McPHERSON — Over the next 10-14 days a resident in the 1000 block of North Walnut has requested Kansas State University to assist them in relocating Turkey Vultures from their trees, and possibly back towards the water tower or away from the area.
In speaking with Assistant Professor, Drew Ricketts with Kansas State University, Wildlife and Outdoor Enterprise Management has offered a solution for the resident. This solution is the use of a “Bird Banger”. The “Bird Banger” is an orange handheld pistol which propels a pyrotechnic into the air and makes a loud sound, very similar to a firework. This will cause the Turkey Vultures to relocate.
Today, at the Fire Department, we were given a demonstration which immediately began residents calling in stating they heard gun shots. Our goal is to allow this resident to utilize the “Bird Banger”, not to hurt, or injure the birds, but rather relocate them back to the water tower or elsewhere.
Unfortunately, this must happen when the Turkey Vultures are getting ready to land in the evening. We expect to hear 2-3 of these loud noises around sunset.
• We are requesting the resident to call into dispatch before starting, each sunset.
• We are also asking the resident to let their neighbors know of the situation, so they are not surprised when it happens.
This will begin tomorrow, Friday, April 4, 2025. We are paying close attention to this situation and the publics safety is our main concern.
Mikel T Golden
McPherson Police Chief
1177 W Woodside Street
McPherson, Kansas 67460
(620) 245-1200