Geese !!

[Phantom]

Here's one for the Forum ....

Unfortunately this question does not pertain to Winni per se.

In addition to our time at Winni, we have a Lakefront/pond home here in Mass. Our lake frontage is all beach which then turns into a nicely grassed "front" yard seperated by a very low (1ft) fieldstone wall.

Problem: GEESE!! Each year we get a new family (15-25) of geese who scour the lake (which unto itself is fine). However, as most know, these are extremely "dirty" birds and they continually find there way not only onto my beach but end up feeding well into the yard on the grass. Leaving what our family terms "their cigars" behind and a lawn that looks like it had just sponsored a week-end golf tournament of hacks. Needless to say it is not only annoying but extremely unsanitary considering we have three small Grandchildren who "love to play in the sand".

We have tried all sorts of home grown remedies (pinwheels,etc) and applied some "wives tales" (heard somewhere grape cool-aid granules) to no effect. These BOLD devils simply go through or circumvent the distraction.

Has anyone out there "found a cure"? ...........

[VitaBene]

Borrow a dog to harrass them! I really have no use for those oversized rats with wings- they are nasty birds.

[Woodsy]

Nothing a paintball gun won't fix.... safe, non toxic, and to the point!

Woodsy

[SIKSUKR]

I have the same problem across the street from my house.The pond attracts geese every year.That homeowner got a dog and that pretty much took care of them.

[SAMIAM]

I suggest the Samiam tried and true goose eliminator.Buy roman candles (don't need ones with a report) just the cheapies with the flaming balls.Hold them in your hand with a work glove and fire them right at them......freaks them out.Every year they try to come back,but leave after a few applications.
I know you aren't supposed to hold fireworks but they are not that powerful.....kind of fun,actually.

[Grant]

At the risk of sounding like the proverbial broken record, I am compelled to once again wail about the dangers (yes, dangers) of non-migratory Canada geese. Allowing a resident population of these birds to establish itself in the Lake Region would be disastrous for water quality.

Coming from Southeastern Pennsylvania, I speak from experience. Think milfoil is intrusive and bad? Worried about zebra mussels? Snake fish? They're all minor leaguers when compared to the geese in terms of potential to destroy a body of water.

Down here, they are everywhere. That is, anywhere there is the smallest amount of water. They mate for life and breed in large numbers each spring. Being non-migratory, they stick around. I probably saw 50-60 in suburban business campuses on my commute this morning. They stop traffic!

Locally, they have destroyed two large lakes (which double as reservoirs) in recent years. The population has flourished -- protected and unchecked -- and their fecal matter has impacted water quality at these two lakes to the point where visibility is ZERO and swimming has been banned due to bacteria counts. The water in these lakes is now permanently green -- all due to goose dookie. The average goose produced over a pound of poop per day. Multiply this by the hundreds that are seen in the average flock, and you'll understand why bacteria and algae blooms are so prevalent down here.

In recent years, I've been disturbed to see and hear these 'winged rats' in the Lakes Region. Unless you've witnessed how quickly they reproduce, take over, and foul (pun intended) the areas they habitat, you cannot truly appreciate this concern. If you see them in your area, do something! Chase them away. Don't let them make themselves at home. They are already here, so it should really be up to the State to take decisive action before it's too late. These aren't loons, folks!

Call me alarmist now, but you'll see what I mean if they are allowed to settle and flourish. It's state like Pennsylvania that you have to thank for letting the populations explode to the levels they are at today.

Additional reading:

Background on how Pennsylvania screwed up (http://www.extension.org/pages/Resident_Geese_Around_Airports_More_than_a_Nuisanc e)

It's estimated that a goose eats 4 or 5 pounds of grass a day and defecates every 8 minutes, producing over one pound of feces per day. (http://www.donnan.com/geese.htm)

[VitaBene]

At the risk of sounding like the proverbial broken record, I am compelled to once again wail about the dangers (yes, dangers) of non-migratory Canada geese. Allowing a resident population of these birds to establish itself in the Lake Region would be disastrous for water quality.

Coming from Southeastern Pennsylvania, I speak from experience. Think milfoil is intrusive and bad? Worried about zebra mussels? Snake fish? They're all minor leaguers when compared to the geese in terms of potential to destroy a body of water.

Down here, they are everywhere. That is, anywhere there is the smallest amount of water. They mate for life and breed in large numbers each spring. Being non-migratory, they stick around. I probably saw 50-60 in suburban business campuses on my commute this morning. They stop traffic!

Locally, they have destroyed two large lakes (which double as reservoirs) in recent years. The population has flourished -- protected and unchecked -- and their fecal matter has impacted water quality at these two lakes to the point where visibility is ZERO and swimming has been banned due to bacteria counts. The water in these lakes is now permanently green -- all due to goose dookie. The average goose produced over a pound of poop per day. Multiply this by the hundreds that are seen in the average flock, and you'll understand why bacteria and algae blooms are so prevalent down here.

In recent years, I've been disturbed to see and hear these 'winged rats' in the Lakes Region. Unless you've witnessed how quickly they reproduce, take over, and foul (pun intended) the areas they habitat, you cannot truly appreciate this concern. If you see them in your area, do something! Chase them away. Don't let them make themselves at home. They are already here, so it should really be up to the State to take decisive action before it's too late. These aren't loons, folks!

Call me alarmist now, but you'll see what I mean if they are allowed to settle and flourish. It's state like Pennsylvania that you have to thank for letting the populations explode to the levels they are at today.

Additional reading:

Background on how Pennsylvania screwed up (http://www.extension.org/pages/Resident_Geese_Around_Airports_More_than_a_Nuisanc e)

It's estimated that a goose eats 4 or 5 pounds of grass a day and defecates every 8 minutes, producing over one pound of feces per day. (http://www.donnan.com/geese.htm)

Thanks in advance for the information- you know there will be some defenders of these "birds".

[Phantom]

Well ........ I see I have hit on a topic that we can all (mostly) agree upon!

The dog solution (a very effective solution) is out of the question ..... had one a few years back,.... at this stage in our life however it is synonmous to having another child in the house (with all of the impromtu travel restrictions that go along with being a parent) ...... "been there/done that/have the T-shirt". With four grown children now out of the house - the Grandkids satisfy that piece of our life ----(affectionately) Love 'em & Leave 'em!!

............ What I question with both the paint ball gun and roman candle approach, which I would thoroughly < devious grin > enjoy applying. As it stands now, whenever we are able to catch them on the property they are met with a pelting of small stones (routinely kept in a bucket on our deck). Two issues exist with this -- (1) sometimes they are down right defiant and simply "shake it off" (2) They are "dumb suckers" cause they ALWAYS come back. The latter issue concerns me about applying the aforesaid anti-goose treatment to the yard.

VitaBene -- Pigeons are oversized "Rats with wings" -- These suckers are Filthy Floating Turkey's with an "Ex-Lax" diet! ................ but I get your point!

[jmen24]

Over here at the local private country club, they have put up a few Coyote Decoys near the ponds that are apart of the golf course and condo association. They have worked great, realatively cheap fix for a nasty problem. Your local outdoor supply store should carry them if not try online. Basically a flat picture with a "real" tail that moves in the wind. They also had for a period of time a "dead" goose decoy in one of the ponds, but I am not sure that it helped keep them away or was a joke by one of the residents.

[chipj29]

Over here at the local private country club, they have put up a few Coyote Decoys near the ponds that are apart of the golf course and condo association. They have worked great, realatively cheap fix for a nasty problem. Your local outdoor supply store should carry them if not try online. Basically a flat picture with a "real" tail that moves in the wind. They also had for a period of time a "dead" goose decoy in one of the ponds, but I am not sure that it helped keep them away or was a joke by one of the residents.

YES!! The coyote decoys are very effective. We have a pond here at my work, and have had real bad goose probs. We had a dog, but as he got older he was very ineffective at scaring off the geese. He would be sleeping next to his dog house, and the geese would pretty much walk right up to him. I think they were even eating his food. Unfortunately the dog is no longer with us. :(
In the past year they have put out several coyote decoys, and they seemed to have worked very well. They have moved them around a bit, not sure if that is helpful or not.

[VtSteve]

For years and years, they've checked the water quality over here in Malletts Bay VT. It actually startled them to fin ecoli levels up after heavy downpours. Their "funded" studies continued. One bright person suggested that they test the DNA and try to determine the direct cause of the levels. Every single waterfront resident knew exactly what they would find. Birds, racoons, etc... were the cause. Studies to be continued ad nausea.

Similar studies were done around the lake for years about rising phosphorous and other levels. They found the obvious, 75% of those levels were a direct result of farmland. The silence is deafening as always. Ducks and cows crap near and in the water. Guess what happens next?

[C Tucker]

How timely. We just scared off three Canada geese that were cruising and looked interested in exploring our cove. Earlier in the spring we observed a pair inspecting the shores of Lee's Pond. The Lakes Region is very much in danger of being infested with these nuisance birds.

[Pineedles]

Give waterfront owners some percentage off their property taxes for every non-migratory goose they shoot. Instead of just moving them around we will eliminate the problem. That would just make too much sense I guess, so it won't be done. I would do it for free if it was legal. :laugh:

[Lakesrider]

OK I have the answer for this one. And it is not a normal approach. I saw this on TV so it must be true.

In the Bass Pro or Cabellas catalog maybe they sell a Coyote lure. It is a little machine that twirls around and makes noises of an animal in distress. i saw a guy use this device to scare away geese from his yard. It was on a timer and went off every 15-30 minutes. Scared the BJesus out of the Birds.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs1_DmD6Azs

you could probably make something yourself like it Maybe use a stuffed animal like a dog instead....:D

[BGB2]

We had the family dog chase our geese visitors away. As an aside, are Canada geese edible? I've always liked duck.

Does anyone have a legal way to get rid of a coyote? We have one that sits in a wooded area bordering our house with bad intentions for the family cat. The family dog is deceased. The neighborhood is residential and adjoins forested areas. Any advice beyond, don't get fond of the cat?

[jmen24]

It is legal to hunt, shoot and trap coyote's year round. You say residential against woods, is that a large tract of woods or a pocket? The reason I ask is you have to be 300 feet from a residential structure to discharge a firearm on some elses property. If you are in an urban compact Zone than that is out of the question.

If you are not a hunter, find someone in the area that is and give them written permission to stake out the property for the coyote and only that if that is all you are willing to do. There are many people out there that will do this type of thing. Contact your local conservation officer for help or to answer your questions, http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Law_Enforcement/index.htm , locate your district and call one of the officers on the list and talk to them personally, not dispatch or someone at the answering desk. You can use the exact same coyote call that is in the post above, the whirling thing and that will bring it in on que. Electronic distress calls work even better.

The methods used for shooting would be bow or shotgun (depending on the unit that your property is located in), rifle or as before trapping (the problem with the trapping is that it would be easy for a dog or human to get caught in it if they do not know it is there, that is why all trappers, traps need to be recorded with the local conservation officer as to locate and accompanied with the written land owner permission).

This is for the state of NH, if you are talking about your home in CT, you would need to check with your local CO or the wildlife department in CT on the rules and regs for your particular area.

And yes Canada geese are very tasty, slightly gamier than the duck you would be getting at a local resturant, but very good none the less.

The Canada geese season runs from 9/2/09-9/25/09 this year, go buy a hunting license, a state migratory waterfowl license and go to the post office and get your federal waterfowl stamp and you can harvest up to 5 Canada geese a day with a season maximum of 10, invite some friends over and have a Canada geese party. Then the next season is 10/2/09-11/2/09 and 11/23/09-12/20/09 but the limits reduce to 2 in a day with a max for the season of 4.

Hope that helps

[Grant]

Re: Methods of dissuading geese from setting up shop on a given piece of ground...

The place where I dive locally in PA is a 50-acre lake with huge, sweeping lawns on one side -- ideal target area for geese. And they've had their share of problems. Back when the area was surrounded solely by farm land, the solution was a noise canon, which made shotgun-like noises controlled by a timer. It reported worked quite well...until some businesses and residential housing appeared on adjoining properties.

Over the winter, I noticed that they had set up grids of string, in 4- to 8-ft. squares, tied to stakes in the ground. It keeps them from landing on the grass, or venturing very far onto the grass. The result? Very few green tootsie-rolls to contend with on the lawns this spring. I do see/hear geese on the lake up there when I visit, but not in large numbers and not every day. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the site has EVERYTHING those damn geese like.

If you have a rocky shore and no grass, it is unlikely that geese will show up and stay. They need grass to eat, and don't do well in brush. I'd pay money to see one try to waddle up the rocks on our shore.

I wonder if a goose in the old bait trap would increase my yield of crayfish...

[jmen24]

Give waterfront owners some percentage off their property taxes for every non-migratory goose they shoot. Instead of just moving them around we will eliminate the problem. That would just make too much sense I guess, so it won't be done. I would do it for free if it was legal. :laugh:

Unfortunately all Canada geese in the state of NH are considered migratory as they do not winter here.

I do not know about a percentage off the taxes, but you can buy a NH Small game hunting license, a NH state migratory water fowl stamp and a federal duck stamp and hunt them anyway and thus reducing the population by 14 birds total through the course of the two seasons, per person. It would be a two birds with one stone thing, reduce the Canada geese population and help fund the deficit that the NH Fish and Game is experiencing.

[GoSnow]

They actually recommend using coyote urine to fend off the geese. You can buy it in garden shops.

[Begonezvous]

I feel guilty that I did this but it seems to have worked. :( A pair of geese became fond of my lawn in early May. At first I thought it was no big deal. 3 weeks later my backyard was a mess from droppings. These things can really poop! I tried sticks and rocks for awhile; I never hit them and they seemed to be amused with me. I then switched to my son's paintball gun and everything changed. They were afraid of the noise and a couple of whacks in the A*S with a few paintballs seems to have convinced them to leave. 2 weeks later I have no geese and no poops.

I love NH and I love nature but these birds had to go. Please note that no actual Canada Geese suffered any lethal hits from the paintballs.:rolleye2:

[Newbiesaukee]

For the first time I noted some Canada Geese this spring in front of the house. They did not come onto my smallish waterfront lawn. However, kayaking in East Cove last week, I noticed two pair happily eating on a new large green lawn. Not a pretty sight.

[Phantom]

Okay!! okay .... okay!!

I'm convinced as to what I will try next ----

Because deep down I truely do have a sick sense of humor I think I would thoroughly enjoy trying the paintball gun method. Although I am licensed to carry concealed weapons here in Mass the "Pop" would certainly disturb the neighbors and I really have no inclination of burying the victums (could I send them back to Canada? ehhh?) plus there's all that paperwork associated with discharging a firearm in a residential area.

Soooooo the paintball gun wins ...... in my sick/twisted little way I think it would be comical to see a flourscent pink or perhaps a pastel blue goose around

Hope my aim is still good ---- I like my lawn in it's current shade of green

[Don]

They actually recommend using coyote urine to fend off the geese. You can buy it in garden shops.Does this also work with turkeys? My neighborhood is plagued with a growing group of about 20 turkeys that sleep in my pine trees right outside my bedroom. We are awakened every morning at sunrise (now about 5 am) by continuous loud cackling. A neighbor thinks it is the males and their mating calls. They peck at and poop on my lawn and the neighborhood kids can't walk to the bus stop alone because the group is so large and intimidating. A Few might be cute but a group of 20 moving through the neighborhood is like an invading army.

Has anyone had any luck repelling these things?

[jmen24]

Owls are the natural enemy of the turkey, set up a decoy in the yard and get a call that sounds like an owl and you can at least locate them, then flush them out of the trees. Do this early in the evening, turkeys are not very smart so you may have to do this a few nights in a row, their eyesight is fantastic and they will not like you getting close to them, but they will not move in the roost so you will have to get creative. We hoot like an owl when scouting for turkeys before the season starts and they respond every time.

[This'nThat]

Over here at the local private country club, they have put up a few Coyote Decoys near the ponds.
The Coyote decoys are very effective. You'll need to rotate them now and then -- move them around. But Geese are dumb, and are terrified of coyotes.

The dog solution is also good, especially if you use a true bird dog (spaniel of some sort. Sometimes you and ask a neighbor to bring his dog over.

A third solution is to string wires across the pond -- if you can. Geese need a lengthy area to land and take off on the water, and the wires inhibit them so much that eventually they will leave. This only works for small ponds, of course.

The final solution, though, is to lure them onto the road, and then use your SUV. :laugh:

[ITD]

I bought a sling shot at the local bait shop. I freeze grapes for ammo and have gotten to be a pretty good shot. Takes a day or two, but they finally give up and move on. Bonus, the grapes are biodegradable.

[SteveA]

You can try this. http://www.flightcontrol.com/

This was developed by a guy from PA.

[Flylady]

Here are a few other options I found on another site regarding geese invasions..

http://www.yardlover.com/products.php?pid=135

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdYc86AA8M0

the video that demo's this product is so funny...enjoy :laugh:

[jrc]

.... Bonus, the grapes are biodegradable.


I use ice cubes, even less mess

[Argie's Wife]

The new high school in Alton had a problem with geese invading the property and pooping up the ball fields.

They tried many of the solutions that folks have mentioned here already, such as decoys and dogs. None of it had a real impact on the problem.

The solution was to rent a sorta pyrotechnic device that shot off a very loud BANG! That scared them away. Once that was deployed a few times they took off and stayed away, for the most part. If you call Fish & Game they might direct you to some safe and appropriate devices - just warn your neighbors what you're doing so they don't dial 9-1-1 on you! (And they'll probably support you!)

[dpg]

The new high school in Alton had a problem with geese invading the property and pooping up the ball fields.

They tried many of the solutions that folks have mentioned here already, such as decoys and dogs. None of it had a real impact on the problem.

The solution was to rent a sorta pyrotechnic device that shot off a very loud BANG! That scared them away. Once that was deployed a few times they took off and stayed away, for the most part. If you call Fish & Game they might direct you to some safe and appropriate devices - just warn your neighbors what you're doing so they don't dial 9-1-1 on you! (And they'll probably support you!)

You guys need to remember about neighbors. Would YOU like listening to that from the yard next door? I like the roman candle idea. Cheap and can be had in N.H. (not mass.) Paint ball guns work also. I chased a few animals with them. :D

[Mee-n-Mac]

We use coyote decoys at work. They do the job but you have to attend to them, move them around every few days and change their head and tail positions or the geese will learn they're not real. I like the automated ideas presented above and the IR sensor waterer would be a favorite, assuming it works on geese. Talk about killing two birds with one stone ... errr ... spray. It repels geese and waters the lawn.

Now me I'd be looking for something more ... ummm .... forceful. Paintball sounds about right but it'll only work when you're there to "man the gates". So what's needed is to replace the airsoft gun on this baby with a paintball setup and I'd be good-to-go.

http://hackaday.com/2009/04/23/autonomous-tank-terrorizing-campus/#more-10543


This might do the trick ("Honey, we're gonna need a bigger tank")
http://hackaday.com/2006/11/17/paintball-minigun/

[Winni P]

We have a pair of geese that have taken up residency here. They had 4 babies a few weeks ago and now they are once again solo. The mother in me was sad for a milisecond that there babies were gone but as the homeowner who has to scoop up after them - YAHOOOO!! I know how much time it takes to clean up after these 2 and I really feel for those of you that have many more in your yards.

We live on a pond and have had a problem with geese for years. We have done some research and found that geese need to land in the water and then find an easy access point to walk up to the lawn. We have put stakes in around the perimeter of the yard (we have found them using the neighbor's beach as an access to OUR yard!) & in the water along the shore and strung string across. Need to make sure the string is low enough so they won't swim under it. And of course, make the string easy to take down so YOU can enjoy your waterfront swim area. This is a cumbersome approach as the water level here fluctuates alot so it requires daily maintenance but it works.
We have also tried the ice-cube (aka water cookies) approach but that requires you to be home and see them in your yard. Be careful if you chase them because they will charge back at you.

The stupid birds can fly all the way from Canada but cannot get over a piece of string!!

Good luck!

[Coolbreeze]

I have to agree with Grant. I live in the same area of pa as he does and in the last 10 years the quality of the water and all activities related to the use of the land surrounding the water and has gone down hill in the local ponds, lakes and streams all from resident geese.
I have watched a flock of resident geese on the back bay of Wolfeboro for at least the last 3 years. These birds are resident birds, as the do not fly south for the winter like they should.
Pennsylvania DCNR has identified these resident bird populations as a threat to its water and has flexed the laws regarding the harassment of resident birds to discourage their nesting etc and have made it easier for land owners to avoid a $1000 fine for messing with a federal bird. Under the supervision of the DCNR officers here, nests can be disassembled, eggs can be manipulated and flash bangs are allowed. All measures to encourage the bird to not make one area a home for long periods.
Take this information seriously, these resident birds will distroy the lake if given the time to set their roots in. Each generation of bird will return to the area of hatching each year and when mature, they will have their offspring there also...do the math. Act now by contacting the local game commission to start moving these birds out for good. It sounds cruel, but look online to see the actual damage these birds can and will do.

[tis]

We have some come every spring. They stay for about a month and then seem to leave. Does anyone know why they do this? They don't seem to have babies here-we have never seen any. They are beautiful but I hate the mess they make. I am concerned they will one day decide to stay forever.

[Argie's Wife]

You guys need to remember about neighbors. Would YOU like listening to that from the yard next door? I like the roman candle idea. Cheap and can be had in N.H. (not mass.) Paint ball guns work also. I chased a few animals with them. :D

If you read my post you'd see where I mentioned that they should alert neighbors... if someone tells me up-front that something like that is going to happen and they aren't doing it at 4 AM, then I have no problem with it, myself. It's a once a day thing for a couple of days... then the problem just takes flight! :) It worked well for the school and they have big fields, wetlands, etc. - it was Goose Mecca!

[Smith Point]

I like the string idea also, but I use old fishing line. (you should probably replace it anyway) with a little different application, wherever the geese enter your property just put four small stakes in the ground at goose height, in a zigzag pattern and wrap them with fishing line. When they trip over it they will squawk and flap their wings and never come back. Worked grate at the little lake house.

[Rattlesnake Gal]

I took my kayak over to Parker Island yesterday and noticed there were four geese enjoying themselves on Parker Island Fun's beautiful lawn. I wonder if he has seen them yet? Mac, my Cairn Terrier was with me and thankfully he didn't spot them. If he had, I know he would have jumped ship and had a field day chasing the pesky birds. Maybe I should offer up our services to PIF? :laugh: Hopefully they stay away from my island!

Do geese taste good? If people got back to eating them, we would not have such a problem with their population. Imagine all the hungry souls we could feed.

On one of the Animal Planet shows, there was a segment about these geese. There are too many of them now and when they head back to Canada they often starve because the land cannot support the great numbers of them anymore. Time for some hunters to get busy I think.