The Real Reason For The Booms In Western New York?

After weeks of unknown, it looks like we have finally uncovered one of the biggest kept secrets in Western New York. 

That secret being, of course…what are the random booms?

We had several wrong ideas, which you can read about here, but thanks to several follow-up responses to that article – I think we found the actual cause for the booms!

You probably have been trying to piece together what is causing these booms, and so have the rest of us. 

Even local television news stations have been trying to discover the cause of these booms, and we’re still stumped. 

INITIAL THOUGHTS ON THESE BOOMS

Many people thought these random booms started around the same time that the construction began on the gully on Walden (near Wolcott Guns), and that’s why they believed it could be dump trucks there all day, bringing stones and dumping from all directions. I mean, could the quarries really be working overtime to produce so much stone? 

It may sound like a likely explanation, but it doesn’t quite make sense. 

After all, quarries are regulated by the DEC, and if it were the quarry, those who live nearby would recognize that noise and be able to pinpoint the origin of the booms. There would be lights and vehicles there if the quarry was operating overnight too, which we have not seen any sign of. 

A new explanation has come to light, and it sounds like we may have found the cause of the boom.

WHAT IS CAUSING THESE BOOMS?

According to several emails, it looks like these booms could be a result of bird cannons. One email report described it as a means of scaring birds away from the fruit.

“As someone who grew up farming. I’m going to say with nearly 100% that the booms people are hearing are bird cannons that the orchards have set up because now is the time that fall fruit sets on the trees,” he said. “The cannons can be propane or air powered. They release a shock of air and sound at either random or timed ‘explosions’ to scare the birds away from the fruit.”

A flock of hungry birds can actually decimate an entire season of fruit, according to our source, which would cause damage in the millions.

Another report came from a visitor from Central New York. She also cited the bird cannons as a cause of these booms. 

“I visited friends in Buffalo several years ago and heard repeated booms like cannon fire and asked what it was. They said they were indeed cannons shooting blanks going off to shoo the birds away from the grapes left on the vines to make ice wine in the winter,” she said. 

Granted, that person lives in CNY so she hasn’t specifically heard these booms; however, she has seen the reports of the booms and said it sounded similar to what she heard before. 

NEW BOOM REPORTS?

If you have any leads or intel on this booming, please email kadie@wyrk.com.