‘Bird Scare Cannons’ Used to Keep Geese Away From Crops

FOX40 ^ | Mar 17, 2021

[nickcarraway]

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Placer County said their Agricultural Commissioner’s Office confirmed the ‘mysterious’ sound residents have been reporting in Roseville were ‘bird scare cannons.’

The county said farmers in the area have been using them to prevent geese from destroying their crops.

The cannon, also known as a zon gun, is a small device that uses propane to emit a thunderclap-like sound to scare away birds from farms.

[PGR88]

You hear them all the time around the vineyards in the Finger Lakes of NY - maybe deer are the pest in question though.

[doorgunner69]

Worked for ten years on the other side of railroad tracks from enormous strawberry fields in Camarillo, Ca.

They would tent the plants for a while, then uncover. As the birds arrived, some field hands on ATVs would drive through the fields shooting off various fireworks.

All day. We all thought that was the best job in the world, if he had some cold beer in the back of his ATV. You just know he did not get job related ulcers.

[Kevmo]

I have been on walks in the past and heard such cannons go off at remote radio and telemetry stations.

It’s scary as hell when the first time you hear it is at your back.

[GMThrust]

Lots of Air Force bases use them on the airfields. I had heard that over time, the birds get used to the sound-never did follow up on the truth to that statement. The base here used to pay reservists to go out and shoot them and throw them to the gators.

[msrngtp2002]

I live on a lake. The geese in the past ruined my yard. One 4th of july a guy at the fireworks store point me to screamer bottle rockets. They are very loud and detonate out about 100 feet. Perfectly placed to go off over the geese. Been using them since and after a few shots of them in the spring the geese stop coming around. On the plus side it’s fun watching them trip all over themselves trying to run away.