As bear populations continue to grow in Northwest Colorado, so do the number of encounters with hunters as well as other backcountry users. In Routt County in particular, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has documented rising black bear activity in recent years, especially during the fall hunting season when backcountry camps, meat caches and gut piles become high-value attractants.
For hunters trying to keep themselves and their harvests safe, one non-lethal solution is gaining traction: electric bear fencing.
Designed to be lightweight, portable and quick to deploy, these fences serve as both a source of peace of mind and a bear deterrent for hunters spending days deep in elk, mule deer and ironically bear country.
“We don’t guarantee safety—no product can,” said Adrian Kekec, founder of Bearwatch Systems, a company that designs backcountry electric fences specifically for recreational and hunting use. “But what we offer is a real risk-reduction tool. Something that gives you another layer between you and a bear.”
Kekec, an experienced outdoorsman, created the system after a sleepless night on a trail in British Columbia where fresh bear tracks led right through his campsite.
“I realized I wanted something more than just the wall of my tent between me and the wilderness,” he said. “When I looked around, everything available was built for agriculture and was heavy and bulky. I wanted something a hunter or backpacker could actually carry.”
Bearwatch Systems, and other similar products, are rapidly gaining traction as hunters use them across the West, including in Routt and Moffat counties where remote elk units and long pack-outs often lead to situations where hunters, meat and gear have to stay in the field overnight.
“It’s very difficult to return to camp completely clean after a harvest,” Kekec said. “You’ve got blood on your arms, your pants, your pack and there’s no shower out there. That alone increases your risk. Often those scents are also very hard to get rid of even if you are at home.”
Kekec’s system offers an option for hunters who may not be able to pack out an animal in one trip. Some customers have used the fence to protect quartered game overnight, and the Bearwatch website even features a video of a brown bear in the Yukon being turned away from a moose harvest inside one of their fences.
“We don’t overpromise, but the feedback has been very good,” Kekec said. “Electric fences like these give hunters an edge when they can’t control the scent or the situation.”
The science is simple. Electrified wires carry a positive charge while the ground remains negatively charged. Bears often investigate things of interest with their wet and sensitive noses. When that nose touches the wire in a Bearwatch system, it completes the circuit and receives a short, sharp shock.
“It’s surprising and painful, and that’s usually enough,” Kekec said. “It’s a negative experience they remember.”
That memory matters, not only in that moment in a bear’s life but in future moments as well.
Once a bear associates humans or camps with food—even something as minor as a forgotten protein bar wrapper or toothpaste—it can start a pattern that ends in relocation or euthanasia.
“Very few people are hurt by bears each year,” Kekec said. “But hundreds or even thousands of bears are killed because of conflicts with humans. In a place like Northwest Colorado, where bear populations are healthy and growing, that’s a conservation issue.”
By deterring bears without harming them, Kekec sees his product as a tool that benefits both sides of the interaction.
“If we can stop that first reward, we can break the association before it ever forms,” he said. “We’re not just protecting people. We’re helping un-train bears.”
Closer to home, local hunters are noticing increased bear activity, especially in units like 14, 15 and 214 near Steamboat Springs and farther west into areas near the Flat Tops and Bears Ears. CPW has warned of rising bear densities near drainages and hunting corridors, particularly in dry years like 2025 when natural food sources can be more sparse.
“This fence adds a layer of protection during that high-risk window,” Kekec said. “Especially when you’ve got meat hanging or you’re walking around with the scent of a fresh kill on you.”
Though developed for hunters, the product is increasingly used by backpackers, anglers and outdoor educators. Setup takes just a few minutes and the entire system including carbon fiber poles and an energy-efficient power unit weighs just under four pounds.
“We’ve designed it so that people will actually use it,” Kekec said. “If it’s a hassle, they won’t. So we made it fast, light and intuitive.”
Even for those hunting from a vehicle-accessible base camp, the system offers added protection. Kekec noted that car campers often let their guard down assuming proximity to a vehicle means reduced risk.
“A lot of people think if they’re not deep in the backcountry, they don’t need to worry as much,” he said. “But bears show up at trailheads and campsites all the time.”
The fence can be set up around a tent, cooking area or even a truck bed full of gear, offering the same deterrent effect regardless of remoteness.
“It’s still your scent, your food and your harvest that attract them,” Kekec said. “You don’t have to be ten miles from a road for the fence to matter.”
Kekec has spent years refining the system with improvements to battery life and the use of lighter materials and more effective grounding, all of which are essential for Colorado’s high-altitude terrain and variable soil conditions.
For those unfamiliar with the technology surrounding electric fences for bears, Kekec emphasized the importance of clean camps and proper food storage first. The fence, he said, is one part of a full system.
“Keep a clean site, hang your food and avoid anything in your campsite that could be an attractant,” he said. “This is just one more tool that works alongside all of that.”
But it’s also a tool that can open the backcountry to those who might otherwise stay home.
“Some people are scared to camp where bears live,” he said. “This gives them confidence to go. For others, it’s the difference between a sleepless night and a good rest before a big climb or hike to get to that perfect hunting spot.”
In a region where bear-human overlap is increasing, Kekec hopes to see more hunters and outdoorsmen adopt systems like his for their safety and for the health of Colorado’s growing population of black bears.
“We’re guests out there,” he said. “Anything we can do to reduce our impact and help bears stay wild —that’s a win for everyone.”
