Farming Practices
Home / Bear Facts for Agriculturists
Black bears like a wide variety of foods including sweet corn, field corn and insects. Livestock including
honey bees, chickens, rabbits, sheep and goats are also subject to depredation by black bears. The following
information is offered to help farmers deter black bears if they are experiencing crop, orchard, garden, or
beehive damage or livestock depredation.
NJDEP's Fish and Wildlife recommends the
following farming practices for protecting corn and grain crops, orchards, vegetable gardens and compost
piles, apiaries and livestock from depredation by black bears:
• Livestock
pens, beehives, vegetable gardens and compost piles
should be
located at least 50 yards from forest tree lines, wetlands,
or
other cover for bears.
• Crops, such as sweet corn, field corn or grain,
should be planted as
far away as possible from forest tree lines,
wetlands, or other cover
for bears.
• Keep areas around livestock, crops, beehives, orchards, gardens
and compost piles well mowed to reduce cover for bears.
• Black bears may
be repelled by installing mechanical scare devices
around
livestock, pastures, crops, beehives, orchards, gardens or
compost
piles, which activate by a motion-sensing device. Scare
devices
include noise-making pyrotechnics, electronic sirens, strobe
lights
and noise generators.
• Electric fencing is the most effective and
efficient method of
preventing bear damage to livestock, beehives,
crops, silage bags,
orchards, gardens and compost piles. Fencing is
only effective if it is
properly installed and maintained.
Protecting Livestock
Livestock feed should not be left out overnight unless enclosed in a certified bear-resistant
container (www.njfishandwildlife.com/bears/garbage-management.html). Store feed in a secure area.
Carcasses of
dead animals should be properly disposed of or destroyed to prevent black bears from scavenging near
susceptible livestock or crops.
Protecting Orchards
Farmers with fruit trees should recognize that bears will be attracted to any fruit left on the
ground. To minimize bear activity, pick up any fruit that falls from trees daily. Discard fruit in certified
bear-resistant garbage containers (www.njfishandwildlife.com/bears/garbage-management.html).
Individual trees may
be protected by using proper fencing techniques, such as electric fencing, if the limbs, leaves, and fruit
are at least eight feet off
the ground.
Protecting Gardens/Compost Piles
Harvest gardens immediately as vegetables mature. Keep gardens free of vegetable wastes.
Do
not place meat, dairy or sweet foods in compost or mulch piles. Adding lime can reduce odors and help
decomposition.
Additional Tips
Construction
Properly installed electric fencing is the most effective and efficient method of preventing bear damage to
livestock, beehives, crops, silage bags, orchards, gardens and compost piles.
Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Control Unit is available to provide on-site assistance with fence construction to those
interested in installing electric fencing to prevent bear damage to beehives, agriculture crops and livestock.
For more information, contact Fish and Wildlife at 1-877-WARN DEP (1-877-927-6337).
Electric Fencing Construction
Baiting the Fence
Maintenance
Additional Resources
Damage Control Measures and
Farmer Depredation Permits
Depredation permits are available to eligible farmers who are experiencing crop and livestock depredation by
black bears.
For more information, contact Fish and Wildlife at 1-877-WARN DEP
(1-877-927-6337).
• The electric fence should be placed 4 to 5 feet away from the structure that is
being protected (beehives, shed, rabbit hutch, etc.). The fence and
protected structure should be placed away from any trees, which a bear could climb and then drop down into
the fenced-in area.
• Drive the corner posts of the fence. Use treated
wooden posts and reinforce them with braces.
• Remove grass and weeds in
an 18 inch strip along the fence line. Spray the cleared area with an herbicide to prevent the return of
vegetation.
Do not spray wider than 18 inches because the bear will be better grounded if it is standing on grass.
Organic alternatives to using an herbicide
include using mulch, wood chips or landscape fabric.
• Install the
fence posts 8 feet to 12 feet along the fence line. If the fence is permanent, it is best to use all solid
wooden posts and 14 Ga or 12
Ga steel wire. If the location is not permanent, use wooden corner posts and metal line posts with 14 Ga or
12 Ga steel wire. 14 Ga aluminum
wire or polywire (9+ strands) can be used for a temporary fence. Note that polytape is not effective for
bear exclusion.
• Drive the ground rod made of galvanized steel at least
6 feet deep into moist soil near the post for the energizer. Use 1 ground rod per joule of
energizer's output. In very dry or rocky soils, drive the rod deeper than 6 feet or drive it at a steep
angle at a shallow depth to maximize surface
area. Three or more rods can also be placed in a series 10 feet apart. Frequently water dry soil around the
ground rod.
• Install the insulators on posts to secure hot wire strands
and install wires, starting at the gate post.
• The fence needs to be at
least 4 feet high and the wires need to be spaced close enough so that cubs are discouraged from entering
the fence.
• If using an All-Hot fencing system, use at least five
strands of high tensile, galvanized wire at 4 inches, 16 inches, 26 inches, 36 inches and 48
inches above the ground. If using a Hot/Ground fencing system, use at least 7 strands of alternating hot
and ground wires. The bottom and top
wires should always be hot wires. Hot wires should be no more than 12 to 15 inches apart and wires should
be spaced 6 inches apart.
• Stretch the wires to eliminate sagging. Wire
strainers can be used for this. Use stones or weights to keep the wires at the correct heights when
going over low areas.
• Install the energizer with a minimum joule
rating of 0.7 and a voltage output of at least 6,000 volts. Energizers should be compatible with
the type of wire used. Check the manufacturer's
recommendations to be sure that all the requirements are met.
• Attach
extra wire to the hot terminal and hot wires. Attached a second wire to the negative terminal, ground rod(s)
and ground wires (if hot/
ground fence.)
• Energize all wires in the fence system. Verify with a
voltage meter that sufficient current is running through each hot strand.
• When possible, use a plug-in charger rather than battery or solar power. If needed, after the initial 2
months, switch to battery or solar power.
The battery should be located inside the enclosure and it should be at least a 12 volt, 70-amp hour deep
cycle battery.
Fence construction should be simple and as strong as possible. Detailed instructions on properly installing
temporary or permanent electric fencing are provided in the guide Bears and Electric Fencing: A Starter's
Guide for Using Electric Fencing to Deter Bears, by Kim Annis, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Bear
Management Specialist.
The following is an overview of a general method for installing an easy to
erect electric fence that is effective in most cases.
• Bait the wires on the electric fence to direct a mild shock onto the muzzle area
of a black bear. This makes the fence much more effective,
regardless of the size of the bear.
• The fence should be baited on all
sides at 3 feet high, so it is at eye/nose level for a bear.
• Bait the
wires on all sides with bacon wrapped around the wire. If crows are observed taking the bacon, use peanut
butter wrapped in tin foil.
When a bear grabs the bait, it will get a shock to its tongue and mouth.
• Make sure the wires are tight.
• Check
voltage on all wires with a voltage meter.
• Keep wires baited at all
times.
• Ensure solar-powered chargers are positioned properly and are
not located in the shade.
• Change the batteries as needed. Marine
battery terminals and lead composition eyelets resist corrosion.
•
Remove vegetation beneath the fence that may be touching the wires and any debris, like branches, that may
fall on the fence.
• USDA Electric Fencing Diagram
The following tips are offered to ensure proper maintenance and effectiveness of your electric fence. Every
time you visit the site, and at least one a week, check the following:
