Two more articles on goose control                                                      home           

Special article goose pollution   

Background:
The US Fish and  Wildlife Service (FWS) abetted by state wildlife agencies created the problem by hatching Canada goose eggs in incubators and rearing the hatchlings until they were old enough to survive on their own.  At this point, they were turned loose with no parental guidance.  Consequently, they did not learn to migrate and now remain all year fouling smooth grassy areas like those in parks, golf courses  and suburban lawns, as well as patios and the shores of small ponds and lakes. They are big birds who eat a lot and consequently  defecate
copiously.  Some swimming areas have had to be closed due to high coliform counts in the water, which have been traced to waterfowl.
(Click here for another opinion on who is to blame.) The nutrients from their droppings also contribute to the eutrophication of ponds by stimulating algal growth. In short, the problem is not imaginary and some of the people affected are tired of cleaning up their shoes and toddlers.

The geese, attracted to the banquet of mowed grass at airports present a more serious problem. Taking-off and landing airplanes are faced with the threat of collisions which can damage and even disable a plane.

The geese cause farmers to lose money by reducing crop yields.

There is also a possible health problem for people coping with the droppings and, in certain situations, a threat to safety when especially aggressive birds may attack humans when defending their nest sites. This natural behavior can be hazardous especially to small children.

The purpose of increasing the population by releasing the young geese seems to have been to assure that hunters would have plenty of targets to keep them buying hunting licenses, the migratory populations having been severely reduced by hunting.  That is now water over the dam and we must  deal with the situation as it exists today.

Because their nesting habitat is more benign, resident geese reproduce more rapidly  than their migratory cousins.  The estimated resident goose population in the Puget Sound area increased by 434% over a 10-year period.   On the Atlantic flyway, hunters killed 272,000 geese during a special season in 1998 compared to 2,300 in 1988. Comparable figures on the Mississippi flyway were 1,000 killed in 1981 and 272,000 in 1998.  (Congressional Record , Aug 19, 1999, p 45270 col 3).   Special seasons to promote killing non-migratory geese do not seem to be helping to reduce the number of geese.  There are, however, a number of non-lethal methods that can help.

Non-lethal methods for coping with resident Canada geese
Addling the eggs by shaking them prevents them from hatching.  Replacing them in the nest prevents the goose from laying another clutch.    This work can be undertaken - with permission from federal wildlife agencies - by bird clubs, students, and public service organizations
under the supervision of state wildlife agencies.  Individual permits may also be granted to cope with specific problems.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with the problem in  particular areas is to use border collies to drive geese from areas where they are causing problems.  A strong herding instinct is part of the genetic make-up of this breed.  They appear to delight in exerting their authority over sheep and no doubt feel the same about geese, most likely regarding the task as pure sport and getting praised for their performance.

Translocation is another method.  Geese can be rounded up during the period between mid-June through the end of July when they are unable to fly having shed their flight feathers in order to grow new ones.  Then, they can be transported to desirable habitat far enough away to discourage return. 

A harmless repellant (ReJeXITTM or Goose ChaseTM) derived from grapes is effective in keeping geese away from specific areas like golf courses,  parks, and lawns  because they apparently don't like the taste of it. 

Other methods individuals can use to make areas inhospitable to geese include stringing low wires or firmly-secured (to avoid entanglement) fishing line on their landing sites (good for airports too);  Mylar tape or flags which flash and make a noise in the wind; noisemakers; and jetting lawn sprinklers.  All such methods are most effective if begun in the spring before geese get in the habit of grazing where they are not wanted.

Landscape adaptations can be very effective.  Maintaining grass at a height of 10 inches rather than 2 is very effective.  Breaking up lawns with clumps of shrubbery that block the birds' view of approaching    predators makes them less comfortable in an area.  Replacing lawns with more environmentally friendly wildflowers is an ideal solution.  If this is too distasteful, neat groundcovers like creeping juniper, pachy-sandra and vinca can be used to break up the expanse of lawn.  They could be interplanted with daffodils for spring color and day lilies to bloom through the summer.  Or they could be used to avoid mowing where flowering shrubs or trees are planted.  - Bina Robinson

-http://www.ica.com/geese/coalition/html is a good website for more information.

The government office to contact is

                                      Office of Migratory Bird Management