Kangaroos on airstrip problem.

[Teckair]

I have serious problem with kangaroos on airstrips, does anybody have a suggestion on how to get rid of them? I rang the Shu Roo people who told me their product does not work on aircraft.

 

 

[rdarby]

We have them at TCAB. The only problem I have is when they stand next to the runway and snigger when I land. I swear they are judging me. But they generally stay off the runway but sometimes are sitting under the wings of planes to stay out of the sun. Sorry I can't help with an actual product. Can you fence it?

 

 

[rankamateur]

there are a few solutions!

 

.223 .243 etc etc etc...

 

 

[Kyle Communications]

yeah I was going to say .22 or similar....gee might have to bring my new PWS T3 over to your place Richard to sight it in...not many roos around my place. below is what I have also the adjustable scope...the silencer would be nice though :)

 

 

 

[AVOCET]

Ive got heapes all year , they are dangerous in the morning & evening ,

 

I buz the strip before landing , and taxiing tends to scare them off ,

 

They are unpredictable and any council owned strip should be fenced .

 

Emus are just as bad .

 

Ive had to call the wife at times to drive up the strip and scareum off .

 

 

[Teckair]

Can you fence it?

It is fenced but not for kangaroos.

 

 

[Teckair]

there are a few solutions! .223 .243 etc etc etc...

Yeah I was expecting this one I do have the fire power but did not want go that way. The Childers strip has become an issue as well.

 

 

[rankamateur]

You don't want a fence too good or they can't get away. Would make culling them easier though

 

 

[cooperplace]

I have serious problem with kangaroos on airstrips, does anybody have a suggestion on how to get rid of them? I rang the Shu Roo people who told me their product does not work on aircraft.

shu roo does not work on cars or trucks either

 

 

[turboplanner]

It is fenced but not for kangaroos.

I almost gave you a funny for that one.

 

Therein lies your problem. Check with Waratah for the fence specification for 100% roo resistance - about 3 metre high ringlock I think it is.

 

Anything else is dangerous because of what some of the others have noticed - Kangaroos and Emus are not herdable, both will stress and if they do, are totally unpredictable.

 

Some will vacate the strip, some will sit quite safely, but 1 in 100 will panic.

 

I've had one leap out from safety across the front of my car doing 40 km/hr, and take out a headlight with his tail, and one, in a mob of ten who sat still while I drove through them came charging blindly in at a 45 degree angle and slammed into the side of the 4WD in full flight, when I was doing about 10 km/hr. I got out expecting to see the side caved in but he'd hit the rear wheel, apparently with his body because he was nowhere to be seen.

 

When considering a full fence there's the issue of the unexpected fence height to consider each end of course.

 

 

[Cosmick]

They are there for the grass, you would have to get rid of the grass or fence them out. A couple of low passes will help but hope you don't have an engine issue.

 

 

[Teckair]

Does anyone know if the little plastic whistles work?

 

 

[jetjr]

Yep, they dont

 

There is a Weston fence system which is electric and supposed to work for roos - not that expensive compared to others

 

Have hit a roo on take off in a Cherokee six, bent it a little.

 

 

[AVOCET]

No

 

Does anyone know if the little plastic whistles work?

[dlegg]

Put a set of air horns on your plane, see how high they can jump then...

 

 

[SDQDI]

we have them out at the inlaws and seems to me the safest way is the low pass down one side of the strip/road/patch with the siren on then a circuit in the opposite direction to which the roos go and be prepared to repeat as needed. DONT watch the ones hopping in front of you watch the ones coming in from the trees/scrub that you don't see till they are rubbing your wingtips.

 

 

[AVOCET]

I

 

Put a set of air horns on your plane, see how high they can jump then...

i recon that the horn is the only option unless you can afford 3 mtr high fence .

Now lets do the math , 2 x 1200 , cross strip 2x500 mtr plus 3 ends at 40 mtrs

 

3.5 kls aprox = $........... ? Plus erection .

 

 

[solowflyer]

Is a major problem to me working off farm ag strips. Have hit a few luckily no damage to plane roo was not so lucky hitting him with landing gear. Best way to try keep them at bay is to keep the grass mowed. A blip on the throttle usually sends them hopping as well

 

 

[Dafydd Llewellyn]

we have them out at the inlaws and seems to me the safest way is the low pass down one side of the strip/road/patch with the siren on then a circuit in the opposite direction to which the roos go and be prepared to repeat as needed. DONT watch the ones hopping in front of you watch the ones coming in from the trees/scrub that you don't see till they are rubbing your wingtips.

We don't often get 'roos - occasionally an Eastern grey if the drought is bad; but there are about 30 or so wallabies living here and they just LOVE the closely-mown grass on the airstrip. You really would not want to come in here close to last light. Backtracking for takeoff sent them packing with the PA28, but don't waste time in turning and runup, or they'll be back. Similarly with a low pass; you need to pass downwind, then turn back & land without undue delay; a full circuit is too slow unless it's a very tight one. I agree two passes are prudent to scare off the ones that were not actually on the strip for the first pass. Dunno about horns or sirens; however a Rotax 582 is probably a fair approximation to a siren.

 

 

[kgwilson]

They generally won't turn up if there is NO grass. i.e all bitumen or hard clay. Mowing close is an attractant as they like the new growth. It is tender and sweet. We have tried all sorts of things but keeping a good lookout & making lots of noise, buzzing the strip & having a large area either side of the strip clear so they can be detected are all good things to do. Fences don't seem to work unless they are huge and you have huge deep pockets. If all that fails go to NZ or Antarctica. There are none there.

 

 

[solowflyer]

Would rather see them on the short grass than hiding in the long stuff.

 

 

[Camel]

Here is the technical stuff.

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20100821175414/http://www.bees.unsw.edu.au/school/researchstaff/ramp/shuroofinal.pdf

 

I worked many years night shift travelling to work on roads where eastern grey roos were everywhere, never hit one and for what it's worth I used the cheap plastic stick on deer alerts available at car accessory shops, they were a couple of dollars, I believe they work, I won't argue their worth as I may have just been lucky but I'm talking many years, 35 km to work, kangaroos always visible and able to travel at a reasonable pace. I would use the cheap stick on wind whistle without hesitation. The Shoo Roo and the deer electronic device I probably wouldn't bother with.

 

Be easy to stick a few under the fuse, they did fall off every now an then.

 

 

[Cosmick]

Related topic - I have a theory about how Kangaroo's react to vehicles. When I see Roo's I maintain or reduce speed slowly, they don't seem to pay much notice. When a vehicle reduces speed quickly reducing pitch of engine Roo's are more likely to panic and dart everywhere. If your in the old 4wd and try to hit them with the raising pitch of the engine you can never get them unlike going to town in the Merc they seem attracted to the Bumper. The harder you try to miss them the more chance you have of hitting them.

 

Not 100% but others may have had similar experiences.

 

 

[AVOCET]

We ve learnt. , buy experience , that the only way to not hit roos in the sticks is to drive slowly when there about 80ks max 60 on dirt , havent hit one since .

 

Doesnt help on the runway though .!

 

 

[turboplanner]

For you two from post #10 - one, in a mob of ten who sat still while I drove through them came charging blindly in at a 45 degree angle and slammed into the side of the 4WD in full flight, when I was doing about 10 km/hr. I got out expecting to see the side caved in but he'd hit the rear wheel, apparently with his body because he was nowhere to be seen.

 

And that's after years of outback travel; and stock experience - unpredictable.