Companion forum thread to: Publisher's View: Bear Predation (Commentary)

I had the opportunity recently to visit a demonstration of a portable electric bear fence. Yes, it's actually backpackable. This was a UDAP brand fence, as provided about 3.7 lbs, and enough to enclose a tent/sleeping area.

The fence concept is starting to pop up in various applications. In OR, they are using it on the Rogue River to protect food caches / storage at paddling camps. In AK, wildlife biologists use them to surround their entire camp. In MT, I've seen them used to secure stock animals while grazing at night. The latter is a terrific application: it separates the stock, safely, from camp, which is great news for backpackers and equestrians that share the same campsites. As a horse packer, it's nice having the piece of mind that your horses aren't going to be harrassed by grizzly bears when they are penned a couple hundred yards away from camp. This keeps the horse food where it belongs as well: far away from camp.

The applications of this technology could be very cool for grizzly country. There's been a lot of talk about brown/grizzly bear predation since Herrero's book came out a few years ago, and since Timothy Treadwell & mate were eaten in Katmai. A new and apparently predatory attack recently occurred on the Hulahula R in ANWR. Both of the latter could have been avoided by use of a fence.

After seeing the UDAP fence, it's first version is pretty amazing: it does exactly what it's supposed to do, and does it for a very light weight. I think you could easily chop 40% of the weight, but perhaps at twice the price (it's already at $300).

Edited by ryan on 10/12/2005 01:05:42 MDT.