Canada Geese
/A point was brought up at last years meeting regarding the seemingly growing population of Canadian Geese that have started to appear on the lake and river area. The HLSMR environmental team has been in touch with parks and conservation areas in Ontario along with Environment Canada on steps we can take to minimize an exploding population on our lake and river. Environment Canada has provided a Handbook entitled Canada and Cackling Geese: Management and Population Control in Southern Canada. It is available at a link below for review and we have highlighted a few key areas below as a summary as they relate to deterrents and controls.
Seasonal Deterrents to prevent the population growth in a particular area
- Reduce attractiveness of feeding habitats
- Prevent nesting
- Prevent Hatching
- Scare Pre-moulting geese away
- Erect barriers
- Lure Geese Elsewhere
Goose Control Prescriptions - Non Lethal
- Ensure No One is feeding the geese
- Erect Landscape Barriers on property
- Modify Grass to grasses not liked by geese
- Scaring Techniques - (some that require permit and some that do not)
- Removal
Goose Control Prescriptions - Lethal
- Hunting
- Egg Sterilization or Destruction
- Lethal Removal of Geese
There are a number of techniques mentioned throughout the document, and you can find the details about each section at the link provided. The challenge on the lake environment is that Geese will tend to nest where there are no people, which is precisely why many of us have places on the same waterway. If you do find geese nesting on or near your property there are a number of techniques that can be used to relocate them to a different area, hopefully another lake, that are safe and easy to apply by most. Some of the prescriptions above do require outside assistance such as Environment Canada or Minisitry of Natural Resources.
Canada and Cackling Geese: Management and Population Control in Southern Canada