Gassing The Geese
 

Many of you probably heard this story on WMUR. Residents on Lake Todd were having a problem with the over population of geese. Their droppings were apparently covering many residents beaches. Some of the residents had wildlife experts round up the geese families. The geese were then hauled away and gassed to death. The thought of this really bothers me, but I guess I haven't lived with the droppings all over my beach. What is going to keep other geese from coming to the same place? I am wondering what your thoughts are about this?

It struck me as a sad story. I was surprised that USDA did the deed and that there was no mention of NH F&G opinion on this. There is a lot on info on geese control out there and the story did not chronicle any serious attempts to use the various methods.

My guess is that if those geese found the location attractive, others will follow. The only long term solution is to work on ways to make the location unattractive to the geese.

predators
 

I think the problem is that the geese have few if any natural predators and have become quite a problem for many water supplies throughout the country. Many golf courses employ dog teams to scare the geese off, but they just move and come back.

I don't know what the answer is but Canada Geese are a big problem. I don't know if anyone ever had a run in with them but they are nasty birds.

repellent
 

I bought goose/duck repellent at Agway this week and sprayed the dock and beach. A few ducks are still hanging out here but they leave no droppings. Haven't seen the geese in several days. I hope this stuff really works. The way this place looked you'd think we had a cow roaming about.

Reasonable Geese Solution
 

Earlier this season, we could not get close to the waterfront as the geese (35of them) had totally taken over. We found some old metal fencing sections in the cellar (the stick in the ground type) and put them along the waterfront. It has been three weeks now and we have been geese-free. Apparently the key is to create enough of a barrier between the water and the grass.........hate to think the problem goes somewhere else, but at least this was a resonable solution for us and the geese.

The biggest goose attractant tends to be grandmothers and crusty bread....

Remington 870
 

A 12 gauge does the trick only problem is what to do with the evidence.

Geese are a big problem they can ruin a lake in no time with the little cigars they leave behind. Golf courses, state parks, even businesses have trouble with geese and they can be nasty. People were I work have been attacked trying to enter the building. I even know a man who was attacked trying to come in the door at church.

Down here if the the geese stay past a specified date they are non migratory and it is open season...bam, bam, bang, bang...

Who ya gona call? Goose Busters!

Imigration troubles are just not on the southern boarder!

Goose Poop
 

I am no big defender of Canada Geese. BUT: Their poop drys out quickly and turns into.... POOF. Bio Degradable Vegitable Matter. ..Compost.

NOT like DOG POOP. Just sayin...........No intention to cast dogs in a bad light. Dogs are Mans Best Friend. BTW: Not that this should matter in the least.......I have a CAT. :D :D NB

Sorry, NoBozo, but I have to usurp your opinion with experience, and say that we need to do EVERYTHING in our power to not only reduce the Canada goose population in the Lakes Region, but ELIMINATE them.

My family is from NH, and has been on the Lake since the 1910's. I was raised in southeastern Pennsylvania, but have spent every summer and a lot of other time on Winnipesaukee. Anyway, down here in PA, we have INVASIVE populations of NON-MIGRATORY Canada geese who have DESTROYED many bodies of water. Those poops you referenced have completely and irreversibly fouled (fowled) a number of previously clean lakes that were known for swimming, fishing, recreation (sound familiar). Because the government took the environmentally friendly/politically correct approach to dealing with these "protected" animals, they are now a menace that you could not imagine. They are EVERYWHERE. Office parks, swim clubs, golf courses, high school tracks and playing fields. You name it. They have literally destroyed many bodies of water and are not only an environmental hazard, but a TRAFFIC hazard.

I urge you all -- chase them away. Throw things at them. Kill them. They are like big rats with wings, and the escalating population on Winnipesaukee should be of huge concern to anyone who loves the lake. I don't want to hear about leaving them be - we eradicate Milfoil, right? We're concerned about Zebra mussels, right? Well, trust me, these damn geese will do more damage and destroy the lake faster than Zebra mussels, milfoil and snakehead fish combined.

Shoot a goose today!

There was a problem with geese landing on the ball fields at the high school in Alton. They didn't just land... they planted greasy little goose-poop land mines everywhere. The school fields were ideal because there's open water nearby, acres and acres of grassy land, and it's pretty much in the boonies. Goose heaven.

Anyhow, various methods of removal were explored. The school administration got a fake wolf or coyote to place on the fields - but it was stolen. They tried other methods - nothing worked.

They ended up hiring a company to come in a discharge a pyrotechnic device that made a loud (LOUD!!!) BOO-OOMMM! to scare the geese. It was discharged early in the morning and didn't harm the animals. The school had to notify abutters because the noise was so loud.

Anyhow - it worked. The geese hated the noise and moved on.

I agree they can be pests (understatement) but I also wonder if the lake association that gasses the birds had considered other methods, like the one the school used.




@nobozo - it does? Because when grass is wet and a young soccer player wearing blue and white lands in it, it's no powder. And it's no small task to get the stains outta the uniform!





@ThisnThat - have you ever eaten roasted goose? No thanks. Greasy bird.

High quality sling-shot. Glass marbles. Target practice. Have fun.

Gonna need a LOT of marbles.

I agree that the geese population needs to be reduced in a big way or else
it will have negative consequences for all of us. Scaring them away does no good as they simply move to a contiguous spot. What about gassing them and then feeding goose diners to the homeless? Why we are at it, how about introducing a reduction plan for deer on the North Shore? They create similar problems in the absence of natural predators.

Unfortunately, many good intentioned folks hate to see animals killed regardless of the problems they create. The irony is that these are the same folks who enjoy all sorts of animal products such as chicken, pork, steak, etc.

Goose and venison for the homeless!!!!!

I haven't --- and I have heard that you have to develop a "taste" for it. But some people love it -- Bob Cratchit & family, for example. ;)

Allow hunters to take them and the problem will be solved, at no cost to the tax payer.

Wow -- I guess I posted some pretty inflammatory stuff in my most recent post above, because it got edited down to nothing.

All I'll say -- again, at the expense of being edited -- is get rid of the damn things now before it's too late.

JMHO but I think "darn" or "anoying" things works better on a family forum.

I didn't edit it :confused:

Weird...then I must've pulled the proverbial trigger before it was finished. I didn't think it was edit-worthy, so perhaps I self-edited. :emb:

propane Cannon
 

Here's a little gadget used by farmers and airports to scare birds away, They use them around here to protect corn fields. :) NB

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ga...ird_scarer.jpg

http://www.birdcontrolpro.com/bird_c...L08_cannon.htm

out with geese
 

Now I have heard a very nice way to get rid of geese, whether they are from canada or mexico no matter, Bring in some pigions they do not like each other and the pigions will stay, especially if you feed them peanuts.

Al Gore
 

Maybe we can get Dick Cheney up here to go hunting :laugh:

John, your idea sounds exciting. Just think, we can have a whole new thread debating which is worse, geese or pigeon droppings! I have seen places where the pigeons have caused unbelievable problems. Perhaps Grant could tell us about pigeon droppings and Philadelphia City Hall.

Several of us in our cove use NH F&G issued noisemakers and it does get rid of the geese, temporarily. This is a poor solution since it only moves the problem to another area of the lake. Their population has exploded and as previously mentioned, they have no natural predators.

Grant is right, they need to be done away with before they destroy everything that makes Winnipesaukee special.

As MAXUM said, let the hunters do it for free. ;)

All you need to do is make it open season with no limit and you will see the problem drop off FAST!

And if you want them to be gone like right now, have the state put a bounty on them like a $1 a head and the state will dispose of the remains and it will be done faster than you can load your gun and draw a bead,,, :D

Its only a problem because the politicians are too busy drafting the next set on no rafting zones,,, Oh sorry, falling off topic,,, :cool:

XCR good idea, open season for all geese. Can't say it for the politicians though. Time to reduce the herd.

Where is PETA when you need them.?.........poor little fuzzy gaggles of geese. They look so pretty in the water...................no one seems to be sticking up for them on this thread, including me. We have had a few visits from a flock numbering 20 or so and we couldn't even use the lawn or beach until I had removed 50 to 100 dog sized piles of doo.
As you may remember from previous posts, I use roman candles to get rid of the ducks, but geese return. I'm thinking about "varmint loads" for my 12 ga.
Harmless, but might send a message. Anyone tried them???

Ciws
 

I can feel the animus toward the Canada Geese in the posts here. As an Engineer who has worked in both the Private sector and the Military sector ...maybe THIS... can be a solution to the GOOSE Problem.

It is affectionaly known in the military as the Sea Wizz. Close In Weapons System..I have personally seen this device in action and it is IMPRESSIVE. I recommend this device be mounted on an MP Vessel. As well as controlling the Geese, it can be used to Control Perpetrators on the lake who refuse to Tow The Line. Braun Bay.. Speeding.. 150 foot rule.. Illegal Swim Rafts.. etc This solution will be financed by the STIMULUS...Why NOT..? :D :D NB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgpQBZF2sZQ

We kill bears and other wild animals who don't conform to the norm.

Heck, we even kill our own.

Why should geese get a bye?

I suspect that the shoreline protection act (or what you locals call it) has some clause that would prevent the installation of automated weapons system as they would have a negative impact on runoff causing the water to have to divert around the apparatus and thus disturbing the ecosystem,,, :(

Never mind the fact that the existence of humans in and of itself is a negative impact to the planet,,, :rolleye2:

But in the name of all the ecologically wholly, we must attempt to control that which cannot be controlled and fix that which cannot really be fixed, but someone will now have a purpose in life, and some will have jobs, and all will be impacted and suffer restrictions and higher taxes and etc, etc, etc,,,, :confused:

Oh sorry, guess I ran off the rails,,, :offtopic:

In my next life I plan to be a creative writer (not necessarily a good one,,,) :D

Now back to the goose hunt,,,

I'll bet a box of Cherry Bombs good slingshot would wreak havoc on the critters,,, (damn, sure wish I could get my hands on a box of Cherry Bombs,,, LOL)

The sad reality is that Canada geese are federally protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Canada geese are Federally protected by the MBTA by reason of the fact that they are listed as migratory birds in all four treaties. Regulations must meet the requirements of the most restrictive of the four, which for Canada geese is the treaty with Canada.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act provides that it is unlawful to pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, possess, sell, purchase, barter, import, export, or transport any migratory bird, or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird, unless authorized by permit. Take is defined in regulations as: pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect, or attempt to pursue, hunt, shoot, would, kill, trap, capture, or collect.

The primary motivation for negotiation of the 1916 treaty and the passage of the MBTA was to stop the indiscriminate slaughter of migratory birds by market hunters and others.

So provided we are discriminating in our attempts to slaughter them, it's all good ;)

Well there we go, "they" just need to issue permits to hunters and also pay a small bounty and provide a disposal option.

Maybe someone can come up with a way to market goose to China and pay off the national debt,,, :rolleye2:

Well it was just a thought,,, :D

NB, you might also want to do some reading on what these large quantities of "biodegradable matter" will do to feed the algae and weeds in our watershed.

Well, I never could figure out why you could only bag two Canada geese at a time up to your limit of four, but now it all makes sense! Another government program. On the other hand, how many snow geese would you like? There's no limit on them.

I wonder if this law will ever be updated to reflect the non-migratory populations. We have hundreds of thousands of the nuisances down her in Southeastern PA, and they've been officially categorized as Non-Migratory. So they stay and eat and poop and destroy our waterways all year long. Ironic -- they remain protected, yet a growing cottage industry has sprung up around chasing them away and dissuading them from "setting up camp" in business campuses, school properties, public parks, etc. One of the more innovative approaches I've seen here lately are the placement of dog silhouettes on fields. I don't think that would work on the Lake, however.


Here's an NYT article from '06 on the use of silhouettes.

And here's a company that offers them.

It may be an option for folks with waterfront property (or schools or golf courses, etc.) that want to keep them away.

two words: swimmers itch (or duck itch if you prefer). Not only caused by ducks but all waterfowl:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimmer's_itch

I'll do my part come resident goose season and again from Oct-Dec but can only take care of 2 per day.:coolsm:

Swans all I have to say is swans .... and the goose problems reduces... but then of course you have a swan problem....

Geese are an issue, as Grant Mentions, they need to go away..... they will ruin things if they get over populated, just look to many of the small ponds and lakes in Ma. where they have already taken over...

geese
 

In the past few years, I have spent a bit of time in Atlantic Canada, and I can not recall seeing ONE of those geese. I think that the Canadians have effectively rid themselves of the population by sending them to the U.S.- perhaps as retaliation for tourism. All we need to do is find out how they did it, and send the geese on their way.:)

I understand they gassed the ones in Back Bay in Wolfeboro also.

I agree they are a pain but gassing them just seems, well...Sick...

It's actually very humane. A kid in my development shoots them in the head with a pellet gun. I think gas is the better way for them to go, but that is just one opinion.

Here's another option I have heard works but have not seen it in person.

http://lmi-sales.com/migore.html

I think we need to find a market for goose. Maybe goose jerky? or Buffalo goose wings? Maybe pet food?

Shouldn't he be reported!

Fertilizer
 

I'm thinking fertilizer. Somehow it seems only fair.

That or the aforementioned Navy solution ...

You Are The Last One...
 

Aforementioned, just where would you like to be? :confused:

We could not get'long without you!... save you're canons! :laugh: :) :look:

goose/duck repellent
 

I thought the repellent I sprayed last week was working real well. Now I actually think it was all the fireworks the neighbors shot off that kept the geese and ducks away. Ducks have returned with additional troops. I'm going to buy one of those silent dog whistles today and give it a try. Do ducks have ears?

Good thing they put the "DANGER" sticker on the side. :D

Robots to the rescue !
 

I'm sure ducks have ears, just not so sure that they'll listen.

Now mebbe "we" can't afford that Navy's solution but perhaps all hope isn't lost ...

http://www.youtube.com/user/243rf34ew#p/u/2/6QcfZGDvHU8

Do you think fluorescent pink geese might be noticed by F&G ?? :devil:

Another Potential Solution
 

BTW: The Navy base in Newport has tried just about everything for their thousands of Illegal Geese. The latest effort is a "Herding" type dog....maybe a terrier..I'm not sure what kind of dog....that roams around with a dog handler to chase the geese away. NB

http://www.pestproducts.com/goose_buster.htm

For the money I'm sure it works. Totally. :)

I'm thinking I may have a summer project now, I wonder if you can program it to just shoot at geese???

Goose/duck repellent
 

Fargo - Is the goose/duck repellent you bought at Agway still working? I need something to keep the geese off the lawn. They are worse than dogs to clean up after.

FINALLY.....something worked. I scared them with 12 ga. varmint loads which explode but don't injure......but they came back the next day so I bought a string of those plastic flags like the auto dealerships use and strung them all the way accross the beach just above water level.
Twice now, they have attempted to get to the grass and left. They say that you only need to leave them up for a few days and they will get discouraged and not come back.
I was getting tired of scooping up the goose poop. Almost a gallon a day from a flock of 14.

hmmm ..... what does one do with the goose poop that they scoop up? Ahh... deposit it in the yards of people that don't mind the geese. :eek:

;)

Haven't you ever heard of "pate"... :eek:

Actually, some of the dads in the development have put a $5.00 bounty on each goose. The kid has killed eight of them! He has a goal of getting 50 this summer. One of the fathers puts them in his garden for fertilizer. I'd rather see them fed to the homeless folks but at least there are a few less geese in the world.

goose repellent
 

The goose repellent I bought at Agway doesn't seem to be working on the ducks. Haven't seen any geese but I think the fireworks on the 4th scared them away.

Weve tried many things over the years.. The only thing that has worked is a 12" high fence along the property.

A man I work for had a problem with geese and their nasty aftermath. He purchased a couple of motion sensing lawn sprinklers. Now when ever the geese try to come onto his shoreline, they trip the sprinklers which spray some water and scares them off. The sprinklers only squirt for a moment or two and then shut off untill they are needed again. I believe they have been quite effective in solving his problem.

I'd never seen geese around the lake until this year. We've had one circling the island. I blew an airhorn at it the other day until it swam away.

Realistic solutions??
 

I work at a school by the lake and can tell you that we have been dealing with these varmints for more than a decade. I have washed the poop off of team benches, timing table and docks. Ever seen a lacrosse player go for a ground ball and come up with goose poop? Pretty disgusting!

We have tried various and wholly ineffective strategies. The stupidest idea that I tried was Mylar balloons. Cost a lot and worked for about 15 minutes. We beg dog owners to stop by - again, about 15 minutes of success. I would use my Remington 32 but would not want to put lead shot into the lake. Also, would not want to deal with the carcasses. Personally, $1 would not be a motivator as the shells would cost about $.30 each. And I don't want to deal with dead birds on the shore or in the lake.

I found the comment about birds on Back Bay having been "removed" recently to be interesting. We haven't had a problem in the last week or two.I'm thinking that this is the best solution - and humane.

The Weirs Times this week has a good article on controlling Canada Geese. It states that NH has 30,000 resident geese ( those that stay here year round and do not migrate). The optimal population should be 16,000. If your interested in learning more about the geese you might want to pick-up the free paper.

The kid in my development has knocked off 10 of them this summer with his pellet gun.......only 13,990 to go!

So far, the strings of flags have worked. The geese were on my lawn and beach every day for a couple of weeks.....I tried roman candles and varmint loads but they still came back. Once I strung the flags out, they swim up to the beach, turn around and leave. When we use the beach, we just pull the flags back.

trained dogs ...
 

This is a job for..... Tanker!
 

I have a Cardigan Welsh Corgi - he'd love a gig like that....

http://usera.ImageCave.com/calvinand...91e2335a2e.jpg

AW send him over to the Meredith Town Docks. I saw a couple dozen there this AM- I can only imagine the mess.

I can picture "Tanker" chasing the geese. His legs going 50 miles an hour and his body at two!

Ducks
 

I placed the lawn sprinklers along the beach, seems to be working to keep ducks away. Haven't seen any geese since the 4th. Here come the ducks, need to fire up the sprinklers ASAP!

terrific
 

Sprinklers worked for one day, ducks seem to be enjoying them this afternoon. need another plan. Mask and snorkle works great.

The kid in my development is up to 16-geese!!!

It is illegal for him to kill them.

You are correct but I think every kid with a pellet gun shoots varmints and the Canadian Geese population is way out of control so I don't think it is a big deal. Actually, the state should upsize the bag limit in a big way. Also, he is very respectful of the song birds, etc. so it probably makes sense for him to shoot the varmints that have limited natural predators. Plus, he isn't my kid so I am not going to make waves.

My company obtained a dog to do just that at one of it's plants. Understand the dog cost in the vacinity of $5,000 with it's training and all.

What the heck does he do with them after he shoots them? Their not the smallest critter to dispose of. :eek:

Help! I cannot be on Canadian Geese patrol 24/7. They left huge amounts of poop that the rain did not even seem to want to destroy. Took me two weeks to get it all off the beach. This past weekend I was out there shouting at the geese like a crazy woman. They moved to our neighbor's home. I followed and threw small stones at them. I quickly noticed that at least one of them was coming at me so I retreated. I was scared to death.
They just came to our beach now, and I ran out in my non see through cotton nightgown to shoo them away. Was afraid to even wait to change into shorts. The geese keep coming back though. I cannot be here all of the time and still get groceries, go to the doctor, bank, dump, church, check in on some, etc. It almost seems like there are two flocks that merged together? SOMETHING REALLY DOES NEED TO BE DONE.
I agree with VitaBene that they are nasty birds. I also think they could be dangerous and attack people who try to get them off of their beaches so be careful.

Personal Goose Protection
 

I have been "Nipped" by big white barnyard geese when I was a youngster. The best protection was an old fashioned Broom held out in front of you with the bristles pointed at the goose. It was intended as a barrier rather than an offensive weapon. Don't turn your back on them because they will go after you. :D NB

Sorry, but the Geese Have to Go
 

I posted on this subject a few years ago and was generally routed. But now that the geese are here in greater numbers, you can see what havoc they wreak. I would be highly in favor of any measure to substantially reduce (if not entirely eliminate) the geese from our lake, AS WELL AS provide education to lakefront owners on how to make their property unattractive to these menaces.

By way of background, I also live on a lake in Mass. We went through a terrible period of time when the goose population increased 3-4X in two years. "Lawns" were really just a place to capture the crap that the lake itself couldn't hold. Several kids were bitten while swimming. And the noise, noise, noise! Fortunately the town (state?) took action and today there are still a handful of geese, but it's tolerable (barely).

I see the same downward trend at our lake that I saw in Mass several years ago. Although I came to the lakes region in the late 90s, I don't think I saw my first goose here until 4-5 years ago. Now in my cove (near Ambrose) there are 20-30. My neighbors lawns (who rarely come up here) are devastated. Mine was pretty bad too, but I've nursed it back to some semblance of normalcy (without any chemicals).

But I'm telling you, if we don't take action soon, the goose situation will be overwhelming. Think honking, crapping, biting milfoil. And for those that think this is just a lakefront owner complaining about his manicured lawn, that's your right but if you happen to also swim in the lake, you'll be neck-deep in the situation shortly (as I mentioned years ago, several local ponds had to be closed due to fecal count -- don't think it's possible here???? Been to Weirs in early August????).

Lastly, I do want to restate my seemingly contradictory love and commitment to nature and preservation. I won't state the ways that we try to minimize our impact while also protecting what we have been gifted by the beautiful region. And while I am the guy (a few times referred to as the *******) who will ask people getting too close to baby loons to back off, there are too many reasons why the geese simply have to go. And although I don't condone hunting, here's to a bountiful goose hunt season!

Where I used to live, we had a good-sized beachfront and large front yard. All grassy area (non-fertilized), the next door neighbor had a smaller shorefront with trees and no grass. The geese didn't seem to care whether it was grassy or not. The waterfowl, including ducks, have greatly reduced water quality and enhanced the summer growth of weeds.

One boring day, I counted in excess of 100 Canadian Geese just on the front lawn and beach area :eek: After years of protecting (by ignoring) the advance of pollution and other water quality issues, the environmentalists are now alarmed over the situation. A set of islands where Cormorants took over, now look like target-practice areas for agent orange. These birds have virtually disintegrated the trees and foliage on the islands, creating barren land fit for vultures.

The biggest runoff problems we have here is still agricultural, contributing some 70% or more of phosphorus to rivers, tributaries and watersheds. Algae blooms and weeds are prominently displayed by satellite imagery in areas of heavy agricultural use. Wastewater treatment upgrades have dramatically reduced sources from urbanized areas, as have upgrades to designs in developments.

While the title of the thread seems harsh to many outside of lake areas, something needs to be done.

A pellet gun and my terrier kept them at bay yesterday....

They act tough but they are not, just stand your ground or advance on them and they will usually back down. A broom or something can help convince them they can't take you. If you get caught with nothing a kick will work, doesn't have to hurt them, just help it on its way. You do need to be careful though, even though the bites don't really hurt that bad, they do know exactly which bits to attack if you know what I mean, better to be on the offensive with them.

No sign of the geese for some time now? Anyone else have them??

Yep, tell me where you are, I'll sent them over!!:D

'Think They're Heading for Food...
 

Today, a flock of an even-dozen Canada Geese descended low over my sailboat (boy, am I glad I have a boat with "sail-protection") and landed in the water just southeast of Flasher 19. (An area with lots of boulders that with the water level—right now—could be called "Witches II" :eek:).

I was leaving, as the wind had picked up, but they were last seen paddling towards the nearby extensive green lawnscape...that is the Marriott Compound. :rolleye1:

These are big birds, and there were twelve of 'em! :eek2:

They visited us too, Acres. We squirted squirt guns at them. They left but aren't too scared.

what to do with geese
 

You have all your neighbors over and have a geese feed. or freeze them for reminder in the cool winter months:laugh:

Noticed a pretty big flock (or is it a gaggle) of geese around the Meredith town docks and park......wonder what they are doing with them.

Can't resist ...
 

While it might be funny I'll restrain from making some form of Lobster Pound joke.

Wedding guests at Church Landing:)

Those are usually seagulls... swoop in, eat everything in sight, make a ton of noise, and leave a lot of crap around...

I have some relatives like that

The simple answer to the problem is to kill the birds. Federally protected? Yes they are. The offspring from this year will return agin next year and the next generation will repeat itself over and over. Manage them now before they kill our ecosystem.

Is federally protected for both birds that migrate and birds that do not migrate? There was some question as to if these geese were federally protected? Do they migrate?

It seems pretty clear with a little "googling" that all Canada Geese are protected by Federal Law whether "resident" or not.

What's become pretty clear, to some, that many critters that have been federally protected, were done so blindly, without regard to common sense. Same holds for people that feed ducks and gees, and yes, eve seagulls. Usually, what happens is a numbers game. Similar in nature to the Florida Manatees, the geese have been protected without regarding to rising, and in many cases, out of control numbers.

Those that seek protection always count some very minimal amount for studies. This can lead to endangered species classification. But many times, artificial protection is kept up well after the population soars. We have the same problem here with protected Cormorants. Many times, species like these are just fine, until someone decides there simply aren't enough around. When there are too many around, these people suddenly vanish.

You may well have a valid point. I was just trying to answer the question of Federal protection. Not so sure about the manatees, but that discussion is off topic.

An argument could be made that, after being fed by humans, they are no longer migratory.

Mostly the reason that waterfowl are federally protected is that they are hunted during a migration. States offer up waterfowl seasons at different times of the year depending on when the game is migrating. You have to hold a federal waterfowl stamp "Duck Stamp" in order to hunt migratory birds in any state, then a state stamp and hunting tag needs to be purchased. There are other very strict regulations to waterfowl hunting as well, some are that the bird has to be in flight, no lead shot and very strict bag limits. You can continue to call for your buddies if you have reached your bag limit, but you better not have a firearm within any distance of you or you will have a lot of explaining to do if a CO decides to stop by.

It prevents any one state from opening a 20 bag limit on a species that is just stopping by for a few weeks. IMO this system needs an update for specific species and not a broad based reform of the practice. As some species of water fowl are far more sought after than others and could lead to certian species numbers being damaged beyond repair. Mostly regarding ducks than geese.

The duck stamp provides you access to all open species of waterfowl in a particular state.

Pop Quiz...
 

Geese don't need "acres".

You'll need to look closely to see it, but decide which of the 16 lakefronts pictured is the only one that posed the necessary "draw" to start a new goose nest under one of their three docks: :rolleye2:

Of course - it's the McMansion, right? :)