----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Harrison" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2003 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: [BEE-L] bears win round one


> The electric fence charger pulsates its charge to keep from killing
> livestock so the bear gets a shock, then rest, then shock. I have seen
bear
> fence hooked to 110 to eliminate the pulse but believe doing so is
illegal.
>
> I have seen in remote farms 110 fence set up to control large livestock.
You
> or I might not be able to let go easily of a 110 line but a 2500 pound
Bull
> Buffalo can.
 --------------------------

I'd like to jump in on this discussion & add some caution to Bob's comment
against anyone thinking of eliminating the pulse on an electric fence.
There's a guy in Denver that died (last year?) after he did just that and
had fallen back on the wire.  Without a pulse your muscles won't relax for
you to get away and are stuck there until you melt.  Back in high school I
remember a faulty timing light that gave me an education of this sort and my
brother had to tackle me off the car.  I couldn't let go with one hand on
the hood & another on the light.  Not fun.

Back on the subject of bears, as part of a study last year(2002) by the USDA
& CDOW (Colo. Div. of Wildlife) some of my bees were put to the test on
various bear-nuisance abatement tests.  Mostly they were trying to record
data on how to scare off bears without causing damage.  With equipment
failures the study quickly turned into a miserable experience for all.
Bears were finally jumping the electric fences clean - wrecking the hives -
then jumping out.  I haven't seen the video footage on this but have been
told I'll find it upsetting.  So once those bears have an indication how to
defeat your fences and get an idea of what you're protecting, the game is
over & the bears win - over & over again.  Best to make certain your fences
are 100% operational the first time or the bear will be twice as hard to
discourage on the second visit.

Just as a side note on bears, the USDA contact under the study made the
comment that bears coming into cities are normally twice as big as bears
living in the mountains.  His thoughts were that bears are learning to adapt
to our environment rather than just coming down from a food shortage or
over-population.  Despite the danger, city/town bears are enjoying shorter
but  healthier lives over their people-shy counterparts.
Since some bears are endangered the USDA was(is) looking into scare devices
using sound and light to try to save bears from being destroyed.

Matthew Westall - E-Bees - Castle Rock, CO
(enjoying one great season here following 3 years of drought)

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