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Re: deer
> the mule deer take a flying leap
>and shoot through the wires while still in the air
> I've also seen where black bear have grabbed hold of a hot fence,
>gotten mad at the shock, and torn the fence down.
A friend has a story about a pig that loved walnuts, and would work up his courage, squealing in fear and anticipation, until he hurled himself into the fence, his momentum carrying him thru to the walnuts...
and I've watched Scotish longhorn cattle rip out a three-wire electric fence with a toss of their horns and proceed upon their personnal business.
This is why a single strand with peanut butter on it can work for deer- good contact!
Hedges work; also small areas, enclosed by flimsy, low fences. Trees planted in clusters support each other (oh my! sounds like a "guild"!) I wrote a thing up in Activist #23 "A Re-Foodforestation Cluster for the Maritime Northwest" and I've tried variations on it ever since. It works.
The main change I'd make is instead of treating the entire base of a post, I'd soak just the groundline (by wrapping it with a soaked rag perhaps?) and perhaps the very base end, putting the toxics where they are most effective. IF I couldn't get ecologically acceptable rot-resistant posts. (my original concept called for conifer thinnings for posts- they don't last long at all, but if you can keep 'em up for 7-9 years, you'll have a hedge behind 'em) (I've used those lovely brown-needled Port Orford cedars a few times- (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana "Phytophora-Defuncta") with a bit of charring they work well and they're very available, if spreading the Phytophora is not a concern.)
-Rick
Rick Valley Northern Groves
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