Gallagher’s Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch, a fun-filled fall destination and recent hot spot for grizzly bears, last month received electrified fencing to reduce conflicts on the property. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition in collaboration with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, USDA Wildlife Services, and Defenders of Wildlife, completed the 9,600-foot long, five-wire electrified fence to keep people and grizzlies safe.
Each October, the sweet-corn field is transformed into a harvest festival that has become a fall tradition for children and adults alike that inadvertently lures grizzly bears with the prospect of an easy meal, putting the Gallagher family at risk as they harvest corn in the maze field by hand. Nearly 20 percent of Wyoming’s conflict-related grizzly bear captures in 2023 occurred in the Clark area.
“When we first opened the maze bears were in the back of our mind,” said owner Cecil Gallagher. “We knew they were in the area but just kept a lookout for their sign and kept our eyes open to potential hazards. We did have to shut down the maze one week because of the presence of a sow and two cubs.”
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has worked closely with the Gallaghers to prevent conflict and manage issues related to bears. When GYC approached the department last year about partnering on a grizzly conflict prevention project, the then-newly hired Bear Wise Program Coordinator Mark Aughton suggested permanent electric fencing around the corn maze to ensure the safety of both the public and the local wildlife.
“WGFD has been deeply involved in addressing ongoing grizzly bear conflicts in the Clark area,” Aughton said. “The Gallagher family has been exemplary in taking proactive measures to prevent conflicts and working closely with us as we manage these challenges. The Gallaghers, WGFD, GYC, and our numerous other partners have worked extensively together to build a lasting solution for the community.”
With the help of Shipley Foundation, Inc, GYC funded approximately two thirds of the project and secured funds for the remaining costs through partnerships with government agencies and non-government organizations. After a year of planning, partners in September began removing existing barbed wire fencing.
“This project has been a labor of love,” said Erin Welty, GYC’s Cody-based Senior Wyoming Conservation Associate. “GYC wants to support our working lands while also helping to reduce conflict and increase tolerance for all wildlife on private and public lands. I’m grateful to Wyoming Game & Fish and the Gallagher’s for letting us be part of this effort.”
The electrified fence was completed just a few days after the corn maze opened on September 27.
“Since the fence has been installed, my family has been more at ease with the situation,” Gallagher said. “We still check the maze daily as we always will, but are reassured that the problem is solved.”
Electric fences are the number one deterrent for keeping bears out of agricultural areas like chicken coops, bee apiaries, feed storage, and now corn fields. For more information on living safely in bear country, please visit the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website or contact the Cody WGFD office at 307-527-7215.
