We've hired a crew from Peaceful Water Ranch out of Parris, TX, to build our perimeter fence. Previous to this, we spent a lot of time talking with buffalo ranchers, planning what type of fence to build, and how to go about doing it. We decided on electrified high tensile wire and we would recommend it to anyone looking to fence in livestock.
In buffalo psychology, the zap of the electric fence equates with a wolf nip. Rather than trying to fight the fence for dominance, like another buffalo, they just move away from it. After a few sometimes humorous encounters, they get trained not to even challenge the fence. As for the high tensile wire, it is far superior to the barb wire that we put in on our old farm. The thick-hided buffalo don't pay any attention to the barbs at all. The only ones that the barbs really seem to effect are us thin-skinned, blood-oozing humans. Then of course, the barbs have a tendency to get stuck on every little tree and root as you're putting up or taking down the fence. After seeing this fence go up, never again will we do barb wire. Did we mention that it's cheaper than installing barbwire and T posts?
Jerry and Terry are a hard-working and professional crew. Ian is learning a lot by watching. In the picture, Jerry is using a hydraulic driver to pound in 6-inch diameter wooden posts. Unless the post hits a rock, it only takes about 30 seconds to pound it in 3-feet deep. It would have taken at least 20 minuted to dig each of these post holes with a shovel, and then, we'd still have the extra expense of concrete.
You can see more of Jerry and Terry's work at: http://peacefulwaterranch.com/