Geese Everywhere!!!!!

Jonas Pilot · 07-01-2012, 06:52 PM

Habitat modification creates long-lasting results

The most lasting way to avoid Canada geese problems (and often the most cost-effective in the long run) is to change the habitat so it doesn't appeal to them. You can do this by taking away their preferred foods and creating a landscape where the birds don't feel safe.

Habitat changes will work better if geese can go to a "tolerance zone" that meets their needs. Leave geese tolerance zones and the geese in them alone. Then geese will vacate zero-tolerance zones more readily.
The buffet is closed

Like most of us, if Canada geese find their favorite food spread out in easy reach, they will eat it. But you can close the free buffet!

Reduce the total amount of lawn.
Where you keep lawn, reduce the young grass shoots geese like the most. Let grass grow taller—at least 6 inches and leave taller grass over winter. Stop or limit watering and fertilizing in the spring.
Replace Kentucky bluegrass (a.k.a. "goose candy") with other grasses such as tall fescue. This works where geese can eat somewhere else. They will eat fescue and almost any short grass or legume if that's all there is.
To reduce food for a short period, treat grass with chemical repellents. Anthraquinone triggers a strong, harmless digestive irritation and teaches geese to avoid treated areas. Methyl anthranilate is a grape flavoring in our food. To geese, it just tastes really bad. Repellents must be reapplied after heavy rains or when growing grass is mowed, so plan their use when it can be most effective.
Do not feed geese! Human food is not healthy for them and geese will gather where they are fed.

Don't give them shelter

Geese feel safe from predators where there are open sight lines, so they can see predators coming, and where they can easily escape onto open water.

Use dense tall plantings along shorelines to make a barrier between the food and the water.
Add variety to landscaping with clumps of taller plantings where predators could hide.
Locate ball fields and other grassy expanses as far from open water as possible.
Maintain or establish stands of trees between water and grass so geese can't fly through.

The Humane Society of the United States

secondcurve · 07-01-2012, 07:37 PM

I've written about it before.......a young kid has a pellet gun in my neck of the woods and the old timers pay him and his buddies $5.00 a bird......Evidently, he shoots them in the head and that stops them quickly and it is humane. The old timers use them for fertilizer.

Jonas Pilot · 07-01-2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by secondcurve

I've written about it before.......a young kid has a pellet gun in my neck of the woods and the old timers pay him and his buddies $5.00 a bird......Evidently, he shoots them in the head and that stops them quickly and it is humane. The old timers use them for fertilizer.

Maybe we should just run 'em over with our boats?

secondcurve · 07-01-2012, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

Maybe we should just run 'em over with our boats?

That would work, too. Just watch the speed limit!

ishoot308 · 07-01-2012, 08:24 PM

Fish and Game needs to step in here and extend the hunting season as well as daily bag limits to get their numbers in control. Educating the general public about proper barrier techniques and especially why it is so important to never feed them!! Killing them out of seasonal dates as people deem necessary is not the solution. Certain times of year are selected for harvesting for good reason, the harvest numbers just need to increase.

Dan

07-01-2012, 06:52 PM	#1
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	Keep Geese Away by Changing the Habitat Habitat modification creates long-lasting results The most lasting way to avoid Canada geese problems (and often the most cost-effective in the long run) is to change the habitat so it doesn't appeal to them. You can do this by taking away their preferred foods and creating a landscape where the birds don't feel safe. Habitat changes will work better if geese can go to a "tolerance zone" that meets their needs. Leave geese tolerance zones and the geese in them alone. Then geese will vacate zero-tolerance zones more readily. The buffet is closed Like most of us, if Canada geese find their favorite food spread out in easy reach, they will eat it. But you can close the free buffet! Reduce the total amount of lawn. Where you keep lawn, reduce the young grass shoots geese like the most. Let grass grow taller—at least 6 inches and leave taller grass over winter. Stop or limit watering and fertilizing in the spring. Replace Kentucky bluegrass (a.k.a. "goose candy") with other grasses such as tall fescue. This works where geese can eat somewhere else. They will eat fescue and almost any short grass or legume if that's all there is. To reduce food for a short period, treat grass with chemical repellents. Anthraquinone triggers a strong, harmless digestive irritation and teaches geese to avoid treated areas. Methyl anthranilate is a grape flavoring in our food. To geese, it just tastes really bad. Repellents must be reapplied after heavy rains or when growing grass is mowed, so plan their use when it can be most effective. Do not feed geese! Human food is not healthy for them and geese will gather where they are fed. Don't give them shelter Geese feel safe from predators where there are open sight lines, so they can see predators coming, and where they can easily escape onto open water. Use dense tall plantings along shorelines to make a barrier between the food and the water. Add variety to landscaping with clumps of taller plantings where predators could hide. Locate ball fields and other grassy expanses as far from open water as possible. Maintain or establish stands of trees between water and grass so geese can't fly through. The Humane Society of the United States

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Jonas Pilot For This Useful Post:
CateP (07-02-2012), Slickcraft (07-01-2012)

07-01-2012, 07:37 PM	#2
secondcurve Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 2,117 Thanks: 1,329 Thanked 559 Times in 288 Posts	I've written about it before.......a young kid has a pellet gun in my neck of the woods and the old timers pay him and his buddies $5.00 a bird......Evidently, he shoots them in the head and that stops them quickly and it is humane. The old timers use them for fertilizer.

07-01-2012, 08:24 PM	#5
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 6,255 Thanks: 2,392 Thanked 5,284 Times in 2,056 Posts	Fish and Game needs to step in here and extend the hunting season as well as daily bag limits to get their numbers in control. Educating the general public about proper barrier techniques and especially why it is so important to never feed them!! Killing them out of seasonal dates as people deem necessary is not the solution. Certain times of year are selected for harvesting for good reason, the harvest numbers just need to increase. Dan