crazy lazy predator defense......but its working!!!

Just thought you all would get a kick out of my new scare crow!!!
I Was having some pretty close calls with a Huge red tail Hawk!! Only 3 baby guineas so far have dissappeared. So I took out this White Sweatshirt and a pair of old Jeans, hung them on separate clothes hangers then hung the hangers onto each other. the top hanger is one of those Swivel hangers. I put an old broom stick through the arms and tied the ends with fishing line and attached two aluminum pie plates to the lines so they sway and turn and catch the light! Hung it on my old clothes line ole! So far I havent had a hawk or any other bird for that matter get to close at all!

I think it's pretty clever!

The white Sweatshirt is highly visable and the pie pans reflecting the sun has really worked! I move it every other day to opposite ends of the clothes line and some times hang it from a tree. That way the hawk never knows where my "buddy" is going to be!

Hey there Pork Pal!! Ive got my fingers crossed that this will work for a while! At least until my little guys can run and hide !

I wonder if this technique will keep the birds off black berries and tomatoes? It looks like it would.

This year we are in such a drought that the blackberry plants are barely alive, but if they make it till it rains and then live, I may try this when they produce again. (I don't mind sharing some with the birds but they tend to take bites out of bunch of fruit, messing them up.) Thanks for sharing!

Hi Lady Pearl!! I think it would definitely help deter songbirds. I know that when i give an afternnoon treat of a handful of birdseed to my chickies, I have three different families of year round cardinals that try to beat the chickens to the seeds. Since I put up the "Scarecrow" I havent seen them flying into the Chicken yard at all!

Very creative, I really like your idea and it looks like it would be very effective also...pie plates, what a great idea...Hay

Honestly? It looks like me! LOL Looks like my jeans and I'd wear a sweatshirt like that... LOL I'm always cooking.. so yeah.. I love it! LOL I hope it works for a long time!

fabulous idea Eufaula. Love it!!!! My Grandmother always tied lots pie pans to her fig trees to keep the bird away from eating them

Eufaula, here it is the sparrows and grackles that eat up the chicken's grain. Sounds like you at least have pretty birds (cardinals) that get after your chicken food. Want to trade? (lol) I have a clothes line next to my chicken yard too so will try your technique there as well as in the garden. Thanks!

Eufaula you are definitely unique. Who would have ever thought of that except you? That's awesome.

Maybe you should just stuff it with straw and put a hat on it like a real scarecrow.

When I was talking to a police officer about how to keep burglars away she suggested making a dummy and put it in a chair inside, like someone was sitting, turned the other way. If they were to peak in the window they would think someone was there. She said to get him a hat.

That might work for Zz too? Scare the bodiddly out of the egg thieves. Their adrenaline would be pumping.

You know, that's really not a bad idea for burglars. At the time I dismissed it as kind of silly, but she had been to a lot of training seminars and classes. I should have listened better.

They also told me to put a pair of old shoes on the porch, like someone had just pulled off their shoes at the door and were coming back for them soon. When that pair get old and stiff, get another pair. I followed that advice.

Good ideas! Alas, if I put some shoes on the porch my dogs would haul them off. However our pack of dogs makes it unnecessary to even lock the doors!

Hi, just happened to be drawn here by the thread title--what a great idea!
I might have to try that to keep the woodland critters from eating all our plants.

Well so far no more hawk and honestly I think its also deterred a couple of skanky possums too! We have been having a lot of summer mini thunder and lightning storms here in the late afternoon with a lot of wind gusts so the old "sweatshirt gremlin" is usually dancing a jig and flashing its pans.
I thought about stuffing it and giving it a gourd head...but I really dont think a hawk or other critter cares about how fat a "human" is , just if it has legs and arms! But I think Im going to paint big old eyes on a gourd and dress it up for "gremlin the 2nd"!
LoL!! Thank Heavens I live in a very rural and wooded area! My neighbors probably wouldnt like my new additions to my yard family! Oh well Im already the talk of the town! Eccentric old pet chicken lady and all!! LOL!!!

LOL If you do make another one, do post a picture, please!