Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Elk and fences

I guess this is a dumass question. Can Elk jump a regular fence. We see them now and again on our deer lease. There is a place down in a steep draw, the fence is down. I figure they come and go through that place. I didn't think Aoudads could jump a fence until last deer season, when I saw a couple hop right over.

I have a game camera down in that draw. I have the usual game passing through that break in the fence, but no Elk. So, I'm wondering if the Elk can jump a fence? I've walked-ridden the rest of the lease, no breaks.

Thanks

Yep. Or step over some.

So if we get some calls, that bull that was raising hell last fall might come over the fence to our side??? He went on and on for days.

Well, that all depends on how good you are with the calls. That, and whether he already has a bunch of cows over where he is.

A healthy adult elk can clear a 6 foot fence...and maybe higher.

Two years ago I watched a large bull jump a blowdown that was 6 ft high and easily 6ft across--he didn't even disturb the 4-6 inches of fresh powder snow on top of the logs......


Casey

Yes and if they don't like the fence they just take it out!!
Cheers NC

Elk have the reputation of being hard on fences, and it's the cows with calves that are the culprits. Adults and yearlings can jump just about any livestock fence, but the calves cannot, so the cows break down fences so that their calves can cross.

Yep. If they can't jump it they'll run it over.

How true.......

35 years ago we fed deer and elk on our ranch for the CPW during a harsh winter. When a recent Left Coast Refugee moved nearby and let his dogs run on our property--and chase the wildlife and our livestock--I had to go on a canine shooting spree. One evening when one of the Refugee's dogs were circling about 150 head of elk on our place, I was compelled to shoot the offending dog.

Needless to say the 150 head of elk lined out and headed straight for the Refugee's place--taking out every fence he had

I had to fix my own fence too but it was worth it..........

Casey

Here's a cow going over a 6' fence like it's laying flat on the ground.

Easily, although in a panic they will simply go through. Cookie dropped a cow years back with a single round and the group stood around and went back to foraging. When we finally stood to get to work, they took out about 60 yds of 4-string barbed wire. Went in and repaired it the next day.

Casey, I like yer way of thinkin'.

My experience is that the situation dictates whether an elk jumps a fence or takes it out.

Used to work on a ranch that, at times, had over 1,000 head of elk on it. Fixed a lot of fence behind them.

What I saw was if elk were pressured, they would often run right through a fence. If not, they would jump it like it wasn't there. Cows, calves, bulls, didn't matter.

When elk take out a fence, we'd refer to it as an elk-kill. Because when they took one out, it was usually at least a couple hundred yards of fence destroyed and often the fence would be a quarter mile into the pasture.

Buddy's Ranch down in Coleman, TX borders a high fence Ranch with about 40 head of Elk with some really nice Bulls.
Twice I've seen those elk jump the high fence over into the Buddy's Ranch.

One of the coolest things to watch is an elk clear a fence. Graceful.

They must be jumping the fence. That's why we see them once in a while.

I've also watched them actually climb a fence ... hoof over hoof on the strands. Which, if it's wire strung on wood posts, yanks out the steeples. Not so much on steel ... those fences act more like ladders.

I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself ... more than once.

A lot of ranches that have elk or migrating elk, have drop fences that are held to the post with wire or wire clips. They drop the fence in late fall after stock is moved off.Cheaper than building new fence.Some ranches with NF grazing leases that put in drift fences may be required to drop them. I'm not 100% positive about that though.

Yes. Aware of some public land fences border the Idaho side of Hells Canyon that are rigged to be dropped. Also beneficial where blowing snow can put heavy pressure on them.

One way of making a drop fence that's fairly common is to use wood posts. Put in 2 extra long staples about 1" apart, 1 above the other. Pound them in about 1/2 way. The wire is held against the post between the staples and a large headed nail is dropped through the staples to hold the wire in. To drop it, simply lift the nails out.
Putting that many wood posts in rocky ground isn't as fun as it sounds.

If he already has a herd of cows, the only way he's going to jump a fence to answer another bull is if he's gay.....

''Tis true...........

Good on you.

Start putting out alfalfa on your side. When it starts feeding on it daily, get your elk call.

hanco's smart, he'll use a cow call.

I don't want to kill him, I would like to see one jump the fence. Aoudads went over like it wasn't there.

Feed him alfalfa and you can use a crow call.

Han, get us some trailcam pics, please.

You might even want to put one with the video where they start jumping.

I wouldnt tell anyone else on the lease if you dont want it shot, however.

Over, under, through, if the fence is in Saskatchewan, it doesn't matter much to our elk.

I've seen many an elk jump a fence like it was no big deal!

Many stretches of fence in the high country of Arizona known for elk crossing, have pvc pipe on the top wire. Lots of fences are broken down by the elk dragging their feet over the top wire. The pvc rolls when they hit it and the wire is not stressed. Also, at night, elk can see the white pvc and clear it. This method has been very effective.

If the elk are spooked, they will probably still crash blindly through the fence, but at least this method saves some of the fence.

They rut in Spring in Texas?
Around here the bulls will not be near cows at this time.

Be sure they are elk and not Red deer.

There are lots of red deer in Burnet county. As well as hybrids.

Well shoot, red deer can't hop fences.

Stinking red deer!!!

What's the second post for?

What 2d post?

I must be hallucinating! LOL! I read your post three times this afternoon, trying to figure out what the second post was for. Now reading it again....

LOL!

I can see how a 2d staple could be mistaken for a post.

This was in the fall during bow season, October

I have seen elk jump pretty tall jack leg fences with ease.

mudhen is correct, but should add that some cows and half-grown calves will hit the top strand as they go over - will break or pull it loose over time. They are creatures of habit and tend to use the same routes, so it's easy to know where to look for breaks. The only times I have seen a bull hit a fence is when hit and trying to flee - but running out of power.

Our place is heavy elk country and we devote quite a bit of time (like yesterday afternoon) to repairing fences - need to keep the cattle out of here when ranchers are grazing the forest leases.

I have found that two things help: 1. Doubling the top strand of barbed wire in most vulnerable places (and tying on small pieces of colored ribbon); 2. Installing "jumps" at the locations where they habitually cross fences. To do this, I either drop or eliminate the top strand and place a thin-walled steel or heavy PVC pipe (white, if possible) over the lowered top strand. So far, this does not seem to let cattle in. Sometimes I create a small opening close to the ground for small elk calves.

In one way a nuisance - in another, we get to watch many of these amazing creatures.

Our cabin is a couple of miles from the White Mountain Apache Reservation, and I usually go out a couple times each week to watch elk. I've lost count of the herds I've watched cross roads that have cattle fences on each side, but it's probably at least 500 over the past 45 years. Bulls and cows can walk right up to a cattle fence and clear it effortlessly, but the calves sometimes hit the top wire, fall on the other side and limp off.

As for knocking down fences, way back when we first bought our cabin's land I spent a lot of time building a fence with oak posts and aspen rails. A year or two later, I drove up to the cabin after dark and spooked a herd that was in our front yard. They took out two sides of fencing on our two-acre parcel in an instant.

I never bothered to repair it

Bill Quimby