears in developed areas, your energizer will require a minimum Joule rating of: 0.7-1.0 Stored Joules or 0.5-0.7 Output Joules.
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Will an electric fence keep a bear out?

A properly installed electric fence will prevent bears from accessing areas of your property and can be an effective long term solution to preventing bear problems. Electric fencing can be used in many situations to effectively deter bears and other wildlife from various attractants.
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How many volts does it take to stun a bear?

Voltage and Joules

Bears have heavy fur, very thick skin, a high tolerance for pain, and heavy foot pads that minimize grounding. Because they have big thick fur coats and insulating layers of fat, experts recommend a minimum of 6,000 volts to effectively shock a black bear.
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What fence keeps bears?

Electric fences deter bears by providing an electric shock when the animal touches the charged wires. Under normal operating conditions, an electric fence functions as an incomplete (open) circuit with repeating pulses of electricity generated by the energizer sent through the charged wires of the fence.
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What size electric fence do I need for bears?

No matter which style you choose, a permanent electrified fence is most effective when designed with 12- or 14-gauge wire. For some, very small, fence designs that cover short distances, 16-gauge wire could be considered.
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Bear Attempts To Outwit An Electric Fence



Do bear fences really work?

“Even a small amount of snow, especially damp snow, will short out a fence.” Gookin said the novelty of a fence around a campsite contributes to the deterrence to bears, but the shock leaves a lasting impression. Even a mild shock is effective.
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Will a Taser scare off a bear?

There is evidence of police in Washington using a Taser on a small black bear, and while it certainly deterred the bear, it didn't have the desired effect: Chandler said a police officer used a Taser on the bear. “If you Tase a human, they usually say, 'I give up! ' and stay down,” he said.
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Does barbed wire stop bears?

Barbed wire is not recommended on these fences because jumping and climbing bears can get caught up in the wire and pull down the entire fence with their weight. Bears investigate low spots in a fence, so particular attention must be paid to construction and maintenance of fences at these locations.
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Would a Taser gun work on a bear?

So people or animals can still breath and think but can't move. The later work on bears showed that Tasers may also have some success on bruins as a hazing tool. A variety of electronic control devices were shot at two collared brown bears that commonly visited the Yakutat dump.
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How do you bait a bear electric fence?

Thick fur can prevent a bear from being shocked if other parts of its body contact the wires. Bait the wires with aluminum foil covered in bacon grease or peanut butter. Attaching tuna fish cans to the wires will also work. It is important to refresh the bait regularly.
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How do you keep black bears out of your yard?

A properly installed and maintained electric fence is an excellent bear deterrent, and proven to be effective at turning back bears. Electric fencing can be used to protect gardens, fruit trees, livestock pens and even campers, trailers and vacation homes.
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How many joules do you need to keep bears away?

For deterring bears in developed areas, your energizer will require a minimum Joule rating of: 0.7-1.0 Stored Joules or 0.5-0.7 Output Joules.
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Can a black bear climb a chain link fence?

A 7' foot high chain link fence can be climbed over or under by a black bear with alarming speed. Any seams can be ripped apart. Any gate will be torn open.
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Do rubber bullets work on bears?

They work by creating pain and discomfort that a bear learns to avoid. Bean bags and rubber bullets should be used only as a last resort when dealing with very persistent black bears because most bears will have been averted from the undesirable behaviour before this level of force is necessary.
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Which is stronger bear or pepper spray?

Standard pepper sprays have around 1 million SHUs, while bear sprays pack 3 million SHUs, so it's about three times as potent as the self-defense products. It's also dispensed more widely and forcefully, the experts agreed.
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Will pepper spray stop a bear?

Generic pepper spray does not work on bears,” Bartlebaugh says. “People who thought it does have, in the past, been seriously injured because it didn't stop bears.” After decades of use, bear spray is touted by experts as the best choice for staying safe in bear country.
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How many joules does a bear fence need?

For example, if you are trying to keep bears out, they will require a joule rating of greater than 0.7 for the electric fence to be effective, while horses may only require 0.1 joules to keep them in.
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How do you ward off bears?

To scare the bear away, make loud noises by yelling, banging pots and pans or using an airhorn. Make yourself look as big as possible by waving your arms. If you are with someone else, stand close together with your arms raised above your head.
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How do you keep bears off your property?

Keep compost piles and bins away from the house and don't add fish, meat, fat, oils, un-rinsed eggshells or any cooked food to compost. Keep chickens in a secure building at night. Use motion detectors that trigger loud music or flashing lights to scare bears off.
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Do wind chimes deter bears?

It is important to remember that wind chimes are not a bear deterrent. Bears have been known to get into people's homes and attack them while they sleep, even when there was a wind chime hanging from the door or window. Wind chimes may also be damaged by bears who try to open doors or windows in search of food.
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Does dog poop attract bears?

Yes, dog poop can attract bears to your camp site. Bears smell everything, including the undigested bits of food in your dog's poop.
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Do motion lights scare bears?

Bear deterrents such as rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, noisemaker and flares, livestock guardian dogs and motion-activated lights and alarms have had success in certain applications, while electric fencing has proven the most effective tool in keeping bears out of most anything.
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Will cayenne pepper keep bears away?

Don't spread cayenne pepper around your campsite- it will not deter bears! The only reason bear spray works is because it is a high concentration that gets right in their face. Spreading pepper around your tent is like seasoning it- an all-around bad idea.
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Do you have to ground an electric fence?

An energizer must be properly grounded to realize its full potential. The larger the output of a charger, the more grounding rods will be needed. A general rule is to install a minimum of 3 feet of ground rod per joule of output capacity. A 15 joule fence charger will require a minimum of 45 feet of ground rod.
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