How to Build Fence with Wildlife in Mind

Second Edition Revised and Updated 2012

Acknowledgements

Since the original publication of A Landowner’s Guide to Wildlife Friendly Fences in 2008, the idea of “building fence with wildlife in mind” has taken off like wildfire across the West. Other states have built on that original publication and produced their own fence manuals, and this author wrote a companion volume for Wyoming, A Landowner’s Guide to Fences and Wildlife, published by The Wyoming Land Trust.

For this second edition, the material has been revised and updated, benefiting from the creative ideas and practical experience of landowners and resource professionals who have adopted a wildlife friendly approach to their operations. Joe Weigand, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks private land wildlife specialist, provided department funding and personal guidance for the project, as well as his extensive expertise from testing various fence solutions with landowners.

A special thanks to everyone who contributed their insights, research, photographs and manuscript reviews. Chris and Leo Barthelmess, Ralph Burchenal, John Kountz, Jeff Laszlo, Marina Smith, Wayne Ternes, Juanita Vero, the Anaconda Gun Club and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation partnered with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to test fence designs in various livestock and wildlife situations and offered invaluable insights and suggestions. FWP biologist Jay Kolbe provided fence specifications, photos and other invaluable contributions to the project. Steve Primm and Seth Wilson of People and Carnivores, and FWP bear biologists Kim Annis, Tim Manley, and Mike Madel, contributed their expertise on fencing to exclude predators. Shawn Cleveland and Andrew Jakes shared their experiences and photos from the Transboundary Pronghorn Project. Montana Department of Transportation provided photos, specifications, and experiences with highway right-of-way fence.

Bryce Andrews conducted interviews and wrote many of the profiles detailing landowner and ranch manager experiences. Many other landowners, biologists, and resource professionals in Montana and throughout the U.S. also contributed their expertise, references, and photographs, considerably adding to the breadth of innovative ideas.

My deep appreciation to Ed Jenne for his wonderful illustrations and toNancy Seiler for her beautifully creative talent in layout and design. Any errors in this manual are mine alone.