Raccoon Fence Protects Sweet Corn

Raccoon Fence Protects Sweet Corn FENCING Fence Systems 23-4-44 "A guy doesn't mind sharing some of his sweet corn with raccoons occasionally. But it got so bad a few years ago they started eating it in the early blister stage, completely consuming the entire crop before it ever matured," says A.D. Baggerley. So the Loyal, Wis., retired veterinarian set about designing an electric barbed wire fence to protect his corn. First, he ran his rototiller around the perimeter of the one-acre patch to make a clean strip. He uses Roundup during the season to keep grasses and weeds from growing back. Then he put a 6-ft. steel T fence post in each corner of the patch and put fiberglass rods every 30 ft. along the fence. Baggerley used two strands of light gauge electric barb wire. The lower wire is 5 in. off the ground, the upper 10 in. "Apparently, raccoons don't jump over obstacles but crawl over them so they're always grounded," Baggerley notes, adding that any fence charger can be used. "Imagine our satisfaction when we heard a raccoon squeal after running into the fence the first night we used it," he says. "It was a learning experience for them. They learned not to bother our sweet corn any more." Out-of-pocket expense was less than $100. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, A.D. Baggerley, N10158 Park Lane, Loyal, Wis. 54446 (ph 715 255-8175).

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