SwampNut Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 As part of having the house stucco fixed, the guy said he’d put up owls or other bird deterrents. But I just had another idea. I am thinking of making up some long stainless cable loops (I already have cable and tools) and have him hang those with metal eyes. Then I can hang a deterrent and send it up like a flag. When they inevitably get damaged by wind, I can pull it down and replace it. Thoughts? I can't see a downside, cost is near nothing. My house is very tall, I don't have/don't want ladders that can reach the eaves. So having him put one up in each of the affected corners would solve this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 24, 2022 Author Share Posted March 24, 2022 I am thinking 1/8" stainless rope and just large eyes, but looking at pulleys now. Pulleys add a failure point. Eyes could kink the wire, but...does it matter? I can always use the wire to pull a new wire if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironmike Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Sounds like a simulated flagpole experiment worth trying--nothing to really lose. If I understand your premise, you're right pulleys may not be needed. Instead, you could try larger eyelet screws (simply fixed to the high points) and run the cable length through them (very loose fit); a small loop or clamp in the run could serve as a height-indicator stop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 24, 2022 Share Posted March 24, 2022 Or a comfortable chair/hammock to lounge in while waiting for them to come onto the shooting range 🙂 Simple eyes should work, pulleys sound better. I assume the only failure would be the roller becoming stuck, then it's just an eye with a larger radius. We had pulleys for the spa cover that were quite old and corroded, but still worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 24, 2022 Author Share Posted March 24, 2022 31 minutes ago, superhawk996 said: Or a comfortable chair/hammock to lounge in while waiting for them to come onto the shooting range Need a gillie suit, they are easily spooked. Janel has picked off a few by hiding under a blanket in their gazebo. The concern with pulleys would be a stuck wire between the pulley and edge. There shouldn't be much weight here, so I don't think there's much risk of kinking it over a large-diameter eye. Also thinking that maybe I should just use the 1/16" rope I have now? Still pretty damn strong, compared to the load of a plastic owl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 1/16 seems like more than enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 I remember a woodpecker that was trying to bore a hole into a power pole that had a metal plate. Made quite the racket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 4 hours ago, Zero Knievel said: I remember a woodpecker that was trying to bore a hole into a power pole that had a metal plate. Made quite the racket. It wasn't trying to make a hole, they're not that dumb, it was just fucking with you. They'll peck metal objects to make noise to establish a territory and attract a mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 Carlos, I just read that you can get a permit from the feds for lethal control when they'd damaging property. Guessing you wouldn't want one, but I found it interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 I also read that decoys need to be moved every few days or they start ignoring them. Didn't read much about it and don't know if it's true, I just saw it in passing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted March 25, 2022 Author Share Posted March 25, 2022 1 hour ago, superhawk996 said: I also read that decoys need to be moved every few days or they start ignoring them. Didn't read much about it and don't know if it's true, I just saw it in passing. I'd heard that, but proved it wasn't true in my case at least. I put up reflective owls, and they worked perfectly for a month or two. But then the winds got them. It might be that the reflective stuff they hate simply works forever. On the permits, I don't qualify, but thanks to looking, I learned something. Quote As a last resort, a homeowner can apply for a depredation permit for some species of woodpeckers. Proper exclusion, harassment and monitoring will be necessary to demonstrate the need for a permit. Permits will be issued only if non-lethal methods have previously been tried and failed. An applicant for a depredation permit must also show strong justification for the need for the permit. For example, where significant structural damage to a building has resulted in an economic hardship. In most cases, though, together we can usually find a solution that allows both us humans and the woodpeckers to have sound and safe homes! But...I had been told that harassing them was illegal. It's not. So shooting NEAR them is not illegal. Oops, I um, missed missing it. I was shooting for the eaves. No really. You're not in this for the hunting are you? Quote What activities can I do without a depredation permit? You do not need a federal depredation permit to simply harass or scare birds (except eagles and federally listed threatened or endangered species). I'll have them install the cables. Most that can happen is I waste a few dollars in parts if it doesn't work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted March 25, 2022 Share Posted March 25, 2022 49 minutes ago, SwampNut said: I'd heard that, but proved it wasn't true in my case at least. I put up reflective owls, and they worked perfectly for a month or two. But then the winds got them. It might be that the reflective stuff they hate simply works forever. Some streamers/ribbon might do as well or better, and they're cheap and more likely to survive winds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXitanium Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 How is your wife with a pellet gun? My wife is a dead eye. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furbird Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 9 Author Share Posted June 9 Back to the fuckers being a problem. This time, they are less destructive but 100x more annoying. They are beating on the metal vent caps, it's a mating thing. Getting on my roof is not going to happen. So two plans... Use the sport drone to fly deterrents onto the roof and tie them to the vent pipes. But which one(s)? I think I could get it to carry a small plastic owl on a string, and I can fly a circle to tie the string. I've already ordered a cargo drop for it. Or do the same with a bunch of the reflective things, maybe arranged in a loop and just drop the loop over the vent pipe. Or both. Second idea is to program an automated guard flight in the other drone with the auto navigation and collision awareness. It can fly a path for 40 minutes all alone. But it still requires me to be awake to launch, and the fuckers made sure I was awake to do so before 5am. Fuck that. Chasing birds is fun, but it turns out they fly better than me. Go figure. Also this was my very first flight with a new controller, not great at it, don't think I like it much. This is the Avata 2 with a normal stick controller, not the cool motion controller that to me, is more intuitive for fast flight. Sticks are better for slow and smooth flight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02XXCA Posted June 9 Share Posted June 9 Seems like the drone would be effective just hovering above the ridge doing patterns over the roof. Would suck to get up at daybreak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 I've been fighting robins digging holes in the mulch and flinging it into the grass to be hit with the mower. First I tried spraying it with straight ammonia and one hour later, there they were, didn't bother them at all. Ended up putting edging that at least stops them from putting the mulch in the grass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 A decorative owl or the spinning flashy things should stop that, no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 3 hours ago, SwampNut said: A decorative owl or the spinning flashy things should stop that, no? Do they really work? Back in the day some would tie a aluminum pie plate to a stick with string to keep birds away but I don't want to ugly up my back yard. These robins are bold and will drop down on the ground 15' from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 10 Author Share Posted June 10 2 hours ago, blackhawkxx said: Do they really work? I got reflective flat owls and they 100% kept the peckers away. However when we get wind storms they get shredded. I wonder about making metal ones. I don't know anything about the pretty plastic owls though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superhawk996 Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Being that peckers are protected; is it legal to fuck with them? I only ask because it's on YT and a tree hugger could report you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 Oooh...THAT bird isn't a woodpecker. They would never get on the ground. That's a common grackle. The woodpecker video will not be posted. Also, I can barely keep up with them in sport mode for a short time. That video contains some FAA violations however. There are tens of thousands of hours of illegal and seriously dangerous flight on YT they can't catch up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 49 minutes ago, SwampNut said: There are tens of thousands of hours of illegal and seriously dangerous flight on YT they can't catch up with. On cue.... What a fucking 'tard. And yes of course, all of Disney is under a permanent no-fly for nearly all aircraft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero Knievel Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Have you tried a woodpussy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwampNut Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 Well if you mean the literal definition, no, why would they fear skunks? Otherwise, that seems like it would be an attractant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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