Goose Chase

Years ago I worked on a property that had ponds and therefore a lot of geese. Of course they make a mess on the sidewalk. The maintenance guys just hosed the sidewalks down twice a day. Now I'm district-managing a property with geese all over.

There is a vendor who will come daily when the geese are around and do a "goose chase." Basically he brings his dog, who runs around each pond barking, driving the geese into the water. Then the man is in his rowboat, goes over to the geese, and splashes the water with his oar to make them fly away. A couple of other managers told me this works. MY concern is that this supposedly going to "teach" all geese to avoid that property. I find it hard to believe, with billions of geese everywhere.

Another manager told me to put a white swan on each pond and the geese won't come. Another told me not a white swan, but a black swan! It all just sounds like hocus-pocus. If you have any ideas they would be most welcome. Keep in mind the environmental authorities--they are very tough on apartment buildings around here, so I can't bend any laws.

Getting rid of geese

Hi there. I thought this might help. Though I do know that many people have had great success with using dogs. Done consistently, the geese should leave and not come back. Though if you see a few coming back it might be good to bring the dog in for a couple days again. Best of luck!

The following information was taken from another site. I thought it might help. Best of luck!

Here are a few suggestions I located on the Internet. Are these the
types of suggestions you seek?

One form's resources from
forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ponds/msg0714573031870.html

"Many golf courses have had success with dogs, especially herding
breeds that continually attempt to "round up" the geese. They get
tired of this and leave. Perhaps you know someone with a border collie
or similar dog that you could borrow for a while. The dogs usually
love this and hopefully the geese will not."

"A medium size dog like a labrador retriever or some other bird dog
should keep them away and have fun doing it. Smaller dogs will be
attacked by the geese and driven away."

"What some do is pierce the egg and scramble it [goose egg] then put
them back on the nest. This way, the birds continue to try to hatch
them. If you take them away and destroy them, the geese may lay more.
I'm no expert, this is just what I've heard."

"Up here in New Jersey the new thing is to get plastic dogs. Yup
plastic, they move them around ponds and lake shores perodically and I
have noticed where I have seen the poly dogs that the geese have
pretty much retreated. You still see a few but nothing like the hordes
of before. And the plastic dogs dont require feeding or vet bills, try
it."

"One of the factories in a town nearby had a big problem with canadian
geese in their water pond. They got some type of rubber geese from
some where, and laid them on their sides (where they would appear to
be dead) It did get rid of the geese eventually, but it sure looked
funny with all those seemingly dead ducks laying all around on the
lawn. I guess that they instinctively avoid water where they see dead
fowl, thinking the water is unsafe?"

"My swans keep them away here and what they chase the russell
chases.They come have young,next year they come back have young,Before
you know it youre over run.One thing might help is get some fire
crackers loud ones.We live near a gaited community I dont know what
they use but its loud and they leave fast.Something short of a cannon
ha"


And there's a great article about them at
www.websterlakeassociation.com/Environme...Canadian%20Geese.htm
In part, it reads, "Corporations, colleges, golf courses, airports,
municipalities, water reservoirs, cemeteries and others spend millions
of dollars a year using dogs, noise, chemicals and other means to keep
geese off places people don't want them to be. New York City, for
instance, has budgeted $4.5 million over the next three years to keep
geese and other birds from degrading drinking water in its
reservoirs."


Please let me know if these types of resources are acceptable to as an
answer and I will gladly locate more of them.

Best regards,
journalist-ga



One forum's resources from
forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/ponds/msg0714573031870.html

"Many golf courses have had success with dogs, especially herding
breeds that continually attempt to "round up" the geese. They get
tired of this and leave. Perhaps you know someone with a border collie
or similar dog that you could borrow for a while. The dogs usually
love this and hopefully the geese will not."

"A medium size dog like a labrador retriever or some other bird dog
should keep them away and have fun doing it. Smaller dogs will be
attacked by the geese and driven away."

"What some do is pierce the egg and scramble it [goose egg] then put
them back on the nest. This way, the birds continue to try to hatch
them. If you take them away and destroy them, the geese may lay more.
I'm no expert, this is just what I've heard."

"Up here in New Jersey the new thing is to get plastic dogs. Yup
plastic, they move them around ponds and lake shores perodically and I
have noticed where I have seen the poly dogs that the geese have
pretty much retreated. You still see a few but nothing like the hordes
of before. And the plastic dogs dont require feeding or vet bills, try
it."

"One of the factories in a town nearby had a big problem with canadian
geese in their water pond. They got some type of rubber geese from
some where, and laid them on their sides (where they would appear to
be dead) It did get rid of the geese eventually, but it sure looked
funny with all those seemingly dead ducks laying all around on the
lawn. I guess that they instinctively avoid water where they see dead
fowl, thinking the water is unsafe?"

"My swans keep them away here and what they chase the russell
chases.They come have young,next year they come back have young,Before
you know it youre over run.One thing might help is get some fire
crackers loud ones.We live near a gaited community I dont know what
they use but its loud and they leave fast.Something short of a cannon
ha"


And there's a great article about them at
www.websterlakeassociation.com/Environme...Canadian%20Geese.htm
In part, it reads, "Corporations, colleges, golf courses, airports,
municipalities, water reservoirs, cemeteries and others spend millions
of dollars a year using dogs, noise, chemicals and other means to keep
geese off places people don't want them to be. New York City, for
instance, has budgeted $4.5 million over the next three years to keep
geese and other birds from degrading drinking water in its
reservoirs."


*********************************************************************


Canadian Geese - tips on repelling them

"A physical barrier of dense, low-growing (at least three-feet high)
shrubs will limit Canadian Geese. The birds are intimidated by the
height and breadth of the plants and their potential for offering
cover to predators. The most natural deterrent is long grass grown
around ponds; geese won't venture forth in it for fear of lurking
predators. A border of periwinkle, Japanese pachysandra, and English
ivy at the edge of the lawn may also be effective, because geese tend
to avoid these particular groundcovers. Frigtening devices can be
effective. Flags, mylar tape, ballons, scarecrows, and noise devices
can scare geese. Vary the device used and be persistant. Border
collies have an affinity for chasing and limiting geese to the water.
A repellent call ReJexit is effective on Canadian Geese. Shaking the
eggs can keep them from hatching and will limit the population growth.
Canadian geese are protected by federal law and a permit is required
for shaking the eggs or destroying the nest."
www.ces.ncsu.edu/cabarrus/staff/dgoforth/wildlife/gee.html


REJEXIT
"By making grass in grazing areas unpalatable to geese, REJEXIT
resolves your geese problem without harming humans or geese. After as
little as one application, research shows geese leave the treated
areas for better, tastier food sources. The product has been tested in
cooperation with USDA's Animal Damage Control and Denver Wildlife
Research center. The product meets the EPA's standards for reduced
risk and is ecologically friendly, non-phytotoxic and biodegradable.
Available in quart, 1 and 2 1/2 gallon containers."
www.aquadocinc.com/chemical.html
Phone 1-800-689-5253 ? (440) 256-7663
mailto:[email protected]


When Geese become a problem
"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEC have approved the
use of one product, ReJeXiT®, as a goose repellent on lawns. Geese
will avoid feeding on treated lawns because they dislike the taste.
However, geese may still walk across treated areas to get to adjacent
untreated areas. The active ingredient in ReJeXiT® is methyl
anthranilate (MA), which is a human-safe food flavoring derived from
grapes. The material is available at some garden supply centers and
costs about $125 per acre per application. Several applications per
year are usually necessary. Therefore, it is most practical and
cost-effective for homeowners with only small areas of lawn to
protect. For best results, follow directions on product labels; if too
dilute[sic], it won?t work, if too concentrated, it can kill the
grass. ReJeXiT® may not be used in ponds or wetlands in New York
State, and a DEC Article 24 (Freshwater Wetland) permit is needed to
apply it within 100 feet of a regulated wetland. No other repellents,
including products containing formulations of MA, have been approved
for use in New York state."
www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/wildlife/geese.pdf


Bird-X, Bird Control Products Since 1964
Gator Guard
"REALISTIC, UNASSUMING AND PERMANENT - Life-sized floating replica of
an alligator head, 25 threatening inches long, repel geese, ducks,
fish-eating birds and small animals from the water areas they love,
without spoiling the look of your property.
THIS WORKS BECAUSE IT MOVES!
Stationary owls don't work. But Gator Guard moves and bounces all
around the pond with the wind and water - plus, the mirrored-back eyes
flash in the sun. The birds think they're being followed, so they
can't acclimate to a fixed pattern."
www.bird-x.com/products/goose_control_repeller_gator.html
Phone 800-860-0473


County hires specialist to get its geese gone
"Wild Goose Chase Inc. uses dogs, remote-controlled boats and laser
pointers to harass geese into flying away. The La Grange, Ill., firm
has nearly 140 clients, among them Milwaukee County, local golf
courses and housing complexes.

"Each goose produces three pounds of droppings a day," said Susan
Hagberg, the company's president. "They can be a tremendous nuisance."

"Her company uses trained border collies to herd the geese, which
typically waddle into a nearby pond. Employees then use
remote-controlled boats to harass the geese into flying away. At
night, employees flash harmless laser pointers, which confuse the
geese enough that they take off."
www.jsonline.com/news/metro/jun05/336397.asp?source=tmj4


Goose Chase (product located about three quarters of the way down the
page and appears to have the same basic ingredient as ReJexIt)
"What is GooseChase? It's a biodegradable, food-grade taste aversion
agent, made from a bitter tasting, smelly part of concord grapes
(active ingredient methyl anthranilate). It renders food sources
unpalatable and inedible to geese. Chase away geese."
www.safehomeproducts.com/SHP2/es/Organic...&topg=238&menupage=6


Goose Buster (product located about two thirds of the way down the page)
"GooseBuster is the first and only repeller to use actual alert and
alarm calls of Canada geese, recorded under natural conditions. Geese
recognize these calls and respond instinctively:
To "alert" calls indicating uneasiness about potential danger
And "alarm" calls signifying immediate danger.
In response, geese evacuate instantly, without waiting to identify the source.

"Different calls in random combinations. Calls differ in frequency,
duration and intervals. Sound combinations, sequences and speaker
selection change randomly, leading geese to perceive many birds many
locations.

"23 years of research. GooseBuster is the tangible result of 23 years
of research conducted by Dr. Philip Whitford, Associate Professor of
Biology at Capital University. Click here for this research report."
www.safehomeproducts.com/SHP2/es/Sonic_R...&topg=260&menupage=6
Another site offering it: www.bugs2020.com/birdx-goose-buster.htm



These links should give you numerous choices for ridding your area of
unwanted geese. Should you require clarification of any of the links
or info I've provided, please request it as I will be happy to
respond.

Best regards,
journalist-ga

Thank you for the many ideas. One thing shocked me though--breaking the goose eggs! It is against FEDERAL law to ever tamper with waterfowl nests or eggs. No kidding, look it up. It was passed by Teddy Roosevelt about a century ago. You might think you wouldn't get caught, but in one area of suburban Chicago a property got into trouble. The conservation dept. spot-checked nests and could tell the management company had been moving nests (they were in the dumpsters) and breaking the eggs.

I wonder if you might have a local zoo, veterinary school, or animal conservancy that can assist you with controlling/eliminating the problem and staying within the letter of the law?