Geese may quickly choose not to rest or forage at specific
locations where even mild harassment is occurring when
alternative sites are available. An important component of any
comprehensive management plan is to identify and set aside
areas where geese can be tolerated, and leave them undisturbed
there. Ideally, these should be as easily accessible as the
problem areas and offer the elements geese prefer—forage, good
sight lines, and access to bodies of water.
Perceived conflicts can sometimes be resolved simply through
education. An understanding of goose biology and behavior, even
simplistically, can help foster greater tolerance and
willingness to work through issues. Likewise, the public will
often be understanding and sympathetic just by knowing that a
problem is being addressed and that managers are making a
concerted effort to resolve conflicts. Public education is a
key component of any program focused on resolving human-goose
conflicts also because it is the people affected who should be
playing an active role in decisions about programs. In almost
every respect, the key to successful goose management programs
will not be how many geese are present at a given site, but how
people feel about them.
Geese will congregate where food is easy to find, so places
where people offer handouts will often have more geese who stay
there more persistently. Feeding occurs along a continuum, with
the occasional handout having far less consequence than the
daily arrival of a dedicated feeder with a trunk full of bread.
It would be nice if we all could enjoy geese, watching and
appreciating their natural behavior free of human inducements
and interference, but this is not realistic. Anti-feeding
ordinances may help raise public awareness about the issue, but
they should not be overzealously enforced. Education,
especially of the committed and large-scale feeders, is
preferable. Often, people who care about the animals respond
more positively to explanations of the potential harm feeding
can cause the geese than to unexplained feeding bans. Canada
geese do not need food from humans. Even in severe weather,
these birds can and will move considerable distances to better
forage when necessary. The occasional injured bird who cannot
move should be cared for by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator
rather than fed.
Usually, the major complaint about geese in public places is
the droppings. For limited problem areas, regular cleanup by
paid staff or volunteer crews can resolve this conflict. Hosing
or sweeping walkways, if these areas are the primary concern,
may be feasible. Specialized landscaping equipment can sweep up
goose droppings as well as other waste from turf and walks.
This approach is best as a short-term and stopgap measure that
addresses concerns while other approaches are being considered
and evaluated.
