Our Work Philosophy

Flyaway Farm and Kennels provides a unique combination of highly effective wildlife harassment, featuring professionally trained border collies, and expert guidance on habitat management, avian behavior and ecology and effects on flying operations. 

u We specialize in the use of Border collies.  We use the dogs for the simple reason that they are incredibly effective.  The dogs are perceived as a predator by the birds.  They disturb the birds’ feeding and resting habits and this is extremely effective in producing a long term habitat shift in birds using the airfield.

Why use Border collies?  

Why are Flyaway Border collies the best in the business?

u We use a variety of pyrotechnics and other non-lethal harassment techniques

u We utilize limited depredation of birds on the airfield as a short-term solution and to reinforce the effectiveness of pyrotechnics.  It may seem counter-intuitive but depredation is not a long-term solution for bird control.  It is only a long term deterrent to the birds that you actually kill, others will return to the airfield soon after you stop shooting if you don't implement additional control measures.

In addition to taking advantage of the unique aspects of trained border collies, as well as various forms of pyrotechnics and other harassment techniques, we strongly emphasis airfield habitat management and modification.  The key to successful long term wildlife control programs is making the airfield environment less attractive to wildlife considered high risk for aircraft flying operations.   Our wildlife biologists have the education and experience to evaluate surrounding habitat, identify critical foraging and breeding habitat and recommend successful and cost-effective solutions that will make the area less attractive to your problem wildlife species.  Our knowledge of habitat use, avian ecology, behavior and energetics allows us to devise strategies that result in long term changes in the wildlife species found on your airfield.  

Ou wildlife control programs are tremendously effective:

Q At Charleston AFB, our program resulted in an 80% decrease in the number of cattle egrets trying to feed on the airfield when compared to the previous summer before the border collie program started. 

Q At Dover AFB, the surrounding county saw a 75% increase in the fall snow goose populations in 2003 but we found an 85% decrease in the number of snow geese landing in the fields that we had patrolled with our border collies the previous winter.  Snow geese can devastate winter crops and when the land owners we work with see snow geese landing in their fields, they call us. 

Q MacDill AFB had an 84% decrease in the time spent under moderate or severe bird watch conditions in the first 2 months we were working on their airfield.

 

more.....successful wildlife control programs need to look 'over the fence'