As mentioned above, electrified netting or welded wire panels has the best odds of repelling bears. One needs to get the bear on the face as they are like sheep with their hair, hide, and fat insulating them from the shock. We use an inexpensive standard charger that I think stated it can handle 5 miles of fence per the packaging.
If the bear gets its head through and gets shocked on the neck, shoulders, or chest it is likely to move forward through the fence rather than pull back. After going forward, the bear is where it wants to be and has learned the deterent is short lived and relatively mild compared to the benefit. Then you have a real problem keeping the bear away.
Electric fences give off a vibe that animals seem to pick up on pretty well. A bear may get a shock the first time it tasted the peanut butter on the fence and probably ignore it from then on but it would continue to eat it if the electric energy was not felt. It's no different than cattle and one can tell the condition of the fence by how close the cows graze or rest.
Last edited by woodmaster81; 08/18/19.
