[Lukeszook]

About to go on a road trip through Roo country and being Paranoid of harming an animal me i brought some $6 Sonic Animal Guards. They're like small plastic dog whistles which you stick onto the front of your car and at speeds 50km/h+ it's supposed to ward dogs and roos away from the oncoming sound with a range of 2km away if conditions are right (have my doubts it'll do 2k's over the drone of the sierra).
Anyone else tried these? i mean they're cheap but surely better then nothing.
Discuss.
Luke

[shep]

I think they work a bit however can startel animals so ya cn be faced with a road full of panicking animals running/hopping all over the place.

Nothing beats a proper bull bar, good lights and driving to the conditions

[Trypt]

Why are worried about the animals???? theres millions of roos... theres only one of you and your car

[Travis]

The old boy always puts these on his car, don't think he has ever hit a roo

[atari4x4]

Travis wrote:

The old boy always puts these on his car, don't think he has ever hit a roo

I'm probably not as old as you're dad & probably haven't driven as far, but I've been driving for 18yrs & I haven't hit a roo either... thing is I have never run those things. Not sure what it says about the Roo-Shoo type products but it's six of one 1/2 a dozen of the other.

I've been a navigator in a datto 1600 rally car doing test runs in the hills at dusk with 6 or 8 of those things fitted across the front bar & on wing mirrors (you could hear them whistle above the noise of the car) & have seen roo's scatter & carry on like absolute retards.

Not sure if it was the sound from the dual 45mm side draughts or the sonic repellers but one turned around from the direction he was grazing & aimed straight for us, while the heard scattered in every which way possible... the driver just kept it pinned & split the pack, but this one eastern grey just head butted the LHS rear quarter panel mid flight, skittled across the gravel road, found his feet & hopped off a bit worse for wear never to be seen again.

Would have been a whole lot of damage if he'd buttoned off when we first saw them...

Do they work, personally i'm not sold on them... slow down & drive to the conditions, don't drive at dawn or dusk & if there is vegetation on the side of the road keep you eyes peeled.

[Lukeszook]

Because i hate seeing Animals get hurt.
Hell i carry a cardboard box in my car just in case i see an injured animal. But yet i ride and 4wd
Logic --> Window..

[laurie]

i have 4 on the falcon and i had 2 on the bike
i have never hit a roo with the ford
but i have hit a wallaby and a fox with the bike
i will not bother with them anymore
i have a bar on the suzuki

[atari4x4]

Lukeszook wrote:

Because i hate seeing Animals get hurt.
Hell i carry a cardboard box in my car just in case i see an injured animal. But yet i ride and 4wd
Logic --> Window..

plenty more of the furry little critters out there + they become food for eagles etc, but that can create other problems, make sure it's not still suffering & move on.

usually if there is small fresh roadkill on the road i'll squash it just to try turn them into a greasy spot on the road, you know the ones... they're about 6 foot long & sometimes have tufts of fur.

[Chop]

Roo's are a part of life for people who go to work early in the morning, hit one in the commo wagon that fucked a bumper, fender and headlight. Had probably 30+ near misses on the way to work or surf on the fleurieu over the last 20 years, but the one i collected was in the south east.

I never hit one with those sonic things on the car but very close alot of times.

I reckon the whistle i have in my roof rack of the gv might keep em outta my way now

[missmyljdaze]

a mate of mine in s/w W.A had a horror run of roo hits,
the roads around pemberton are narrowish- and often thick forest right up to the edge of the road.
fitted an electronic rooshoo thingy on the front of his falcon and hasnt had a hit in over ten years.

stephen

[alien]

they won't work if your sierra goes faster than the sound barrier though...

[Bucket]

I was actually talking to my boss about these things about a month ago. He swears by the things and reakons they work like a charm.

We have some pretty bad roo country down this way too

[rick1970]

shep wrote:

I think they work a bit however can startel animals so ya cn be faced with a road full of panicking animals running/hopping all over the place.

Nothing beats a proper bull bar, good lights and driving to the conditions

+1

A roo sitting quietly on the side of the road will usually stay put, spook him and you don't know which way he will go. I have given up even backing off the throttle if their sitting, as the change in engine note is enough to spook them.

I have and do hit the odd one or two, but none of late (touch wood).

[foolsp33d]

atari4x4 wrote:

plenty more of the furry little critters out there + they become food for eagles etc, but that can create other problems, make sure it's not still suffering & move on.

usually if there is small fresh roadkill on the road i'll squash it just to try turn them into a greasy spot on the road, you know the ones... they're about 6 foot long & sometimes have tufts of fur.

[atari4x4]

looks like that one would go pop

[GeckoXL7]

Have them on XL they work and then they dont, up at the flinders at dusk lost count of how many kangaroos ran out across the road right in front of me.

They here you coming and scatter.

While in the otways with the HID's on i saw quite few hiding on the side of the road between the ferns and stayed put.

It seems the bigger the kangaroo the dumber they get or just like playing chicken with the other big reds.

[Lukeszook]

GeckoXL7 wrote:

Have them on XL they work and then they dont, up at the flinders at dusk lost count of how many kangaroos ran out across the road right in front of me.

They here you coming and scatter.

While in the otways with the HID's on i saw quite few hiding on the side of the road between the ferns and stayed put.

It seems the bigger the kangaroo the dumber they get or just like playing chicken with the other big reds.

That's really expected at duck anywhere near a colony though. I agree with the others about driving to the conditions and not at dawn or dusk. Not going to put my faith in the Sonic Guard but having it on my Sierra is just that little bit more reassurance IN COMBINATION with cautious driving.