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RAUK - Archived Forum - Drift fencing

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Drift fencing:

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Martin
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 87


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Posted: 27 Apr 2003

I have a question.....  why are the ends of drift fencing not usually tucked back in a return? I keep seeing ends of fencing exiting onto roads, a straight end finishing with a couple of metre gap to a road and the fence end just left as an end. It is my feeling that where the fencing is for exclusion what is to stop an animal coming to the end of the fence and just then carrying on into the excluded area?

Have I made this clear here!?

I'd be interested to know how you feel the end of a fence should be finished?

Thanks, Martin.  


David Bird
Forum Specialist
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 515


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Posted: 28 Apr 2003
Martin   I always look upon drift fencing as being a way to move animals along to a central point where there is a bucket for capture at the tip of a funnel shape fence. The idea is to angle the fence to try to get the animals to move to the central point. An exclusion fence should be a closed structure and joined all the way round to stop animals getting in or out which ever is needed at the time. I know that some people do tend not to put up a fence where there is very unfavourable habitat such as concrete, tarmac or bare sand and gravel mainly to save money and the difficulty of putting up a fence on such a base. I do turn the fence back on itself in such a situation as it seems obvious to me you want to return the animal to its proper side of the fence and not allow it to crawl around it. I have seen many awful exclusion fences put up by people who are putting themselves about as experts in the consultancy and translocation field. I have seen fences made of geotextile which allows lizards to run up and over in both directions and ones that are put up on 1" by 1/2' roofing lathes that get broken by the local children within a few days and the fence lays on the ground for the rest of the operation. I cannot see how these fences are allowed by the powers that be who should keep an eye on this blatant shoddy unprofessional workmanship but it still seems to go on in Dorset.
British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker.
Martin
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 87


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Posted: 28 Apr 2003
And Hampshire.
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


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Posted: 30 Apr 2003

Martin's Pictures,

Shouldn't the turn over at the top be on the outside?


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
David Bird
Forum Specialist
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 515


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Posted: 30 Apr 2003
looks like an awful piece of exclusion I cant work out which side the animals are supposed to be excluded from with wooden posts being on both sides of the PVC. The corner looks very suspect and the ending as you said before is dreadful. A really terrible example and looks like a waste of time and effort and presumably animals that may now be part of the foundations. Write a letter to the developers and planning dept. of the local council and point out the faults and ask them to ensure they employ someone who knows what they are doing next time.
British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker.
Martin
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 87


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Posted: 30 Apr 2003

Thanks I'll do that tonight. I was keen to get another opinion on this.

As it is for GCN should I drop a line to EN do you think?

Thanks for your help, Martin.


David Bird
Forum Specialist
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 515


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Posted: 30 Apr 2003
Martin
Yes definitely . Didn't realise that this was a G.C.N site. Dont fancy their long term survival prospects with the surrounding views of habitat though.
British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker.
Tony Phelps
Forum Specialist
Joined: 09 Mar 2003
No. of posts: 575


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Posted: 01 May 2003

Martin - Is this the site that I have just started work on?

You can e mail me - sorry to have missed you last night - it was a useful session.

 

Tony


Matt Harris
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
No. of posts: 196


View other posts by Matt Harris
Posted: 10 Jul 2003
Are there any suppliers of pre-fabricated drift fencing, or do people normally improvise with ordinary materials?
Gwent Amphibian and Reptile Group (GARG)
David Bird
Forum Specialist
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 515


View other posts by David Bird
Posted: 14 Jul 2003
Matt

There is a polymer fence produced by ACO they also make toad tunnels and bird nest boxes.

www.acowildlife.co.uk    

and I am sure I remember seeing an aluminium one somewhere.

Most people use large 8x 4 m sheeets of PVC damp proof membrane and cut it up into strips. There is a dampproof membrane that does come in ready cut widths and is slightly stiffer with a diamond shape raised pattern over its surface. It is used for putting under brick courses and can be obtained at most large building merchants, I forget the manufacturer I think there are several one begins with a Z

May be worth having a look at T.E.S.Langton Ed.1989 Amphibians & Roads   ACO   possibly obtainable from Froglife or even asking John Baker at Froglife.
British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker.

- Drift fencing

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