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Resident Canada geese populations have exploded in recent decades, leading to issues with nutrient and bacteria loading in waterways, among other issues. Management can help mitigate these issues.
The Canada goose did not breed anywhere in Pennsylvania before the 1930s, when the Pennsylvania Game Commission began releasing captive pairs, with their flight feathers clipped, into the wild. Since then, the species has gone from an awe-inspiring native of the high Arctic that heralded spring and fall each year with the breathtaking spectacle of its migrating flocks to a semi-domestic species regarded in many areas as an unwanted pest. Canada geese that still migrate are referred to as migratory geese while those that remain in the same area year-round are referred to as resident geese. Canada geese are attracted to open water—particularly open water bordered by lawn or other short, herbaceous vegetation that provides them a clear view of potential predators. Where vegetation is less disturbed and taller, they usually live and feed in areas adjacent to larger streams. Goose populations in the state have exploded in recent decades with the proliferation of their ideal habitat in the form of golf course water hazards, stormwater basins with low vegetation such as those around neighborhoods and office complexes, and old farm ponds that are now included in residential and other landscaped areas.
Geese can be an issue as their droppings add nutrients and coliform bacteria to nearby waterbodies. In cases where goose density is very high, they can also strip vegetation from stream or pond banks and facilitate bank erosion and sedimentation of the water body. Excessive goose droppings and occasional belligerent behavior during the nesting season can also discourage recreational use of these areas.
On properties with attractive goose habitat, landowners will need to consider active management to prevent degradation of on-site and off-site water quality by coliform bacteria and nutrient input from droppings. The following management recommendations apply to the year-round resident population of Canada geese; the much smaller migratory population seldom if ever causes any problems.
The most effective way to decrease goose impacts is to change the area into habitat that is less attractive to them, preferably to one that has dense native plants that are taller than 30 inches tall to reduce sightlines for geese. If they do not have a clear view of where predators may approach from, they are much less likely to land and stay in an area. Establishing a strip of natural cover (trees, shrubs, meadow) at least 20 feet wide and 30 inches tall adjacent to the water will deter geese from gathering along the banks of the waterways and wandering into mowed areas beyond. In some cases, it may even keep geese off the pond or lake itself. This method reinforces the general recommendation to establish and maintain riparian buffers along any water body to help prevent sedimentation and water pollution.
Visibility of waterways for people can be maintained by planting herbaceous plants and low-growing shrubs with few or no tall shrubs or trees. If physical access for people is desired, meandering paths can be established within the buffers. The winding nature of the trail and subsequent lack of sightlines will help deter geese from occupying the path.
Another way to change habitat incentives for geese is to stop any feeding. Free handouts encourage geese to gather in an area and to keep returning. Habitat management is the best long-term method for reducing goose impacts on natural lands, but it may be necessary to implement other active management techniques to further discourage geese, particularly while the new, more natural habitat is getting established. Other techniques are included in the subsequent sections.
Single strands of wire placed at 6 inches and 12 inches above the ground between the bank of the waterway and mown areas will help deter geese from walking from the pond into the adjacent areas. Mark the wire with flagging that flutters in a breeze. The flagging will protect humans from tripping over the wire and the fluttering will make geese nervous. Even though they can easily fly over the wire, in most cases it will keep them confined to the water. It does not need to be electrified, but if geese are pushing through the wire, electrifying it temporarily may be necessary. Fencing can also be used in conjunction with shrub plantings. Low shrubs are planted along the waterway bank and fencing is installed on the upslope perimeter of the shrubs.
Repellents, such as methyl anthranilate and anthraquinones, are available to spray on vegetation to make it unpalatable to geese. They are expensive, but in theory should need to be used for only a short period.
Several options are used to harass geese and discourage them from using a property, including dogs, scarecrows, or loud noises. It is important to note that geese and their eggs cannot be harmed directly as part of harassment. Any activities that harm geese must go through a formal permitting process with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Pennsylvania Game Commission. Contractors can be employed to carry out various forms of harassment.
Dogs are very effective in harassing geese. The landowner could use their own dog or a professional goose management service that uses specially trained dogs for this purpose. Such services, which use small herding dogs or sometimes hunting breeds, are contracted to periodically visit a site to chase the geese.
Loud noises can also be used to harass geese. This method uses firecrackers or shells that explode after being fired from a shotgun. There are also propane-fueled cannons that make loud booms. These methods can be labor intensive, but they have been successful in driving off geese in many places. Contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission for current regulations on implementing these methods.
Scarecrows are a more passive form of harassment that uses balloons, alligator models, or owl decoys to deter geese. These are very short-term solutions, at best. In most cases, geese quickly learn that they pose no threat and ignore them.
Lethal removal is often an effective way to dissuade flocks of geese from using a property. It usually requires the removal of only a few geese to induce the remaining geese to leave the area. Hunters can kill geese during the legal hunting season (September through February) with three credentials: a general hunting license, a Pennsylvania Migratory Game Bird License, and a federal duck stamp. Land managers can also obtain a depredation permit through the Pennsylvania Game Commission for off-season hunting; however, this requires substantial paperwork and two years of harassment prior to removal. Although lethal removal may not be an immediate fix due to restrictions around hunting seasons and off-season hunting, over time and combined with other deterrents, lethal removal can help to provide enough time for a natural riparian buffer to become established that is a more permanent deterrent. Contractors can also be employed to remove geese, again with proper permitting.
Geese can be discouraged from using a property by killing their eggs without breaking them or removing them from the nest. Geese will produce new eggs if a clutch is lost, but they will continue caring for intact eggs, even if they are dead. A goose pair will often abandon an area after attempting unsuccessfully to nest there. Egg tampering, which consists of either oiling or addling, requires registering with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Pennsylvania Game Commission and reporting your activities by October 31 each year. Addling eggs is shaking them violently to kill the embryo. In oiling, one uses a cloth saturated with cooking oil to completely wipe the eggshell to keep air from passing through the shell wall and smother the embryo. The key is not to cause any visible changes to the eggs or nest to avoid triggering the geese to build another nest and lay additional eggs. These techniques, allowed between March 1 and June 30, should be done shortly after geese have finished laying eggs and are beginning to sit on the nest. A goose nest should be approached with the greatest caution and only when the goose pair is out of sight; geese defending their nests and offspring have been known to cause physical trauma to humans, including broken arm bones and head injuries. Similar to previous management options, contractors can be employed to do this work. Image name: goose eggs
Monitoring for geese can be a straightforward process as geese prefer areas of short vegetation where they are easily visible. Land managers can do a visual survey to estimate goose numbers. Visually monitoring the presence or absence and abundance of geese can indicate if management efforts are successful. Another simple indication of goose population levels is the presence and abundance of goose fecal matter. Goose fecal matter is also very visible and a strong indicator of population numbers. If fecal abundance is low to not present, that is a good indication that geese are not frequently using the area in large numbers.
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United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/operational-activities/sa_waterfowl/ct_waterfowl, as of 2024)