Electric fence install around food plot?

[spooncg33]

Really want to do a food plot on my lease in Marshall, but LO has some cattle. Before I spend a bunch of money and time, are these fences pretty reliable and easy to install? I’ve been reading about them and watching YouTube, so I think it should be ok putting it in. I also don’t own a tractor so I’m going to have to find someone that can till up an acre or 2 so I can plant some wheat.

I have my 2 feeders surround by barbwire I ran last year, and really don’t wanna drive a whole bunch of Tpost in the ground again for an electric fence if it’s not going to keep the cows out or get knocked down by a deer jumping in.

 

[Tanis143]

Not only that but you have the burrowing animals to think about as well.

 

[ignerntbend]

If you've got feeders up and protected from cattle you probably have all you need to attract deer.
The wheat would be great, but it may not be worth the trouble in the case you describe. God will feed your deer for you.

 

[dlbleak]

I looked into a hot wire this year. Would be around $200 whether I did a feeder or a food plot. I’m going to run my tposts and barb wire until the cows knock it down. We put a cell cam on it and the cows are all around it but haven’t messed with the wire yet.

 

[MacFromOK]

I used electric fence with livestock for several years, and all animals don't react the same.

Once bitten, some won't cross the area until the fence has been removed for a good while. Others will push through as soon as it goes dead.

If a deer gets shocked, they may or may not return.

Just a thought.

 

[Cowcatcher]

I wouldn't waste me time with electric fence in the situation you are describing.

 

[retrieverman]

I’ve used hot wire with cows for almost 30 years, MY cows have always respected it. I’ve got a hot wire around my yard and running down my 1/2 mile driveway now. It keeps the cows out, but I see deer hop over it all the time.

Personally, given the OP’s situation, I wouldn’t mess with it and just keep using feeders and feeder pens.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Yessir if a fella is gonna mix cattle and Hotwire, it needs to be monitored daily.

 

[spooncg33]

Thanks for all of the info and replies. The LO south of us didn’t plant wheat last year and we saw a big drop in deer numbers, along with a few other factors so we were just trying to give the deer a reason to visit our place more often. Sounds like we will stick with the feeders and just throw some wheat inside of that fenced area.

 

[Okie4570]

I live in the land of wheat pasture and hot wire, if you can't baby sit it every day or every other day it will either be on the ground, shorted out somehow or a combo of the two. Deer are worse about tearing down hot wire than cattle are.