Do we really believe this?

[Bowland blades]

Wire

 

[bobthedug]

Took this photo a few days ago.
Poor thing had been there a couple of days before dying. The bone was cleanly snapped.
Edit. Meant to say that this is the 3rd in a year that I have came across.

 

[Jax]

If only the antis would direct some of their energy at banning certain types of fencing. Ive emailed BDS a photo or two of trapped deer in the hope they can be used one day. Not sure they will, but you never know.

Wasn’t there a government grant scheme to help install double strand barbed wire stock fencing?

the latest casualty I found was a young roe that tried getting through the lower squares. Both back legs were caught as the hips wouldn’t go through. Seen muntjac do the same on slatted timber fencing

Not just top wires that are the problem. I’ve seen adult roe try squeeze through the mesh when spooked

 

[CarlW]

Surely if a deer gets a leg between the line wires on ordinary stock net the result will be the same. The verticals will stop it twisting up tight (assuming the fence is in good nick) but it would still trap a leg

Yes. However, I wonder whether it is a slightly less effective trap? First, because - as you say - the verticals inhibit it (a bit); but also because it is more visible. The deer is jumping, so it clearly knows something is in the way; however, top lines seem to confuse them. Perhaps the lack of verticals prevent them from resolving the 'block' over which they are jumping?

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

surely in this day and age some bright spark could come up with a proper solution that actually benefits the deer and firstly the stock ,there must be money in it somewhere.

 

[CarlW]

surely in this day and age some bright spark could come up with a proper solution that actually benefits the deer and firstly the stock ,there must be money in it somewhere.

Hedges...

 

[AN DU RU FOX]

Hedges...

there you go a bright spark

 

[AGR]

Hedges...

Absolutely right!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Yes. However, I wonder whether it is a slightly less effective trap? First, because - as you say - the verticals inhibit it (a bit); but also because it is more visible. The deer is jumping, so it clearly knows something is in the way; however, top lines seem to confuse them. Perhaps the lack of verticals prevent them from resolving the 'block' over which they are jumping?

Yes, I do wonder if its also to do with the gap that's often left between the top of the net and the top wire(s) too. Some farmers/contractors seem to leave the best part of 6 inches. Harder to see and possibly easier to attract a leg in? Personally I leave "three fingers" between the net and the wire, then the same between that and the next wire.

 

[CarlW]

Yes, I do wonder if its also to do with the gap that's often left between the top of the net and the top wire(s) too. Some farmers/contractors seem to leave the best part of 6 inches. Harder to see and possibly easier to attract a leg in? Personally I leave "three fingers" between the net and the wire, then the same between that and the next wire.

Agreed.

I was always told to use the short side of the hammerhead to position the first wire and then the long side for the second one. Obviously depends upon the size of your hammer though...

To be honest, I do prefer a fence that just reinforces a hedge, as opposed to being stand-alone.

 

[Oldstalker]

Surely if a deer gets a leg between the line wires on ordinary stock net the result will be the same. The verticals will stop it twisting up tight (assuming the fence is in good nick) but it would still trap a leg

That is exactly true and on the estate adjacent to the one I mentioned above [Post no 5] a guest had to shoot one of our best ever fallow bucks because it had dropped a foreleg into some stocknet immediately adjacent to a strainer post. One look told us that we would be unable to free the poor animal and that he was already significantly distressed. Ken duly shot him and even then we had to cut the foreleg off in situ as we could not free the carcass complete! His own weight pressed the foreleg down into the netting and he was astride the fence. There was some oedema in that foreleg but surprisingly to me the carcass did set in the chiller and we were able to get usable meat out of it. I suspect he cannot actually have been fast in the fence line for very long when we came along. It is simply the "law of s*d" that it is one's better animals which seem to fall foul of these mishaps.

 

[Oldstalker]

good point...where the hell are BDS in this, they are a deer welfare organisation after all, after RTC this has to be the major deer welfare issue across the UK. What are they not campaigning for changes to the fence / grant / payment structure?!?!

Please see my post number 27 about BDS and this. The picture above # 42 of a roe caught with a single strand above stocknet was a very rare occurrence for us and G*d knows there is miles and miles of it in the S Lakes. The two strands over was the real killer though.

 

[landkeeper]

The reason they get caught more often with two horizontals, is the two wires are much easier to twist than the top strand of sheep wire as they are much freer to twist . They can move as they have nothing to restrain them apart from the fastenings at posts, unlike the sheep wire which has verticals and to twist the top strand the whole section of fence needs to move
Try it yourself with a stick !