Electric Fencing

for Bear Deterrence

Bears roam across many areas in North America and share an increasingly human-dominated world with us. While bears tend to naturally avoid humans, they can be drawn into human areas by attractants. Traditional electric fencing—with a few modifications—is an effective tool for preventing human-bear conflicts and keeping people’s property safe and bears wild.

This digital manual discusses electric fencing, specifically for deterring grizzly bears and black bears. You’ll find two video series—one showing how to build an electric fence from start to finish, and another showing how to modify an existing fence—along with additional resources on electric fencing.

Navigating This Digital Manual

  1. First, watch the introductory video to learn how electric fencing can be used to deter bears and what is included in the video series.

  2. If you are new to electric fencing, read through the “Introduction to Electric Fencing for Grizzly and Black Bear Deterrence“ section linked below. This sections covers the basics of how electric fencing works and using it to deter bears.

  3. Scroll down to find and watch the video series that best matches your situation. If you don’t have a fence and are starting from scratch, “Building a Permanent Electric Fence” is the series for you. If you have a fence already, check out “Modifying an Existing Fence with Offset Electric Wires.” We recommend watching through the entire series once, then going back and reviewing each video as you work the various steps of building or modifying a fence.

  4. After you’ve watched the videos, browse the additional resources near the bottom of this page as needed. These resources include useful information for planning your project, designing your electric fence, and picking out supplies and materials.

Introduction to Electric Fencing

for Grizzly and Black Bear Deterrence

Fence design is one of the most important components to ensure you have an effective fence for deterring grizzly bears and black bears. Check out this section for a brief introduction to the basics of electric fencing for deterring bears, covering how electric fencing works, along with the three most important components to designing an electric fence that will deter bears: fence design, voltage output, and correct grounding.

Step-by-Step Video Series

Building a Permanent Electric Fence

Learn to build an electric fence from start (designing the fence and setting posts) to finish (installing an energizer and grounding the system) that will deter grizzly and black bears from accessing attractants.

Modifying an Existing Fence with Offset Electric Wires

If a permanent fence is already in place, learn how to add offset electric wires to deter grizzly and black bears from coming into conflict.

Additional Resources

  • Electric Fence Components

    Learn more about the components of an electric fence, from how to pick an energizer to how to properly ground a fence.

    Learn more

  • Planning Worksheets

    Download worksheets to help plan your fence design and estimate cost.

    Download the worksheets

  • Electric Fence Designs

    Browse designs for electric fences, including for wire height, wire spacing, and gates. You’ll also find the designs shown throughout both video series.

    Learn more

  • Troubleshooting and Fence Maintenance

    Once your fence is up and running, it needs to stay in good working condition. This video provides maintenance tips and troubleshooting help.

    Watch the video

  • Electric Fencing Suppliers

    Looking for supplies? Find links to companies and their online stores that carry energizers, wire, and grounding system supplies.

    Find supplies