Goose Control
Facts About Goose Control Measures
As beautiful as they are, in some areas Canada geese have become pests, and consequently, certain goose control measures are becoming more and more necessary. The Canada goose is certainly an attractive bird, and a few resident geese in a nearby park or pond are often a welcome sight.
We have reached a point where Canada geese fit into two categories, migrating geese, and resident geese. Resident geese are found more and more in mild winter areas. Instead of heading south, the geese are quite happy to stay put. Snow geese, also very abundant, do not contribute to the problem. Snow geese seldom take up residency between the extremities of their migration paths. Also, snow geese normally do not gather, or stay, in places where humans are active. You can approach a Canada goose and get fairly close; the Snow goose will fly away if you even think about doing that. It is the loss of fear of humans on the part of the Canada goose, which contributes so much to our present goose control problems.
Canada geese have been protected since 1918 under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, so widespread killing of geese, or hunting outside of established seasons, as methods of goose control are not options. There are a number of approaches which can be taken however. One effective measure, though often prohibitively expensive, is habitat modification. One simply changes the habitat or environment of a locality, from one which might attract geese, to one which geese would not be interested in habiting. Of course filling up a pond with dirt, or paving a park, would be an extreme approach and not at all desirable, but there are measures which can be taken.
Food is one solution. Geese congregate because there is a good supply of food. Take that away, and the geese, at least most of them, are likely to go elsewhere. At times we are to blame when we feed a few geese, not realizing that the relatives will soon move in. Another approach is harassment. Harassment is generally a legal means of dispersing geese, although it may be illegal to do so during nesting season. Noisemakers, mylar tape, and other devices which make an area unattractive to geese, may be used. One problem with scare tactics is that eventually the birds catch on, and soon become less sensitive to flashing lights or loud noises. Where scare tactics or harassment techniques work best for goose control, is when geese first arrive on the scene. If they are newcomers, they are much more likely to move on, and get away from what they perceive to be a hostile environment. The old-timers will be slower to leave.
Whatever method you try, you're probably going to have to keep at it for awhile. You can't set off a firecracker, scaring some geese away, and be done with the problem. You'll have to keep at it, hoping you run out of geese before you run out of firecrackers!
One enterprising business uses border collies to harass and drive away geese, which only goes to show, that by thinking outside the box you can often solve the most vexing of problems.