kangaroo/wildlife warning whistles on car

Submitted: Thursday, Dec 04, 2014 at 23:50
ThreadID: 110341 Views:9242 Replies:30 FollowUps:43
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does anybody know if the kangaroo warning items you put on your bumper REALLY WORK
thanks, melbourne magpies
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Reply By: Rob J8 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 00:16

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 00:16
G'day,
We have a bulbar on our Ranger as well as Shu Roo's and until I retired Nov 2013 we used to travel to our caravan rallies on a Friday night. We live in Busselton W A and most of our rallies were inland. I didn't see many roos but my wife could see roos just standing and listening and only occasionally a juvenile would venture in front of us.
I believe they work but like the Irish I have the bull bar, to be sure to be sure.
Regards
Rob J
AnswerID: 542563

Follow Up By: melbourne magpies - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 00:26

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 00:26
thanks Rob J,
are you sure the bull bar wasn't to protect you from leprechauns
cheers for info,
Anton
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Reply By: Member - Boobook - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 05:55

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 05:55
50% of the replies will be Yes, they definitely work.
50% of the replies will be No, they definitely do not work.
Another 50% will be I am not sure, but I put one on anyway and have never hit a Kangaroo.
Yet another 50% will be I am not sure but they fell off after a few years.
A further 50% will be no they don't work but the electronic ones do.
The next 50% will be I an't know, but at $10 it is worth doing it just in case.
Another 50% will be I am wondering this too, I will be watching this thread.
The last 90% will be totally off topic or a side argument.
( this post comes under the last category of course.)

Good luck trying to find out.

AnswerID: 542565

Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:07

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:07
Boobook - that reply should be in Friday funnies
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Follow Up By: Manfred b - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 17:38

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 17:38
440 percent, different...
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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:56

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:56
But 440% true.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 19:28

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 19:28
Booboo for Federal Treasurer,....... Yaaay!
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:43

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:43
It's a simple question .... which would you prefer to save you form Roo strike ?

This



or this?



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Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 09:58

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 09:58
Both + $5,~ whistle as well
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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 10:43

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 10:43
Free to waste your 10 bucks....

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

Behavioural observations of eastern grey kangaroos and red kangaroos in captivity showed that vigilance response did not differ significantly between Shu Roo on and off for either kangaroo species and they did not take flight in response to the Shu Roo. A survey conducted by phone enlisted 17 companies that participated in the road survey from four states, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. All participants traveled large distances. There were 58 treatment vehicles fitted with a Shu Roo and 40 control vehicles without the Shu Roo. Collision records showed that very few vehicles hit kangaroos and there was no difference in the number of kangaroos hit by vehicles fitted with or without a Shu Roo.

Conclusion
The promotional literature proclaiming the scientifically proven efficacy of this ultrasonic deterrence device, the Shu Roo, grossly exaggerates its capabilities. The results of the signal characteristics and behavioural responses generate four clear conclusions:
• The Shu Roo is not purely ultrasonic.
• The Shu Roo does not produce sound that is detectable at 400 m.
• The Shu Roo does not alter the behaviour of either eastern grey kangaroos or red kangaroos.
• The Shu Roo makes no difference to the number of kangaroos hit when fitted to vehicles.
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Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:01

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:01
ShooRoo is different product. I know it more than any body in this forum, I use to make the product from scratch about 25 years ago! Frankly to say I personally didn't believe in the product very much than as same as today.
I'm talking about the whistles, two small and the other two - bigger made in USA, and combine two of those worked for us.
HooRoo Dana
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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:09

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:09
Danna,

Similar research on Deer Whistles in the US.... look I'm not saying don't buy one if it makes you feel better, however the research clearly states the claims of effectiveness just don't stack up.

http://www.usroads.com/journals/rmj/9705/rm970503.htm

While manufacturers contend deer can hear the whistle up to a quarter mile away, no published research verifies the device's effectiveness. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety presented evidence refuting claims promoting the whistles:

Georgia's Game and Fish Department, for example, found that in hundreds of observations from vehicles equipped with deer whistles, deer didn't respond. Whistles on vehicles going 25-30 mph produced no ultrasonic sound, although some ultrasonic and lower frequencies were produced when the whistles were blown by mouth. According to wildlife biologists at the University of Georgia, neither deer nor humans can hear ultrasonic sound. Whistles blown by mouth near captive deer produce no response.

A University of Wisconsin study found that three types of whistle did produce low-pitched and ultrasonic sounds at speeds of 30 to 70 miles per hour; however, researchers were unable to verify that deer responded to the sounds, even at distances well below the distances from which manufacturers claim the whistles are heard. Moreover, deer would only be able to hear the whistles if there were a straight shot between the deer and the whistle. If curves, trees, or other obstacles came between the deer and the whistle, the device would be ineffective.

According to an article called "Blowing the Whistle on Deer Scare Devices" in the Mid-February 1993 Farm Journal, the Ohio State Police installed deer whistles on their patrol vehicles; however, they reported finding no significant decrease in collisions between patrol cars and deer. The same article indicated that a panel of the World Society for the Protection of Animals could find no data proving "that such a device can actually stop an animal crossing the road, which is the main purpose of the device." Finally, Washington State University researcher Leonard Askham felt the evidence tended to favor a conclusion that deer whistles do not work. "Even if the devices were effective," Askham warned, "they would soon become clogged with insects and dirt and stop working."
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Reply By: Iza B - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 06:07

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 06:07
I have worn red underpants for years and have never hit a kangaroo. Red underwear is cheaper and more practical. I do notice that the sellers of the serious roo repellers have never published any results of proper scientific research into effectiveness. I have spoken to many who have mounted the repellers/sonic whistles and have still wiped out their vehicles on roos that have ignored the warnings.

There is always the notion of - if you believe they work, then they probably do. If you do believe and happen to hit a roo, it will be because the roo was deaf. I have no idea of the number of deaf roos out there.

Iza
AnswerID: 542566

Follow Up By: AlbyNSW - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 08:07

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 08:07
I don't think that the ones hit were necessarily deaf but possibly just confused

They don't understand why we whistle to make a dog come to us and then whistle to make a Roo go away

Remember Sonny used to whistle skip with a gum leaf
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Follow Up By: Member - Boobook - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:21

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:21
Iza, some people would argue that Red underpants don't work because there is a small joey in the pouch.

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Follow Up By: Steve in Kakadu - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:59

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:59
I thought they only worked when you have a Hyclone fitted.
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Reply By: Steve - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 08:54

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 08:54
They possibly alert roos but still won't stop them hopping out in front of you. They have absolutely no road sense. They don't think: "aaah, motor car - better stay on this side of the road" but "hmmm, danger, better get back with the family on the other side of that strip of black ground".

For the record, I have only ever hit one and I had a shoo roo on. That was a previous vehicle and I've never bothered since.
AnswerID: 542570

Follow Up By: Member - eighty matey - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 20:20

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 20:20
I've been putting these on the bulbar for a few years.

They don't cost much but I believe they do alert roos that are feeding on the side of the road.
I've seen other animals and birds show signs of hearing something too.

The only roos I've hit have been ones that have belting out of the bush and I would have hit them no matter what.

Try them. They are cheap and won't damage your vehicle.

Steve (another one)
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Reply By: Member - mark D18 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:04

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:04
Just a another marketing ploy I would think. !!!

Cheers
AnswerID: 542571

Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:35

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:35
But you never tried them so, you assume .....
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Follow Up By: Member - mark D18 - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 12:58

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 12:58
There are some gullible people out there Danna ( maybe you are one )

Cheers
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Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:20

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:20
You don't have to believe it. But you do not insult others!
I just pointed out that this thread is about physically having devices and if they work or not!
HooRoo Dana
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Follow Up By: Member - mark D18 - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 17:59

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 17:59
Yep fair enough
apology given .

hooroo
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Reply By: Erad - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:21

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:21
They are not kangaroo warning items - they are elephant deterrents. I haven't seen an elephant on the roads since I fitted mine. Technically speaking, they may be ultrasonic - we cannot hear of they produce noise or not - but I seriously doubt that the volume they produce would be enough to penetrate very far ahead of a moving vehicle. Even the electronic ShooRoo probably won't do much either. Attenuation of high frequency noise is fairly high and unless the background noise is low, I doubt that even the ShooRoo would be of much benefit. By the time the animal was alerted, you would be on top of it.

Has anyone done research on hybrid vehicles and animal impacts? Human impact for that matter? The hybrid cars are very quiet. I used to have a Cortina which had a loud timing chain rattle. I never saw wildlife, even though I did a lot of bush driving. Then I bought a Triumph 2000, and hit a total of 15 kangaroos over a period of 7 years. Only one of them was a serious hit, but that alerted me to the noise factor. Now I have a noisy diesel Pajero. And a bullbar. Hopefully they will hear me and get well away from the road before I get there.
AnswerID: 542577

Reply By: Member - Tony H (touring oz) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:28

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:28
Reminds me of a story I heard once......
A little old Indian lady is travelling on the Indian-Pacific railway across the Nullabor, throwing handfuls of rice out the train window, a bemused traveller asks why she is doing this ..... she said to keep the elephants away ..... ELEPHANTS he said, there are no elephants here ........ yes I know she said 'it works doesnt it'
AnswerID: 542578

Reply By: Batt's - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:53

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 09:53
It's just luck of the draw whether one runs in front of you or not getting a bull bar is the best option to help protect the front of your car and it's radiator. It has nothing to do with how loud your actual car is I have had roos jump out in front of me while driving a haul truck on a mine site and their louder than any vehicle you'll find on the road.
AnswerID: 542582

Follow Up By: Member - ken m4 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 15:47

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 15:47
Those Roos probably hadn't paid attention during the mine induction
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Follow Up By: Batt's - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 22:19

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 22:19
Yep maybe a hard hat & safety glasses might have helped. At least they don't suffer because there's not such thing as a minor injury when 400 ton pounds them into the ground.
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Reply By: brushmarx - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:01

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:01
I looked into this a few years ago, and the best information I received was that they do not scare animals or stop wildlife from jumping in front of the vehicle. All they do is give the animals prior warning that something is making a noise and this alerts them. That way a roo grazing on the roadside won't be suddenly startled and it improves the chance it won't jump in panic.
I had two on my vehicle for years and did not hit any roos. Around 2 years ago the right side one fell off. Since then I have had no close encounters with roos on the left side, but it must be built into the design that if one falls off the other one works better, because I have had no close encounteres on the right side either.
If they are designed to give a warning to prevent startling animals I think they work, but a noisy exhaust could do the same thing.
Research into the number of Harley's hitting roos compared to Honda's may be worth a few hundred thousand in government grants to prove this.
AnswerID: 542585

Follow Up By: get outmore - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:26

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:26
as the guy with the haul truck said - noise has little to do with kangaroos

growing up in the country roo shooting was a major past time
alot of the vehicles we used had straight through exausts
the noise of the vehicle made no noticible difference on the roos.

one thing that did however was a very loud horn

if you were racing a roo to cut it off from a fencline or bush line laying on the horn could often make them double back into the padock

this is why i tell people only honk your horn at an animal you want to hit
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Follow Up By: Ron N - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:24

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:24
Whistling works on roos. We used to whistle to make them stand up and look in our direction when roo-shooting.

The best roo-avoidance technique I have found, when a roo is standing on the road, is to aim at them.
You can be sure the roo won't be on that spot when you reach it, because they will most certainly jump off in some direction.

Roos on the move will generally keep going in that direction about 75% of the time. It's the 25% that fool you, as they change direction and hop straight into your vehicle.

What doesn't work is trying to figure out the direction the roo will go - because they never think about that, they just hop off in any direction - and that can be the exact same direction you didn't expect them to go.

In other words, a roo facing or hopping East will immediately reverse direction with no reason, and start going West - just as you figured it was going East.

Shoo-roo's and other devices only attract animals attention by the noise they make.
They don't make them specifically avoid your vehicle, they just startle them into some kind of reaction.

Most vehicles make a lot of noise travelling at hwy speeds, but if the wind is blowing strongly from the animal towards you, then there's a chance they won't hear you until you're relatively close, and they then get startled.
Then there's the animals that have to have a think about what to do when they're surprised. After a little think, they decide the time is right to hop in front of your vehicle.

Best tip: If you spot a roo or other animal, back off the loud pedal, keep your foot on the brake pedal, and be prepared to pull up sharply in a straight line if a big animal collision appears highly likely.
Don't swerve around animals at high speed unless you want to end up rolling your vehicle over.
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Reply By: Gramps - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:57

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 10:57
My $4 Shoo Roos (or whatever) worked fine for 10 years, then they did'nt. Two roos in less than 24hrs :)

AnswerID: 542588

Follow Up By: Member - Munji - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 15:57

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 15:57
Are suggesting they may have an expiry date?
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Follow Up By: Gramps - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 16:02

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 16:02
Bugga me, never thought to check the use by date :).

You could be on to something there Munji. Guess I'll have to invest another $4 (+ inflation) and conduct another non-scientific test.
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Reply By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:14

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:14
A thesis submitted in 2005 to the University of Melbourne by Helena Bender contained the following.................

"The high frequency signals produced by the Roo Guard and the Shu Roo, are artificial sounds at frequencies to which kangaroos are less sensitive. Captive trials with eastern grey and red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) found no change in vigilance level in response to the Roo Guard or Shu Roo............
.........Field trials with the Shu Roo did not result in a reduction in the rate of kangaroo-vehicle collisions, suggesting that artificial sounds that use high or ultrasonic frequencies are not effective for deterring kangaroos."

The complete thesis may be read here.

Ms Bender also said...... "In contrast, a biologically-significant signal, the foot thump given by eastern grey kangaroos had a signal frequency below 7 kHz, which is within the more sensitive hearing range of the species. ....... Playbacks of the foot thump increased vigilance levels significantly, and resulted in flight."
.......So maybe what is required is a speaker on the vehicle playing 'foot thumps' ? lol

Cheers
Allan

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AnswerID: 542590

Follow Up By: rocco2010 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:29

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:29
Allan

Somebody did a thesis? Science is a wonderful thing.

You obviously are well resourced. Can you find me a thesis on the Hiclone fuel thingy?

Cheers



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Follow Up By: Ron N - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:30

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:30
Allan - Oh, man! What a market opening you've made for me!!

Roll up, ladies and gennelman!! Get your roo-repelling, "kangaroo foot thump" audio CD's right here!!
Only $99.95! - and we'll throw in a set of free steak knives as well!!

Turn up your ghetto blaster or your 300W car sound system, and just watch those roos flee!!

Save thousands in crash repair costs in the first month alone!! LOL

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:50

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:50
Hey Rocco, You wanted a Hiclone thesis?

Here you go.....................

Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: rocco2010 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:57

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:57
Allan

I knew you could do it!

Cheers
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Reply By: pop2jocem - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:37

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:37
Not sure if it would work with 'roos and I certainly ain't about to try it. (;=0)

We were at a get together a couple of days ago when a bloke was telling us about how he liked to get a few k's under the tyres when heading out on a long distance trip. Apparently he drives well into the night and starts out the next morning well before sunup.
Being the nosey type I asked him if he was at all worried about hitting animals wandering around at dawn and dusk or during the hours of darkness.
His solution to the possibility was that if he spotted 'roos, cows or anything else at the road side is to turn off his headlights. Yep, turn off the headlights.
Seems his theory is this. Say a cow is on the shoulder of the road they get frightened by the shadows they cast from your headlights and try to run towards the lighted road surface.
So if anyone else is game to try it, let me know how you went. (;=))

The thought did occur to me that he just might be having a lend but I am pretty sure he was dinkum.

Cheers
Pop
AnswerID: 542592

Follow Up By: Ron N - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:48

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:48
Pop - Yep, driving into pitch blackness at 110kmh will work, for sure!

You just won't even see what you hit! LOL

I can remember the old HQ Holdens had a multiple-bayonet firewall connector in the main wiring harness.
One half of the connector was on the engine side of the firewall and the other half was on the cabin side.
The halves were held together by a large single central bolt.

The connector was supposed to be fully sealed - but the sealant missed a full seal, on more than one HQ build.
If you were working in flood conditions, water and dirt would enter the connector and corrode the bayonets.

Of course, both high and low beam were amongst the bayonet connectors, and if either of these bayonets corroded, look out!

I can vividly recall hammering along a country hwy late at night, at warp speed, and having a car come the other way.
I dipped my lights, the other car zoomed past, and I kicked the dipswitch back onto high beam - and Holy Moly!! Everything went black!!

I can tell you this much - nothing gets the adrenalin pumping like barrelling into sudden pitch blackness at warp speed with no lights!!

I hung on the anchors and kicked the dipswitch again in desperation, and low beam came back on, much to my relief!

A little experimentation found that high beam had stopped working, as it wouldn't come on when the dipswitch was kicked, so I drove home (very cautiously) on low beam.

Next, some multimeter work found the power wasn't getting through the firewall connector, so it was pulled apart - only to find some badly corroded bayonet connectors - with high beam connector the worst affected!

Some cleanup with a little weak acid treatment soon fixed the problem - but I was always wary of those HQ's from then on!

The later Holdens (from the HJ or HX from memory) dispensed with the connector and the wiring was one-piece all the way through, thus eliminating the problem.

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: The Bantam - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:38

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:38
Quite some years ago I sold a few of the plastic whistles when they firts came to market from the US and I have a pretty strong background in audio.

The electronic devices simply cant produce enough SPL to get any effective range.....I know the piezo tweeters used in the products they simply are not powerfull enough..even if the idea worked in principle.
There are other issues with the product that I won't bother to discuss.

On the doubtfull premiss that the idea works in principle, the electronic devices are a large investment to outlay.


The little plastic whistles.
YEH well......at least they are not limited by the power of the electronics......it is fesable that powered by airflow they may be capable of producing enough SPL to get over the background noise.

For the $5 or $10 and the ease of fitting.......hell its a more viable punt.

I think the notion that they scare the animals away is a false one......I ran a pair of these on the fromt of one of my vehicles and drove past many animals, ranging from family cats thru to cattle.......not one critter seemed to be in the slightest peturbed.

It may be that these whistles attarct the attention of the animal...and may be the noise is unpleasant.......but how the hell do you prove it.

As has been mentioned.....kangaroos are very unpredictable animals.....who knows what they are thinking if at all.

I have an idea for something that would far more effective
Fit a large picture of peter garret on the front off the bullbar......most people think he is scary...perhaps skippy will too.

cheers
AnswerID: 542594

Reply By: Crusier 91 - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 12:10

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 12:10
They don't work!

Try installing a outdoor speaker to the front of the vehicle and play recorded gun shots every few minutes :) it works :)..................but is it practical?..............
AnswerID: 542596

Follow Up By: Ron N - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 19:30

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 19:30
Crusier - With my style of luck, I'd forget to turn it off - and a recorded gun shot would go off, just as a traffic patrolman pulled me up and stepped out of his car!! The end result doesn't bear thinking about!! [:-(
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Reply By: Tuco - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 13:10

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 13:10
Another product sold by the snake oil merchants.
No scientific proof or tests provided to substantiate their claim.

Sounds like another Hi-Clone !!
AnswerID: 542599

Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:32

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:32
Hi,
no offense, but have you ever tried them?, if not, how can you tell ??
We didn’t believe it either, but now we have seen how they worked and for no more than $20,~ ….. we happy with purchase.
Hooroo
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Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 09:32

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 09:32
Yes Tuco, If Ms Bender could perform scientific tests to validate her thesis (see my Reply above) that the makers and promoters of these products would do similar tests to support their marketing.
Cheers
Allan

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Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Monday, Dec 08, 2014 at 20:56

Monday, Dec 08, 2014 at 20:56
Danna, no offense, but how can you prove they do work??? How have you seen this?
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Reply By: Flighty ( WA ) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:00

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:00
Ever taken any notice of roadside signs ? "kangaroos next 10 kms"
Surprising how they know they have the next 10 k to jump out in front of you.
Maybe they can read, so just put up a sign on the front of your car!!
who knows ?
cheers
Flighty

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AnswerID: 542600

Reply By: Krooznalong - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:23

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 14:23
Given the way my windscreen is usually covered in bugs I imagine that, even if they did do anything in the first place, the little plastic thingys would fairly quickly be clogged up and totally useless. When in known roo territory (the dead ones on the roadside give it away) slow down a bit and keep your eyes open - cheaper and more effective.
AnswerID: 542603

Reply By: BunderDog - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 17:39

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 17:39
Not quite Roos but here is a very true story from a Lettuce farm I am associated with.

We produce a lot of the cut lettuce, rocket, spinach, chard and Kale for Woolworths and on two occasions this year a mouse ended up in the salad........don't worry it was found in the washing packaging stage. We catch nearly 100% of the mice at harvest, But Woolworths weren't happy and we had to place an addition observer on the harvesting machines and also install the Ultrasonic Shu Roos to all eight of the harvesters to meet Woolies demands. So we did a bulk buy at $400 each and installed them............it made no difference but did give a couple of workers severe headaches.
AnswerID: 542612

Reply By: SDG - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:13

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:13
A couple of years back, some Animal Libs were telling me they were trying to get these things banned.
Their studies showed that it did not scare off the animal, it made them stop and look. Therefore if the roo was already on the road, you with your whistle made it stop, thus hitting it. You end up being a murderer, which they were already having a go at me for because I was wearing a leather jacket.

The um, pleasant person, was not very happy when I told him what his Akubra was made out of....

AnswerID: 542617

Reply By: Member - Fab72 (Paradise SA) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:39

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 18:39
I think that for $10 it's probably the cheapest false sense of security you could buy.
Fab.
AnswerID: 542619

Reply By: Member - bungarra (WA) - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 20:04

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 20:04
To put it bluntly

The answer will never really be known.....as all the serious and less serious replies have shown to date

My wife has a Shoo Roo on her car and swears the animals are more aware of her approach at an earlier distance than prior to fitment............

We live in the country and the damn things graze our front lawn at night ( I quite like that)...and we have some 20 km's of 'roo country to get out and back to the farm each time...so I am posting with some experience.

At least if they prick up their ears and sit upright (as they are prone to do) you have a better chance of seeing them earlier...than if the big old grey continues to remain hunched down munching grass on the side of the road with his back to you...damn near invisible like that

Have shot 'roos professionally for years and yes the whistle & horn thing works as described by others

I reckon the main thing is that if the device alerts them into some form of movement (such as sitting up and working out the noise) then you may have a better chance of seeing the "invisible" ones

Either way it is still in the lap of the gods if you react in time and slow down...if they sit still 'cause its too late for you to stop and you "slide past"....or if they hop away...some do some don't

Not a big investment but you will never a definitive answer ...but you will from my wife
Life is a journey, it is not how we fall down, it is how we get up.
VKS 1341

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AnswerID: 542622

Reply By: Batt's - Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 22:33

Friday, Dec 05, 2014 at 22:33
So whenever someone does come up with a legitimate way of deterring roos from crossing your path all you have to worry about then is wombats, eagles, cattle, horses, camels and pedestrians oh sorry I ment anti bull bar protesters.
AnswerID: 542624

Follow Up By: Tuco - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:50

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:50
... you forgot ol' man emu ... LOL

Have a nice day.
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FollowupID: 829033

Reply By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:06

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 08:06
Hi
They definitely work for us. We have had really great fun watching roos running and falling over them self’s since we put on front bulbar pairs of small and large (American - that can be easy taken off and put on) whistles.
Cheers Dana
AnswerID: 542626

Follow Up By: Ron N - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 13:57

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 13:57
American whistles?? So that's the secret?? I didn't even know that they had Kangaroos in the U.S.!!
Or is it just the loudness, or the accent in the whistle, that drives everything away?? [;-)
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FollowupID: 829052

Follow Up By: Danna - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:13

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:13
Yes, American, they are made for deer, doe and other large animals.
Ours worked even on roos.
You don't have to believe it. People didn't believed that planet Earth is round either.
HooRoo Dana
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FollowupID: 829058

Follow Up By: Ron N - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:56

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 15:56
Oh, deer! Look at this wiki page for opinions on whether deer horns work!

Deer horns
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FollowupID: 829062

Follow Up By: TomH - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 16:12

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 16:12
Like taking a placebo for a medical problem. If you believe it will work it will.

Not everyone will subscribe to that theory though.

Wikipedia says they dont work Thats good enough for me ROFLMAO

They must work though as I had a set for two years and never hit a roo. But then they fell off and for the next two years I never hit a roo either.

So on that theory they work at least 50% of the time LOL
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FollowupID: 829063

Reply By: allein m - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 11:05

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 11:05
we often go to Adelaide from Broken Hill and what I like about the plastic shoo things is the noise it makes

I have found out so many roos sit on the road side dead still and you wonder at night is it a roo or a bush and next thing you see ears moving and that may that is because of the whistling noise from the shoo roo I do not know


they are cheap as chips to buy so it helps in any way why not you probabley spend more in drinking coffee at the road houses trying to keep awake.

so it may not stop them but lets me know where they are

the only way to stop hitting roos is do not drive

a good set of spot lights and drive according to the conditions
AnswerID: 542628

Reply By: Bazooka - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 17:18

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 17:18
I'm hanging out until someone combines a shoo roo with a hiclone and the late Peter Perfect's energy polariser. Perhaps Firepower got it wrong woth their miraculous fuel pill. If they had marketed it as a contraceptive for roos they might have done better .
AnswerID: 542635

Follow Up By: Ron N - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 19:12

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 19:12
I was under the impression the Firepower bloke did pretty well out of his scam. He's reputed to have socked away at least $38M and he doesn't have to pay anything back, and he isn't going to be charged with anything. That's what anybody would call a winner, in all the shonky deals that have surfaced in recent decades. [:-)
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FollowupID: 829080

Follow Up By: Member - Scott M (NSW) - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 20:37

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 20:37
Bazooka, you forgot the static electricity discharge and the sonic mozzie deterrent .... include those and I'd buy one......
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FollowupID: 829087

Follow Up By: Bazooka - Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 09:51

Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 09:51
But wait, there's more......

Make it portable and add a sonic snake repeller and I'm in Scott.
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FollowupID: 829113

Follow Up By: Allan B (Member, SunCoast) - Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 09:59

Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 09:59
But Bazooka, snakes don't hear....... they feel ground vibrations.
So you will need the optional foot-thumper attachment.
Cheers
Allan

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FollowupID: 829114

Follow Up By: Bazooka - Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 10:12

Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 10:12
It's Sunday morning Allan. Snake vibrator just didn't seem appropriate.

2
FollowupID: 829115

Reply By: Capt. Wrongway - Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 20:09

Saturday, Dec 06, 2014 at 20:09
My luck, I'd hit a death bugger!

Capt.
AnswerID: 542642

Reply By: disco driver - Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 12:24

Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 12:24
Some people swear by them, others swear at them.



A bit like Landrovers
AnswerID: 542672

Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 17:27

Sunday, Dec 07, 2014 at 17:27
They work - but are not 100% effective.
Life's great and it just keeps getting better

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AnswerID: 542681

Reply By: Member - Gary R M (VIC) - Monday, Dec 08, 2014 at 20:13

Monday, Dec 08, 2014 at 20:13
G'day Melbourne Magpie, all I can say in relation to these gismos it that I've lived in various rural regions of Vic for 40 years and the only roo's I've hit have been in vehicles that weren't fitted with shoo roos, but then again I've never hit an elephant either so they must work on them too.

Having said that I'll continue to fit them to my own vehicles just in case.

Cheers, Gary M.
Gary M

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AnswerID: 542724

Reply By: MAVERICK(WA) - Tuesday, Dec 09, 2014 at 01:57

Tuesday, Dec 09, 2014 at 01:57
of course they work - whoever dreamed them up has made heaps of $.....must have grown up listening to the HT grille and thought there must be a way to make money out of this sort of noise.....just make it so no-one can hear it and it must work......same as getting $10m in gold bullion from an ancient relative from Nigeria.....or having your auras aligned using magnets and the flight path of seagulls....just send money and you also join the list of the scammed.
Slow down and relax......

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AnswerID: 542730

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