Motorized Scarecrow

Motorized Scarecrow FARM HOME Novelty Items 8-5-25 "Stationary scarecrows no longer work for us," says John Caldwell, Angus, Scotland, who invented a motorized scarecrow that birds can't ignore. The worst pest birds in Scotland are pigeons but Caldwell says his motorized "Rape Ranger" scares any bird. The cart has three wheels and sports a 10-ft. high orange-suited man-like figure with rubber boots and a squirrel head. The cart has a 3.5 hp. gas engine with three forward gears and reverse. Key to the unique scarecrow is its guidance system. A small dia. wire is laid out in a circle over the field, usually a 50 to 60 acre area. The wire feeds through an eyelet at the end of a rod that attaches to the pivoting front wheel of the cart. The cart moves at speeds varying from a "half-walk" to 7 mph, burning 1/2 pint of gasoline every two hours. A boom cannon mounted on the bed of the cart, or an amplified tape recorder, helps scare birds even more. The Rape Ranger sells for $1,100. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Caldwell, Grange of Conon, Arbroath, Angus, Scotland DD11 3SD (ph 02416 202).

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