Controling wild geese

Less than forty years ago, the giant Canada goose was extremely rare in Indiana. As a result of restoration efforts and a tremendous increase in small urban and suburban water bodies, the Canada goose is now a common sight and the V-formation and distinctive honk of the Canada goose is recognized and enjoyed by many. To many, this sight and sound is a messenger of a new season approaching. The Canada goose provides many recreational opportunities for viewing and hunting.

While many people enjoy seeing Canada geese, problems can occur when too many geese concentrate in one area. Typically, developers and landowners unknowingly cause the problem by creating ideal goose habitat. Geese are grazers and feed extensively on fresh, short, green grass. Add a permanent body of water (water retention pond, subdivision lake(s), golf course water hazard(s) or water gardens) adjacent to their feeding area and you have the created the perfect environment for geese to set up residence, multiply and concentrate. Geese, including their young, also have a strong tendency to return to the same area year after year. Once geese start nesting in a particular place, the stage is already set for more geese in successive years. The problem is further exacerbated when well-intentioned people purposefully feed geese. Artificial feeding of geese tends to concentrate larger numbers of geese in areas that under normal conditions would only support a few geese. Artificial feeding can also disrupt normal migration patterns and hold geese in areas longer than what would be normal. With an abundant source of artificial food available, geese can devote more time to locating nesting sites and mating. Artificial feeding can also concentrate geese on adjacent properties where their presence may not be welcomed, resulting in neighbor/neighborhood conflicts.