Ranchers and land managers rely on thousands of miles of physical fence to manage livestock on rangelands. While permanent wire fence has led to improved rangeland condition in many places, wire fence provides little to no flexibility to rapidly change pasture size, manipulate grazing distribution, or avoid areas of high use or sensitive habitat within a pasture. As a result, there are constraints on the use of permanent fences as a tool for managing riparian health, post-fire vegetation recovery, or improving livestock distribution.

Virtual fencing (VF) is an emerging precision livestock management technology that can be used to increase management flexibility. The system uses invisible barriers, established by Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates, to influence livestock movement with a combination of auditory and electrical cues.