Two more styles of rail fence, one of them a striking tall design

[Okanagan]

Chilcotin country, near Anahim Lake BC., last week.  The first fence is much taller than most rail fences.  Three pics of it and then one photo of a tripod or teepee style with rails between the teepees.

[Hawks Feather]

I have seen fences like this in Montana.  Most of them were relatively small areas where I assumed they let animals graze.  By small, I would guess a quarter mile square (they weren't really square, but you get the idea).  What size were these?

Jerry

[Okanagan]

I have seen fences like this in Montana.  Most of them were relatively small areas where I assumed they let animals graze.  By small, I would guess a quarter mile square (they weren't really square, but you get the idea).  What size were these?

Jerry

The tall fence, (stake and rider design?) appeared to be a drift fence, to keep cattle off of the highway along that stretch of open range.  I don't think it enclosed any land.  It probably fences the open meadow along the highway there and ends in thick brush and timber on each end of the meadow.

A lot of places with open range will have a cattle guard with a fence going each way from it for anywhere from 25 to 100 yards.  It looks like two pastures separated by a fence but the only fence is a short distance on each side of the road.  It keeps cattle from walking down the road to somewhere the rancher doesn't want them.  Sometimes it is to keep cattle from going back to the home ranch where they wintered, when the rancher wants them to stay on high country grass for the summer.

The teepee and rail closed in 15-20 acres I'd guess, and I think it went all the way around, except a section along a lake.

That's a five hour drive (if you push it) through that country with no gas station open after 8:00 PM and none open at the western end of it either after 8:00 PM, at the edge of the world.

[FinsnFur]

That is crazy interesting. And a very intriguing design to boot.
The accuracy of how even it all is, is really uncanny considering what they are using. Someones got some time in that thing.
Very cool looking.

[Hawks Feather]

It would be neat to know the history on a fence like that.  How long do you think it takes to chop and strip that many saplings, how many people to put it together, and how many hours to complete?  Then there is always the possibility of some bear or larger animal deciding to go through the fence rather than over it.

Jerry

[Okanagan]

Lots of moose, black bears, grizzly, and some mule deer in that area.  Once in awhile a caribou wanders through.  I think they all either jump the fence or go around the end, mostly.  Bears go through anywhere they want.  Looks like they leave the bark and let let it fall off the poles naturally.  It would be fun to watch them build it.

Poles that size will often be thick as dog hair (which is what they call such stands of pole trees).  A good man with a chain saw can cut a pickup load in minutes.  'Course a pickup load would only make a few feet of fence...  but they aren't hauling them far.  Cut & top and the few spindly branches mostly trim themselves by the time the rail pole is handled much.  Such stands of trees have green branches near the top and spindly dead twigs below that.

I'd enjoy a Discovery channel show with old timers who know how to make all the different styles of rail fences.
I proposed a magazine article on it that an editor liked one time but never got around to doing the leg work and photography in back road country to produce the article.  It's still a good idea, though by the time you drive to the Chicotin, or around Wyoming finding old timers to tell you how to build such fences, etc. the writer won't make any money on it.   It would have to be a labor of love.

[iahntr]

I've seen ones like in the bottom pic, but not like the top pic,
the taller ones. All very cool in there own way.