Small cannons on the ground shoot the net over the pigeons, capturing them for removal.

“We already tried it a few times in a couple locations to make sure it was going to work. It’s not like it’s going to rattle windows or shake doors or anything. It’s not that loud,” he said.

The agreement covers all of 2018, allowing the nettings to take place when conditions are best.

“They did it a couple weeks ago and it works. They only get a couple shots at it though, then they’ve got to back off and do it again on a later date,” parking utility coordinator Jim Flottmeyer said.

They plan to do the netting when there aren’t a lot of people around to scare the pigeons off.

“The last thing we want to do is make an announcement and have a thousand people come down and see this big pigeon capture,” Tischer said.

Because pigeons aren’t a native species, they are not protected by federal laws; however, the use of pesticide requires authorization from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. According to the agreement, the USDA will get the necessary permits for the pesticide, and any pesticide-treated bait will be removed the day after application. The birds will be disposed of according to federal and state requirements.