VIRTUAL FENCING

 Virtual fencing for cattle replaces physical fences with GPS-enabled collars that let ranchers draw digital boundaries on a map using a computer or phone app. When a cow approaches a virtual boundary, the collar first emits an audio warning, and if the animal keeps going, it delivers a humane mild electric pulse, which cattle quickly learn to associate with the sound and avoid. This allows ranchers to move boundaries remotely, rotate grazing areas without building or moving fence, and keep animals out of sensitive areas like streams or fire-damaged land. 

From 2022 - 2025, ECCD led a multi-year, federally backed effort to test and expand virtual fencing on rugged public rangeland. The program involved about 2,000 collared cows under 11 federal grazing permits, and a nearly $1 million grant from the Foundation for America’s Public Lands, awarded in 2024, helped expand virtual fencing further in Eagle County. To learn more about these projects, go to ECCD's Project's Page.