Canadian Geese

Rockie · July 2003

This has nothing to do with anything remotely HR, but do any of you know how to keep Canadian Geese in the pond and off your yard? I have never had problems with geese coming out of the lake and feasting under my birdfeeder or on my front lawn like I have this year! I guess they are hungry, but if I start feeding them, then they will be on my patio and ringing my doorbell for food. HELP!!! (They kind of remind me of these persistent employees who keep coming back after I've told them NO!)

ray a · July 2003

We have a park nearby with a large pond populated with geese. They make a mess of the grounds and the paved walking path. We have never found a way to clean them up.

Don D · July 2003

The answer to your problem is this. You have angered these fowl because you are calling them by the wrong name. They are actually Canada Geese, not Canadian Geese. A Canadian Goose is a digital procedure practiced in fraternity houses in the Southeast and we cannot go into it in polite company. A Canada Goose is the flying foul aptly named thus because they have inter-country flight lanes which they access depending on temperatures on the North American continent, but they typically originate annually in or near Canada. Many of them exist as far south as my state and they never leave, but linger as do their vile deposits. So, if you will convince the offenders that you have been wrong but are willing to change, they might surprise you. It's worth a try.

Rockie · July 2003

I am sure that it I practiced that digital procedure on these "foul" fowl friends, they would take flight, never to return. However, this is not an option. I do appreciate your correcting them on my "fowl" interpretation, though.

ray a · July 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-14-03 AT 03:31PM (CST)[/font][p]Don, And if it doesn't work, expect a package in the mail.

POPEYE · July 2003

If Don D's politically correct method doesn't work, a well trained Labrador Retriever that will chase on command should do the trick. Won't take but one or two times being chased away to keep the Goose close to the Gander on the water.

Rob S · July 2003

I was at a golf course a few years back, and they were spraying grape juice on the fairway to keep the geese off, and in the lake. He said that geese think of grape juice the way people think of Tabasco. I have no idea if this is true, or if it even works, but this golf pro sure was a believer.

Rob Shuster

Don D · July 2003

Rob may be onto something here. Maybe this is why you never see Canada Geese around the wineries of foreign countries like Italy and California.

gillian2 · July 2003

Sorry, Don, Canada geese do show up in California. Some years back there was a big controversy over a developer wanting to build houses on a hill (about 10 miles from my house) where the geese wintered or summered, I don't remember which. The geese won.

System · July 2003

Popeye is right - a dog is the best remedy! I lived in an apartment complex years ago with five large lakes. The geese and their doo-doo were everywhere! The only thing to do is ignore them completely and never feed them. One of my neighbors would blow a whistle or air horn to frighten them off, but there's nothing like a loud dog to get rid of them!

Don D · July 2003

Why am I not surprised that in California, the goose won? On a related note, I well remember when I was a little boy, my dad would return from his annual plane trip up to somewhere in Illinois and he would always have two huge dead Canada geese to lay out in the side yard (sometimes in the snow) beside the carport for the neighbors to see. I think two was the limit and the whole group of hunters would bring back two each. Then my mother would pluck them or whatever they called it and the kitchen would smell great with onions and spices and celery and goose the next day. I know Rockie never intended to remind me of my mother's kitchen. The Forum does odd things sometimes.

annie1992 · July 2003

I don't have a labrador retriever, I have a dachshund. I also don't have a lake, I have a swimming pool. Each fall, on their migratory flight south, geese try to use my pool as a stopping off place. Each fall, Wonderweiner stands guard. They never stay long.

Annie

sandra_d · July 2003

There is a house on a lake near me that has something long, dark and shiny strung between small posts on both corners of their lot where it meets the water. I've never seen geese or ducks or anything else on their yard, but they do go to the neighbors yard. It looks like the "tape" from a cassette tape, and it catches the sunlight and sparkles ... when the wind blows, it moves as does the light reflecting off of it.

I've never rang their doorbell to ask exactly what this was supposed to do, but it's my assumption it is meant to keep the geese and ducks away. It must work because they do it each and every year, and I've never seen any visitors in their yard. Of course, you have to decide if you'd rather look at geese or 100 yards or more of cassette tape blowing in the breeze...!

Rockie · July 2003

>There is a house on a lake near me that has something long, dark and
>shiny strung between small posts on both corners of their lot where it
>meets the water. I've never seen geese or ducks or anything else on
>their yard, but they do go to the neighbors yard. It looks like the
>"tape" from a cassette tape, and it catches the sunlight and sparkles
>... when the wind blows, it moves as does the light reflecting off of
>it.
>
>I've never rang their doorbell to ask exactly what this was supposed
>to do, but it's my assumption it is meant to keep the geese and ducks
>away. It must work because they do it each and every year, and I've
>never seen any visitors in their yard. Of course, you have to decide
>if you'd rather look at geese or 100 yards or more of cassette tape
>blowing in the breeze...!

Hey! At least the cassette tapes don't poop in the yard!

moneyman · July 2003

What about those plastic owls? I've seen them all over on boat docks, tops of boat houses and other buildings, apartment buildings etc. They are supposed to keep other birds away (and sometimes rodents).

Cheryl S SPHR · July 2003

Each winter, our fair city is invaded by thousands of Canada Geese. One of their favorite places is the lake near our State Capitol Building. You can walk by, even with dog, and they will walk (not fly) out of your way, but they quickly return to their grazing on the lawn. They also invade the lawns around the capitol itself, other buildings, the parks, cross the streets at their leisure (we have to wait for them) and go into people's yards. Some people complain about the mess they make, but I find them amusing and nice to have around. If you went the dog route, it would probably have to be on duty 24/7.

I too, have a weiner dog -- they are great hunters -- at least in their own minds -- and don't tire of chasing the birds and varmints who invade their territory!

Leslie · July 2003

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-15-03 AT 11:47AM (CST)[/font][p]Fake owls don't do a thing. I lived in an apartment complex overloaded with pigeons, and they tried it. One day I came home to see a pigeon perched on one of the owls.

My SO's folks live on a ranch up north. They love the elk wandering through, but would prefer they restrict their grazing to the lawn, outside trees, etc., and not the rose and other assorted flower bushes they have around the house, plus vegetable gardens. So up went the electric wire. It's not too unsightly, however, the "police" tape they have to run around it to ward off humans is!

Rockie · July 2003

Hey, I really like some of these suggestions...I think I will try the grape juice trick to see if it works. If I find purple "goose prints" on my sidewalk, I will know it doesn't.

Anyway....now I have a raccoon with an identity crisis. He sits on the squirrel feeder and eats the corn I put out for the squirrels. He's real cute, but a pain in the butt!

Hunter1 · July 2003

Golf courses and parks have no end of problems with Canada geese. We've tried everything; from mylar tape, dogs, destroying eggs, trapping, a 'dead goose' decoy that floats in the water and is supposed to scare off the live ones, you name it, we've tried it. Nothing works very effectively. I'd offer my pseudo-namesake, Hunter, my Springer, but it's a long way to go. What I'd really like to know is how Don knows about the Canadian goose???

Rockie · July 2003

>Golf courses and parks have no end of problems with Canada geese.
>We've tried everything; from mylar tape, dogs, destroying eggs,
>trapping, a 'dead goose' decoy that floats in the water and is
>supposed to scare off the live ones, you name it, we've tried it.
>Nothing works very effectively. I'd offer my pseudo-namesake, Hunter,
>my Springer, but it's a long way to go. What I'd really like to know
>is how Don knows about the Canadian goose???

Well, he is one of those "southern fraternity boys" after all!

shelby · July 2003

We, too, have lots of geese because of a large pond in our backyard. I've heard (but haven't tried) that if you blow up a large inflatable alligator toy and anchor it in the corner of the pond, they won't come around. What does work is similiar to Sandra D's post. We have run a thin wire on the edge of the lawn next to the pond and it works pretty well. The geese don't seem to want to cross the wire. When we've been too lazy to set up the wire, my husband has actually used one of our son's remote control trucks and chased them around the yard with it. It's only a temporary fix (much like having a dog doing the running), but it is pretty hysterical to watch!!! (I love a man with a great sense of humor!!!)

sonny · July 2003

That I would like to see!! Whatever you do, do not come between them and their babies. They are very protective and will attack and yes I know this from first hand experience.

HRQ · July 2003

Geese are incredibly aggressive if you have something they want. My husband and I were at a lake: he was fishing, I was on a blanket reading and eating potato chips. The geese noticed the chips and of course wanted them. (I think they are like goats - they'll eat anything)

Anyway, the geese charged at me. I jumped on top of the picnic table. My husband, in an attempt to scare the geese and protect me, took an "en garde" stance with his fishing pole. The geese then charged HIM. My 6' 250lb husband jumped on the picnic table with me. We let the geese have the chips, and waited for them to go away.

We will never again attempt to deny food from an aggressive gaggle of geese.

By the way, on another day by the lake, I learned that ducks like canned corn. (we had it for bait) Who knew?

Canadian Geese

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