Steve L replied:

Peter,

My brother gave me a set of these for Christmas a few years ago. Since then, I have had a couple of close calls with kangaroos, including one that refused to get off the road and just hopped straight along in front of me. As far as I'm concerned, I don't think they work!! From all my readings on this subject, I seriously doubt that even the Shu-Roo type expensive electronic units work either.

Regards,
Steve

Truckster replied:

ShuRoos from what Ive heard arent worth 1/3rd of a Hiclone! Which in turn is worth 1/2309847237492834792834928347 of a drop of Mozzie poo.

Driving along with a whistle blasting all the time??? wouldnt it drive you nuts?

I hated it when you heard a old HQ coming up the road whistling from air passing the ariel or what ever it was..... And I wasnt in the car!


YMMV

Member - Nigel replied:

I used to have a 970cc Suzuki Sierra that whistled horridly above 85 km/h. Roos wouldn't come near it. I drove from Miles to Rocky (left miles at sunset) and never saw a live roo. Dead ones where everywhere.

I use the $8 plastic whistle things now and the roos seem to hear them (ie they look up earlier than they used to if I'm doing more than 80 km/h) but they don't always run away.

voxson replied:

They work great. Best things i have ever bought.

I put them onto the bullbar Saturday 30th Nov and havent hit a roo yet.

Thumbs up Tim Shaw, but wait,. theres more....................

Axel + Karen replied:

Peter,,there are always the doubting thomases loaded with sarcasm,for $5.00 / $8.00 a cheap and effective piece of insurance,, Works on the same principle as silent dog whistle,,pitch is to high for the human ear but annoys the cr-p out of most animals ,,have used on all our vehicles including motorcycles and can say that have never come close to hitting a roo. Karen.

Member - Bernard replied:

Peter,

We have used the larger size "Hopper Stoppers" on three vehicles over the last five years.
They're certainly not a guarantee preventative against hitting a roo, emu, wombat, pig or sheep etc. BUT ... if the animals are on the road ahead, or can be seen ahead, they certainly do look up and generally get out of the way. But the alarm/whistles will not prevent or deter animals from running out immediately in front of you.
However, in five years we haven't collected any roos or similar animal strikes ... and they must be good because we haven't hit any elephnts either!

ken d replied:

Peter
I haven't used them, however have driven countless thousands of kilometers in areas that are thick with roos at night .
The way I see it if the roos are grazing on the side of the road where the good grass is ( especially in these dry times), as long as they stay where they are, all is well.
It's the ones that get on the move that are the problem, they get confused and head in any which direction, including on to the road.
Whilst cycle touring at night in these areas that scenario was reinforced.
I charge up a light set with a small solar panel so I could put in a few hours aftrer dark.
The bike startled the roos, maybe because they had time to check it out due to the slow speed. (or maybe it was the smell after a few days without a wash.)
Anyway they bounced confused all over the place, towards me just as much as away.
Further to this if while driving I see a roo take off into the bush I slow down because others will follow in the same direction, including roos from the oposite side of the road.
Therefore I fail to see how alerting a mob of kangaroos particularly if they are on both sides of the road can help.
Maybe others can try and set me straight.
I believe the best defence is vigilance and common sence, if you see one on the move there will be others, and if the numbers are heavy, stop put your head down and wait till daylight.

Cheers
Ken

Mike replied:

Peter, I have a set on my Vehicle, and I am working on the principal that if I don't hit anything they work, if I do hit something they don't. and only costing $3.50 at Marlows what have I got to loose.

ken d replied:

Hi Janset

Skippy came when you whislted. Maybe a Shoo Roo device got him clobbered, hence no more TV show.
I supposed we will have to wait for the, probing, behide the scenes TV expose on Skippy to find out the answers to this and other Skippy questions.
Maybe it wasn't the Shoo Roo.
Perhaps after an affair with a co-star and a battle with drugs and alcohol he, or is it is she, is living secretly as a Hollywood recluse.

Ken

ken d replied:

Whats that Skip?
A car whisling along with a gum leaf on the front calling out to you.
Sonney, I think we'd better investigate.

Ken

Truckster replied:

Someone said as long as they stay where they are its all fine and Cream buns.

but they dont....

we had one coming back to sydney from phillip island, we were coming into Yass, and one jumped straight out infront of us, (I was passanger asleep in my car at this point)... Bob hit the picks, I woke up eyes about 400 foot round.... all I could see was a roo.. It has jumped PAST the car from drivers side to clear the passangers side, then TURNED !!! Straight into the bullbar, down the guard, door, mirror, tray etc... $4000 damage later..... AND I WASNT DRIVING!!!!!!!

So just remember they are solid..
Talking of solid though, Mates sister hit a Wombat back in the 70/80's... ripped the diff out of her Gemini....

Member - James replied:

Peter, maybe they work and maybe they don't, but for 5, 8 or 10 bucks o (dollars that is), I am prepared to take the chance and assume that they do work. I have used them for years, seen plenty of Roos but (touch wood) haven't come real close to hitting one since fitting the devices about 10 years ago. Prior to that I had had 2 strikes, fortunately without serious damage.

I can't say whether they or do not work, but like I said, $10 isn't a hell of a lot to outlay just in case.

Rosco replied:

Been using the $4 whistles for years now and have not hit a roo yet (touch wood). Came close on the way to Tom Price, WA once though with skippy standing in the middle of the road and would not move. Closer inspection revealed a tag around it's neck "Hearing Impaired, Be Considerate".

Rosco

PETER replied:

thanks gang about the best read i have had for a long time . will buy one just for the hell of it - thanks again regards peter

Savvas replied:

One more for the road...

I saw a six of these whistles on the leading edge of a "riced" Mitsubishi Mirage bonnet, at Brighton in Sydney. Must make the car jet like or something!

Might also be to scare away the pedestrians that don't hear the thumping from the stereo that has more kW than the motor.

brian replied:

Hello everyone, I have mixed results with mine,coming back from lightning ridge recently i collected an emu on lhs knocked off the whistle on lhs,seems the whistle on rhs worked but lhs not working i guess 50% success.

Nifty,, replied:

We had a Shoo Roo on an office car based out of Canberra and it worked very well, you only had to turn it on during the day to test its effectiveness. Kangaroos ran 'away' all the time, it was amazing to see just how many roos were by the side of the road that could'nt be seen otherwise.