FAQ's
Why do bears break-in to houses?
It’s much faster for them to harvest a large amount of high calorie, nutritious food
than to forage around in old stumps for grubs. A simple equation of effort verses
returns.
What if the power goes out?
If there is a power outage the system will not work again until power is
restored to you residence.
What about kids and pets?
Yes, the wires will shock them too. Young people should be supervised to
ensure that they do not play with the controller or wires. Electricity can't tell
the difference of what or who is touching the wire. I suggest that when
people are present to turn the system off until you leave the house
What happens when the wires get buried in the snow?
The snow will ground out the system making it ineffective. By the time we
get enough snow to make the system ineffective we are hoping that the
bears are hibernating.
What if I don't have an outside outlet?
Some of the older cabins don't have outdoor outlets. If I need to add an
outlet to plug the unit into, I would need access to the house, and know the
location of the fuse panel.
Why does the controller need to be mounted by the front door?
This will make it easier for you and others coming to the house (police and
fire) to see that it is on, and to give easy access to the ON/OFF switch.
How much power will the fence use?
The cost of running the system will barely be noticeable on your power bill.
It uses the same amount of power (2 watts) that a bathroom night light
would use.
Don't bears hibernate?
If there is food available (even in the form of kitchen pantries) bears will
continue to eat, they will only hibernate when the food supply is gone.
Can I turn on the fence while I'm in the house?
You can do this to offer protection from problem bears while you are in the
house. There is a specific sequence that needs to be followed in attaching
and dropping the gate wires.
Where can I get more information about living with bears?
You can get more information at
The Bear League or
Get Bear Smart Society.