Game fencing isn’t something that many people think that much about. However, this type of boundary makes up an important part of the American landscape. We recently sat down with the experts at Alabama’s Straight Shooter Game Fencing to find out what, exactly, a game fence is. 

Q: Good morning, we always appreciate when experts are available to answer our questions.

Straight Shooter Game Fencing: It is no problem at all, and we were thrilled to receive your call.

Q: We had a reader send us a rather interesting question a few weeks ago, and we thought you might be the perfect people to contact for the answer.

SSGF: We will be glad to help any way we can. What was the question?

Q: They wrote, “I was driving through Tennessee last weekend and my 10-year-old son noticed that there were a few areas that have exceptionally high fences. He asked me why a property owner would need something taller than a human. I was hoping you could help me come up with a reasonable answer. What is the purpose of extra-tall fencing?”

SSGF: There are many answers to that question. The short response is that the tall barriers are game fence. Anything higher than six feet is most likely used in an agricultural area, like you might see while driving on the back roads of Tennessee, Alabama, or Mississippi. 

Q: What is a game fence?

SSGF: A game fence is a tall structure, usually built with high-tensile metal material. These types of fences are used to keep crops and livestock safe from predators and poachers. They can also be used on hunting reserves to control animal populations. Many people have a game fence installed between pens of different animals, like deer, to prevent prize animals from breeding and producing offspring with inferior genetic material.

Q: That makes a lot of sense. But what is the purpose of using high-tensile materials?

SSGF: High-tensile wire has a host of benefits, particularly in an agricultural setting. First, you can use a thinner diameter, which saves the buyer money; we use 12-gauge class III galvanized wire. Next, you do not have to use as many posts, which reduces the visual impact on the land and also saves on labor. High-tensile fences only need to posts set about every 16 feet, versus twice as many for a standard low-carbon fence material. The biggest benefit, however, is that a game fence is much stronger when it is built with these light-weight materials.

Q: Really? Stronger than a chain-link fence?

SSGF: Leaps and bounds stronger than a chain-link fence. A game fence built with high-tensile materials can pretty easily bounce back from an impact. For example, if a 1000-pound steer runs into it, the fence is not going to fall over. These fences can also handle being hit with trees.

Q: Are they hard to maintain?

SSGF: Not at all. One of the biggest perks of high-tensile wire is that you just need to put your eyes on it every once in a while to ensure that it remains in place. When you do need maintenance, we can send a crew out pretty quickly to ensure that your investment remains safe. With care, a game fence can easily last for two or three generations.

Q: Is it safe for livestock?

SSGF: Yes, because it is essentially a springy material. If an animal runs into it, it’s not going to cut through their skin.

Q: How does game fencing keep predators out?

SSGF: The most obvious way is by creating a barrier between them and livestock or your garden. People who are concerned about small predators, like rabbits and foxes, may want to ask about a predator apron. This is not so much a specific product but a style of installation. When you install the game fence to keep out digging mammals, you may have to bury it a few feet underground. Similarly, it may be installed with a small section bent outward, which will discourage some predators from trying too hard to get to the prize on the other side.

Q: This has all been very informative, and we appreciate all of the information. We had no idea that there were any other types of materials beyond privacy fencing, chain-link fencing, and barbed wire fencing.

For more information about agricultural fencing, contact Straight Shooter Game Fencing today at 256.381.2675