Blow gun or some other quiet method of pigeon control

[JimmyLyding]

Earlier tonight, I discovered that the local pigeons have been hanging out on top of my Weber kettle grill, and strategically depositing what they deposit right through the vent holes onto the cooking surface. Luckily I had a backup cooking surface.
However, I'm looking for a very-lethal method of convincing those rats-with-wings that they don't want to hang out in my yard. It must be quiet so as to not arouse my neighbor's ire if they are the types to become upset, and I doubt that they would. Blowgun? Pellet gun? Trained bobcat? I've culled pigeons with a blowgun back in college @ the U of A, but the local police didn't like it. Actually, they had no problem with it, but the crazy lady who lived across-the-street from our fraternity house did have a problem.
Any suggestions?

[SuperstitionGuy]

Except the last one he shot - the one that made him quit. He took aim, shot, hit the bird square on the head. It plumeted to the pavement below in a mess of feathers. The little girl who was walking through the alley with her mom (we couldn't see them from our angle) let out a scream that'd curl your hair. Her mom's scream was less piercing, but just as scared. They turned around and ran out of the alley. Gary thought that it was a sign that perhaps bird killing just wasn't a good idea in an inner-city neighborhood...

Love it!

But the truth is; is to just get a cage trap and kill them under better controlled circumstances so you don't have to be concerned about the neighbors, PETA, the ATF or the police.

[Jim]

Isn't poison an effective control method, or is that too dangerous? I guess it could affect desirable birds. I remember the place I worked at in 2007 and early 2008 had a pigeon infestation. There was crap all over the place from them. I don't understand how they make that much. I used to throw rocks and snowballs at them, but it didn't matter. My best solution to control them is an eradication program, but then what would the park pigeon feeding types do with their lonely lives?

[PLC92084]

but then what would the park pigeon feeding types do with their lonely lives

They could get jobs cleaning up the statues and other monuments... That could take years even after all the pigeons are gone!

[Jim]

but then what would the park pigeon feeding types do with their lonely lives

They could get jobs cleaning up the statues and other monuments... That could take years even after all the pigeons are gone!

They'd never survive that long. They would all die of loneliness and broken hearts.

[VVebb]

since he was shooting up, there was little chance of collateral damage.

What goes up must come down. People have died on numerous occasions from falling ammunition -- Admittedly, probably not from a BB/pellet gun, but it can still injure a person or pet.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/ ... n1231.html

[big_load]

This reminds me of many years ago, when a couple of jerks used to shoot me with BB guns on the way home from school. My education continued uninterrupted, so the deterrent was ineffective.

[chumley]

My older brother used to shoot me with a bb gun all the time. (I also played on metal jungle gym equipment with pavement as a base). Somehow I survived.

[writelots]

My older brother used to shoot me with a bb gun all the time. (I also played on metal jungle gym equipment with pavement as a base). Somehow I survived.

I have to say, if you're not a crack shot, it's hard to kill even a pigeon with a pellet gun. Hit 'em on the breast, back or wing and it just bounces off. This is not a deadly weapon unless you shoot it right at the head of a small creature at close range. Probably hurt like hell if you got hit with one, but I would NOT be allowing anything that I thought was remotely deadly to be going on my back yard.

So - you know - all this "safety" crap has got me down lately. We just had to redesign a water park to take out a feature because one parent was afraid their child would climb onto it, fall off, and be seriously injured. The thing was about 5' tall. Then, after the public meeting, that same lady strapped her child into an automobile and drove off. Where's the REAL danger here???

Off rant.

[JimmyLyding]

I like the pet raptor idea. I've seen a few Harris hawks around. I wonder how I can get 'em to stick around.
Pigeons are tough to deal with. They're pretty tough little bastards. They're very highly-evolved animals. I've seen them flying flying above the freeway going damned near as fast as my car.
I don't know what I'm going to do, but I doubt whatever it is won't be 100% effective. About the only thing I can think of that might be 100% effective would be an intensive shotgunning campaign, but unfortunately I don't live in the country.

[Jeffshadows]

My older brother used to shoot me with a bb gun all the time. (I also played on metal jungle gym equipment with pavement as a base). Somehow I survived.

I have to say, if you're not a crack shot, it's hard to kill even a pigeon with a pellet gun. Hit 'em on the breast, back or wing and it just bounces off. This is not a deadly weapon unless you shoot it right at the head of a small creature at close range. Probably hurt like hell if you got hit with one, but I would NOT be allowing anything that I thought was remotely deadly to be going on my back yard.

So - you know - all this "safety" crap has got me down lately. We just had to redesign a water park to take out a feature because one parent was afraid their child would climb onto it, fall off, and be seriously injured. The thing was about 5' tall. Then, after the public meeting, that same lady strapped her child into an automobile and drove off. Where's the REAL danger here???

Off rant.

Everyone else's rights end where mine begin. I couldn't care less what people do in their own yards but I will get irritated and even violent if they shoot projectiles of any kind near my family. Want to shoot me with a BB gun? No problem. I had a tooth shot out with one as a kid and I punched that kid so hard in the face his jaw had to be wired for three months. No one sued anyone. Though I should have because I keep having to get this stupid dental bridge replaced every ten years to the tune of $5K...

[azbackpackr]

Those pigeons are a non-native species. They should be eradicated.

Pigeon pie, pigeon kabobs, pigeon a la king, pigeon sausage, pigeon lasagne, pigeon stroganoff, pigeon spaghetti...

New restaurant idea! Low fat, high protein!

[Tough_Boots]

I'm more of a fan of the non-lethal methods. I'm the guy who put off removing the nest by my door and now there's babies in it I can't bring myself to get rid of it until they're gone. I hope they can fly before it gets much hotter and the chirping starts at 4am every morning. I'm also a skeptic about the spikes. You can get the metal ones that won't melt but judging from the ones that are up around my work, they seem to find ways of building nests in them and turn them into fortresses. You might try putting up a huge animatronic Santa Claus. Those scare the crap out of me so they might work with pigeons!

[azbackpackr]

you afraid of clowns, too?

[Tough_Boots]

only ones that move...

[tahosa]

Live trap them and then invite all of us over for ~squab roast!

[azbackpackr]

Oh, that's right, I had forgotten: call it "squab" and it euphemizes it into something almost edible! ;)

[pencak]

They make rainbird type impact sprinklers with motion detectors on them that would probably work for a back patio. BB guns work great but now-a-days you just can't use them anymore. When I was a kid back in the 70's my brother and I used to clean the wires behind our house and any of the neighbor's within range. We did it so much that the wouldn't land on our wires anymore. It was so effective that I went back to visit one of the neighbors about 5 years after we moved out and the pigeons still wouldn't land on the wires behind my old house. They landed two houses down out of range.

I've been considering some eradication measures on my roof. I already installed the wire spike strips in some roosting spots (don't use the plastic ones, pay more for the metal ones.) I was thinking of using one of those electric pulse fence wires along the top of my roof. I think you can get them in feed stores. You rig it up and it runs a pretty good pulse down the wire at intervals. It's not harmful to humans but it's a pretty good shock. I was considering this for the top of my roof line where they land.

I think you can get that rainbird with the motion detector at Harbor Freight tools.

BTW blow guns are totally illegal in California. I believe they are a felony to posses.

[azbackpackr]

Everything but pot is illegal in California. Go figger...

[kevinweitzel75]

Have to side with Squirrel on this one. Just contacted my buddy, Phoenix PD. And he confirmed that even shooting a bb gun inside city limits is illeagal. So I would suggest get some cats.

[Jeffshadows]

It looks like I have been delivered an additional ally in my own pigeon battle - we have a falcon flying around!