2012 - Volume #BFS, Issue #12, Page #108
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Stop Wildlife Damage, Stop Opening Gates
“It’s as portable as a flashlight so you can easily move it from place to place. Best of all, it costs only a fraction as much as a conventional cattle guard,” say Sid and Barney Zinter, Ione, Oregon, about their electronic “Elk-Out” or “Gatekeeper” that keeps cattle from going through open gates and keeps elk and deer out of hay stacks, yards and gardens.The self-contained unit is about the size of a small tackle box with a handle on top. It’s equipped with a heat-sensitive “eye” that triggers a siren or strobe. It’s designed to hang on a gate post with the “eye” facing toward the other post. When an animal approaches, the alarm is activated and a loud noise scares it away from the opening.
“It lets go with the most awful siren sound you’ve ever heard - no animal can ever get used to it,” says Sid. “The alarm plays a series of six different noises in sequence, from a siren-like sound to a loud beeping. The wildlife version also employs a blinding but harmless strobe light. The alarm goes off as long as it senses the animal. After a few exposures animals will avoid the gate.
“It takes only about a minute to set up and there’s nothing on it to adjust - just turn it on and forget about it. When you want to bring cows through the gate you simply switch it off. It works better than permanently-installed cattle guards and sells for $349 to $450 depending on the model, plus shipping and handling.”
A 12-volt DC charger (included) or a small solar panel is used to recharge the unit. A charge lasts about 2 months.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Agritronics, 57701 Gooseberry Road, Ione, Oregon 97843 (ph 541 422-7441; www.ElkOut.com).
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