Fashion Plate

If you like Texas Jot, please take a look at my other blog, Fashion Plate. It is the home of my handmade retro Barbie clothes and lots of delicious recipes from my cookbooks.
www.yourfashionplate.blogspot.com

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Deer Canon on the Not So Funny Farm

I hate to purloin from a Sesame Street song, but: 
"There's a funny farm down the road from me where the silliest thing happen that you ever did see. 
Way late at night, when everything's dark, five dogs (cluck). Five hens begin to (bark)."
And anytime of day or night you'll be surprised to hear, a boom-ing canon, to chase away the deer.

The neighboring cotton farmer has installed a device that is either triggered by motion or randomly emits shotgun sounds to deter the deer from dining on his crops. Since we have had no rain in six months, most of the farmers opted not to plant.  Unfortunately, the adjoining land has drip irrigation, so cotton was planted.  As I have mentioned before, there is nothing even remotely green around the ranch except the mesquite...and his cotton.  Of course the wildlife are looking to enhance their diets and take advantage of the tender cotton plant shoots.
I have researched the use of noise deterrents and deer and they have concluded that deer soon become accustomed to the sound and totally ignore it...as in deer on runways with roaring jet noise. PARTNER and I are not made of such stern stuff.  We are annoyed during the day and kept awake at night by the blasts emanating less than an acre away. I guess Mr. Farmer didn't read the directions..."Do not use around residences."  Or, maybe he thought since he didn't live in the area, it wouldn't be a problem.
Most of these devices run off a propane cylinder.  Because we are under severe fire warnings, I'm hoping we are not about to be incinerated in the night by a flying spark.  Even if this thing is run off of electricity, it is nasty nuisance. So much for the peace and quiet of the country.

No comments:

Post a Comment