Nampa Police will pack pellet guns during their patrols of the downtown core this weekend.
Mayor Bob Henry authorized city police to shoot at crows with he says are plaguing the area.
Law enforcement began the campaign Thursday night, saying dead crows on top of buildings could scare their brethren away from flocking there.
Known as murders, groups of crows forage for food in nearby fields, but are attracted to the comparatively warmer downtown area to roost.
“It’s going to require a concerted effort on the part of all the stakeholders to let the crows know they are not wanted in downtown Nampa,” Henry said in a news release.
If shooting the birds dead doesn’t deter them, the city is also borrowing a device from the city of Caldwell that sprays an acidic repellant derived from grapes.
Crows aren’t the biggest fans of the solution, but it’s nontoxic to both people and animals. Nampa has yet to order the repellant.
“It’s a dilemma,” Henry says. “At what point should taxpayer dollars be used to fight the crows? By doing nothing, the crow murders in the city, particularly in the downtown area, create a daily mess and can potentially cause health hazards.”
Bird droppings on buildings, cars and sidewalks can shorten their useful life, according to a Pennsylvania State University article on managing the animals.
Being a creature of habit, they can often return to the same winter roosting site each year.
Nampa Police are allowed to shoot crows on site through Sunday night, per the mayor’s orders, though they say it’s not a permanent solution.
Find news director James Dawson on Twitter @RadioDawson
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