OT: How do you keep doves off your deck?

[87Xfer]

So I've got a Russian dove (or doves) that has suddenly decided that my deck railing outside my kitchen and dining room is his favorite place to hang out. And crap. Dove crap is pretty substantial, and disgusting. Think goose poop, I've been shooing them away every time I see them, but it / they are still managing to dump on my railing at least a couple times a day.

Is there a humane way to keep these things away from my deck without drastic measures like installing those bird spikes? I've seen ultrasonic bird repellers, but the spot in question is only about 50ft from my neighbors' bird feeders, so that would be sort of a dick move. Anyone else had a similar problem?

 

[8893]

@Dove

 

[StllH8L8ner]

@WhereistheDove?

 

[Rico444]

My high school had a fake owl or hawk(? Some kind of bird of prey) on a spike at the top of our press box to keep seagulls off the field. Maybe that will work?

 

[formerlurker]

My high school had a fake owl or hawk(? Some kind of bird of prey) on a spike at the top of our press box to keep seagulls off the field. Maybe that will work?

I was just about to say buy a fake owl. It worked for me when I had a similar problem.

 

[87Xfer]

My high school had a fake owl or hawk(? Some kind of bird of prey) on a spike at the top of our press box to keep seagulls off the field. Maybe that will work?

I'm thinking about that, but not sure how that would look given the neighbor birdhouse location. I'll have to do some more research on the fake owl things.

 

[Hoophound]

My high school had a fake owl or hawk(? Some kind of bird of prey) on a spike at the top of our press box to keep seagulls off the field. Maybe that will work?

I think they used to work. Not anymore. I have birds nesting right next to my owl every year on our front entry rafters in Vermont. Last summer we had like 4 nests within 6 feet of the owl. What a mess when I arrived for vacation.

 

[Deepster]

BB Gun. It's a high end pigeon.

 

[formerlurker]

I think they used to work. Not anymore. I have birds nesting right next to my owl every year on our front entry rafters in Vermont. Last summer we had like 4 nests within 6 feet of the owl. What a mess when I arrived for vacation.

You might be right, this article doesn't give a glowing review of them. I may have just gotten lucky, plus I have plenty of real birds of prey roaming around so that may have solved my problem too.

How Does A Fake Owl Work To Scare Birds Away? - Sciencing

Fake, molded plastic "decoy" owls are a popular way of deterring common pest species of bird, such as woodpeckers and pigeons. According to the New York Times, fake owls are even used to deter birds near airport runways. Decoy owls work, at least temporarily, because owls prey on many species of...

sciencing.com

 

[WhereistheDove?]

BB Gun. It's a high end pigeon.

Whoah, whoah, whoah... let's talk about this for a second.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Oh, you said humane.

Nevermind.

 

[Deepster]

Whoah, whoah, whoah... let's talk about this for a second.

"The collared dove is a small pigeon found on farmland and in woodland, parks and gardens across the country."

 

[formerlurker]

Whoah, whoah, whoah... let's talk about this for a second.

 

[buddy]

Get a cat

 

[Watchdog]

Motion activated spray guns or get the meanest cat they have at the local animal shelter.............

 

[87Xfer]

Motion activated spray guns or get the meanest cat they have at the local animal shelter.............

hmm, the motion activated sprayer is interesting.

 

[uchusky32]

@Dove and @WhereistheDove? have been residing in our Yard for a while now. We haven't been able to get rid of them. If you find a solution let us know.

 

[CTBasketball]

BB Gun. It's a high end pigeon.

You must not have grown up in Hartford. Graduate to the real stuff.

 

[UConn Esq]

Dove swatter always works for me. Or a Dove zapper.

 

[CL82]

I just yell "Shut up Dove!" and they just fly away.

 

[mussels]

Try getting some 1 X 1's or something similar, and attaching them to your posts so that they stick up six inches over the top of the post. Then run some string or fishing line parallel to the top rail about four to six inches above it. You can attach some strips of cloth or shiny type ribbons that will blow around. (might not be necessary). I've seen people do the string thing along the peak of roofs to keep seagulls off, and my rowing club uses a similar removable arrangement to keep ducks and geese of the dock.

 

[Dove]

Two options:

1. Move
or
2.

 

[Deepster]

You must not have grown up in Hartford. Graduate to the real stuff.

I did grow up in Hartford. And my Dad was a cop so we had plenty of the real stuff in the house too. Thanks for asking though.

 

[uchusky32]

We hired this coyote to get rid of a roadrunner problem we had. Turned into a total disaster.

 

[LBird33]

I think they used to work. Not anymore. I have birds nesting right next to my owl every year on our front entry rafters in Vermont. Last summer we had like 4 nests within 6 feet of the owl. What a mess when I arrived for vacation.

I think you have to move the owl around to a slightly diff location. Other the bird and squirrels become comfortable with the thing

 

[Northbound]

Shoot them, breast them out, drop a slice of jalapeno in each breast and wrap with bacon and grill. Very tasty.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

Honestly, double sided tape would work like a charm.

 

[Fishy]

My high school had a fake owl or hawk(? Some kind of bird of prey) on a spike at the top of our press box to keep seagulls off the field. Maybe that will work?

I use the fake owl.

Works okay but you gotta move it around or they get used to it. Also, crows will kick its ass. They decapitated ours once.

 

[August_West]

Just tell them how dumb they are.

 

[Sibeerian]

I think you have to move the owl around to a slightly diff location. Other the bird and squirrels become comfortable with the thing

given the name i'd listen to this guy