Does the tufty or carplife torch scare off ducks?
Asked about bird scarers once before and ended up buying a cheap red laser pen which was useless.
Been surface fishing a lot over the past few weeks and the ducks are ruining my sessions most of the time.
There can be a dozen or more feasting on my free offerings and me standing up and waving my arms like a windmill in a futile attempt to scare them off is really getting rediculous.
I don't mind paying good money for a torch if it will work in the daylight and scare the ducks away but do they?
Thoughts please.
Asked about bird scarers once before and ended up buying a cheap red laser pen which was useless.
Been surface fishing a lot over the past few weeks and the ducks are ruining my sessions most of the time.
There can be a dozen or more feasting on my free offerings and me standing up and waving my arms like a windmill in a futile attempt to scare them off is really getting rediculous.
I don't mind paying good money for a torch if it will work in the daylight and scare the ducks away but do they?
Thoughts please.
In reply to Post #1
Was fishing next to a guy who had a £3 laser pen at the weekend, and yes they do work. Quite funny really to see the ducks scattering. The one he had was green. Think I will invest in one at this price.
You do have to be careful on some waters with them, they will reflect off the water.
Was fishing next to a guy who had a £3 laser pen at the weekend, and yes they do work. Quite funny really to see the ducks scattering. The one he had was green. Think I will invest in one at this price.
You do have to be careful on some waters with them, they will reflect off the water.
In reply to Post #1
It's been mentioned before about ducks, coots, swans and laser pens, yes they do work but as OatcakeFred has mentioned they need to be used carefully.
During the day you really need to direct the laser at the offending birds. I centre my green laser pen under my binoculars and aim directly at the bird.
At night it's easier.
Swans can be a pain, it doesn't always spook them, but tufties, coots and usually mallards get scared and scatter.
I got my green one from ebay, the sellers appear and disappear as I have a feeling they are a naughty item, (aircraft etc)
There is currently a listing:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134599768708
It's been mentioned before about ducks, coots, swans and laser pens, yes they do work but as OatcakeFred has mentioned they need to be used carefully.
During the day you really need to direct the laser at the offending birds. I centre my green laser pen under my binoculars and aim directly at the bird.
At night it's easier.
Swans can be a pain, it doesn't always spook them, but tufties, coots and usually mallards get scared and scatter.
I got my green one from ebay, the sellers appear and disappear as I have a feeling they are a naughty item, (aircraft etc)
There is currently a listing:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134599768708
In reply to Post #1
Red tufty torch WILL scare off tufties during the day - mallards and coots on my lake are immune and need the green laser treatment (which is more difficult to zero in during the day)
Swans seem to be immune to both . . .
For surface fishing use the beachcaster as this generally dissuades all birdlife including seagulls - failing that try a spodcopter - a large bright spod/spomb can give you those vital extra minutes when the carp are slurping
Red tufty torch WILL scare off tufties during the day - mallards and coots on my lake are immune and need the green laser treatment (which is more difficult to zero in during the day)
Swans seem to be immune to both . . .
For surface fishing use the beachcaster as this generally dissuades all birdlife including seagulls - failing that try a spodcopter - a large bright spod/spomb can give you those vital extra minutes when the carp are slurping
In reply to Post #3
Thanks Nick, just bought one from your link. I had my red laser pen off ebay £2.99. Bloody useless.
I shone the small red dot down the bank at a couple of ducks in the margin. They were no more than 15mtrs away and it had absolutely zero effect on them. Couldn't even see the dot so wafted it about in the general direction.
Thanks Nick, just bought one from your link. I had my red laser pen off ebay £2.99. Bloody useless.
I shone the small red dot down the bank at a couple of ducks in the margin. They were no more than 15mtrs away and it had absolutely zero effect on them. Couldn't even see the dot so wafted it about in the general direction.
I have the same green laser pen linked and the carplife tuffty torch, my findings are as below.
Green laser pen on dull days/dusky light will shift most things with feathers generally out to around 60-80 yards if dark enough when its proper dark it will move anything, to add to that I found the swans & geese soon became stubborn to the pen if it wasn't dim enough they may shift a yard or two but soon come back to a spot, once they've found you the swans being most persistent but again when fully dark all birdlife proper spooks off taking flight most of the time.
Tuffty torch in bright sunlight very rarely works on bugger all except tuffties out to again 60-80 yards they'll take flight past this they very rarely take flight maybe just spook off a bit further down the lake paddling away.
On a dim/dusky light it will put tuffties to flight at distances past 80 yards, in close on dim/dusky light the torch will spook the mallards coots etc.. but not enough for them to take flight just pushes them off the spots a bit likewise with swans and Geese they pay little attention to the tuffty torch once they've seen it a few times might push them off a bit for a short while.
Green laser pen on dull days/dusky light will shift most things with feathers generally out to around 60-80 yards if dark enough when its proper dark it will move anything, to add to that I found the swans & geese soon became stubborn to the pen if it wasn't dim enough they may shift a yard or two but soon come back to a spot, once they've found you the swans being most persistent but again when fully dark all birdlife proper spooks off taking flight most of the time.
Tuffty torch in bright sunlight very rarely works on bugger all except tuffties out to again 60-80 yards they'll take flight past this they very rarely take flight maybe just spook off a bit further down the lake paddling away.
On a dim/dusky light it will put tuffties to flight at distances past 80 yards, in close on dim/dusky light the torch will spook the mallards coots etc.. but not enough for them to take flight just pushes them off the spots a bit likewise with swans and Geese they pay little attention to the tuffty torch once they've seen it a few times might push them off a bit for a short while.
In reply to Post #6
Great write up thanks. Gives me hope the laser pen may do the job and save me quite a bit of money compared to the Tufty/Carplife torches
Great write up thanks. Gives me hope the laser pen may do the job and save me quite a bit of money compared to the Tufty/Carplife torches
In reply to Post #7
Definitely a green laser pen for all things feathery.
About £5 from fleabay
Definitely a green laser pen for all things feathery.
About £5 from fleabay