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OP
Joined: May 2014
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I'm well aware of the drawbacks of Canada geese at a pond. But I have a question: Are a few geese better than a number of cormorants?
Do a few territorial geese help keep cormorants away? Considering that cormorants are so fish oriented, is that a good thing?
Anybody know or at least have an educated guess?
Last edited by anthropic; 04/19/17 06:46 PM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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I have seen geese make an occasional run at GBH. I suspect they see them as a threat to their goslings. IMO geese view cormorants like they do ducks, no threat.
IMO there is absolutely no value in having geese on your pond. They will negatively impact water quality and introduce hazardous agents such as E coli that threatens the health of your family.
Last edited by Bill D.; 04/19/17 07:05 PM.
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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OP
Joined: May 2014
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Thanks, Bill. I know that large numbers of geese are bad news, was hoping maybe that a nesting pair wouldn't be so bad.
There's a pair hanging around my pond now, so I need info to make a good (and legal) decision what to do.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Joined: Oct 2014
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I understand. One pair is no big deal on your size puddle. The thing to consider is that geese return to where they successfully raised their young last year and they are very determined to stay. Geese live about 20 years. Those young also return to nest at the pond where they were raised and learned to fly. Their young do the same and so on and so on and so on .....and 5 years down the road you have a whole bunch and can't walk around the pond without stepping in goose crap!
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Lunker
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Lunker
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The male of my pair chase all the other geese away during nesting season. Once the babies are born, a bunch seem to show up for the baby shower:) Soon after, they all leave. I suspect this is due to the local predator population.
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Joined: Jul 2015
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Joined: Jul 2015
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I have a "nesting" pair on my pond that I've learned are actually a good thing. They chased off 8 other geese just last week. To combat baby geese, I keep a close eye out and raid the nest(s) any time I suspect there are eggs. Sometimes, this can be a 2 person job. This year has been rather uneventful.
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Another thing that makes control more challenging is it is against federal law for anyone to destroy a Canada goose nest that contains one or more eggs without first securing permission through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Be Brave Enough to Suck at Something New!
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Lunker
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Lunker
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Yup - Federal offence. Glad that you posted this so others know.
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We haven't had any geese in a while but when we did a few months ago a cormorant landed on the pond at the same time a pair of geese were there. The geese flipped out and chased him off. They didn't mind the ducks but the cormorant they definitely didn't like. We haven't had much of anything lately. Just a few mallard ducks. My Great Pyrenees/Border Collie mix does a pretty good job of scaring anything off. She is very proud of herself when she chases off the GBH and dives in the water to swim after ducks.
NTHA - North Texas Half Acre Cattle Ranch Ponds
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Joined: Nov 2011
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I discovered a few years ago that having a pond much smaller than the neighbors is a good thing when it comes to geese. The geese flying over see my little 1/2 acre pond and think about landing... then they see a glorious 3 acre pond nearby with a bunch of buddies on it already and leave mine alone! That 3 acre pond is positively stuffed with geese.
It helps to chase them off before they call in their friends. Once a few are comfortable, it is almost impossible to chase them off without constant harassment since more will keep coming.
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Bill, thanks for educating me. I'll have to go back to deterring their presence when they first arrive at the pond.
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Canadian geese would not be so bad if they tasted good. They taste like liver. If you like liver and can hunt them giver.
We have a pair drop in once in a while but don't set up nesting.
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OP
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Another thing that makes control more challenging is it is against federal law for anyone to destroy a Canada goose nest that contains one or more eggs without first securing permission through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Here's an excellent short video on how to egg addle Canada geese legally & effectively. Note that it requires registration with the Fish & Wildlife Service and can only be done between 1 March and 30 June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLIL-381Lw
Last edited by anthropic; 04/20/17 12:44 PM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Here's a six minute video showing how to legally & effectively addle Canada goose eggs. Note that the government must be notified and that it cannot be done later in the year than 30 June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLIL-381LwBreaking the eggs or simply taking them may not work, as the goose likely will just lay more. Inhumane, too. Away with Geese apparently has had good success with their tech to deter geese from nesting in the first place.
Last edited by anthropic; 04/20/17 05:15 PM.
7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Canadian geese would not be so bad if they tasted good. They taste like liver. If you like liver and can hunt them giver.
We have a pair drop in once in a while but don't set up nesting. Oh my. Dono, maybe you Canadians just don't know how to properly prepare Canada geese. I don't think their taste changes while they are south of the border. I know that my above-the-border relatives from the Toronto-Ottawa corridor, to Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, enjoy them as much as us below the border. Typically, we do not take anything but the breasts. At least for us, the remainder of the goose just isn't worth it. I would put fresh-harvested Canada Goose breast up against good beef filet-mignon any day. The color and texture are extremely similar. I immediately bleed mine out in a saltwater solution for at least and hour or two before cooking. Lightly rub them in vegetable oil. Best yet, is marinating them for an hour or two in a vinegar-oil-herb dressing (like Italian dressing). It can really make a huge difference. I like to add just a little garlic powder to each side after putting them on a very hot grill for just a couple of minutes per side. Don't over cook them. When a trusted meat thermometer gets to about 160F/70C degrees in the thickest parts o9f the meat, they are ready. Back in the last page archives of a Pond Boss magazine there is an article of how we took some of ESSHUPS (Scott's) duck (coot??) breasts, marinated them, and then slightly grilled them at Pond Boss LL2. They were more popular than great mid-western beef filet mignon -- although there were no left-overs of either that evening. Don't give up on those pesky geese. They can provide fantastic gourmet meals if prepared correctly. Ken
Last edited by catmandoo; 04/20/17 02:54 PM.
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Joined: Oct 2015
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Joined: Oct 2015
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Canada geese were almost extinct by the mid 1930's. My father told me, while growing up in east-central Arkansas in the late 1930's to mid 40's, that he very rarely saw a Canadian goose then, and he was an avid duck hunter. He was amazed at the number of geese he saw as he approached old age after 1990. By then they had started to become a nuisance around here.
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Joined: May 2009
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Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: May 2009
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A similar situation occurred for whitetailed deer. The issue is modifying regulations when warranted (like for coyotes). The difference may be Federal vs. State oversight?
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Ken, those were Gadwall breasts. Shot the day before in Miller Grove, Texas.
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Joined: Jun 2012
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Here's a six minute video showing how to legally & effectively addle Canada goose eggs. Note that the government must be notified and that it cannot be done later in the year than 30 June. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CLIL-381LwBreaking the eggs or simply taking them may not work, as the goose likely will just lay more. Inhumane, too. Away with Geese apparently has had good success with their tech to deter geese from nesting in the first place. Keep taking them and they will eventually stop laying them. Canadian geese would not be so bad if they tasted good. They taste like liver. If you like liver and can hunt them giver.
We have a pair drop in once in a while but don't set up nesting. Oh my. Dono, maybe you Canadians just don't know how to properly prepare Canada geese. I don't think their taste changes while they are south of the border. I know that my above-the-border relatives from the Toronto-Ottawa corridor, to Thunder Bay and Winnipeg, enjoy them as much as us below the border. Typically, we do not take anything but the breasts. At least for us, the remainder of the goose just isn't worth it. I would put fresh-harvested Canada Goose breast up against good beef filet-mignon any day. The color and texture are extremely similar. I immediately bleed mine out in a saltwater solution for at least and hour or two before cooking. Lightly rub them in vegetable oil. Best yet, is marinating them for an hour or two in a vinegar-oil-herb dressing (like Italian dressing). It can really make a huge difference. I like to add just a little garlic powder to each side after putting them on a very hot grill for just a couple of minutes per side. Don't over cook them. When a trusted meat thermometer gets to about 160F/70C degrees in the thickest parts o9f the meat, they are ready. Back in the last page archives of a Pond Boss magazine there is an article of how we took some of ESSHUPS (Scott's) duck (coot??) breasts, marinated them, and then slightly grilled them at Pond Boss LL2. They were more popular than great mid-western beef filet mignon -- although there were no left-overs of either that evening. Don't give up on those pesky geese. They can provide fantastic gourmet meals if prepared correctly. Ken Well I have printed this off and will trust you for another try at them. The texture was fantastic but the liver tastes I just could not handle. We just breasted them out too. Three just landed in the pond as I am typing this out. If we can prepare them so they are tasty my son would be in heaven hunting this fall. Cheers Don.
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Joined: Oct 2013
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I've tried many ways to prepare wild goose. Including saltwater soaked, marinated breasts. I think I would pick the prime fillet. I have found a place in western Nebraska that takes the goose breasts, adds beef, pork, and antelope, and makes a fantastic jerky. Can hardly taste the goose. The best part is, we just dump them off at his shop. He does the rest. I was walking in a park in Champaign IL the other day. It had a long pond across the back of the park. They had those orange lights on floats all over the pond. I don't think they were replacing the batteries in the lights, because there were 100s of geese swimming all around them. My pond is surrounded by trees. I don't think the geese have a long enough flight path to use it. They fly over all the time. So far this year, just a pair of woodies. Not sure if they are using the box I put up.
9 yr old pond, 1 ac, 15' deep. RES, YP, GS, FHM (no longer), HBG (going away), SMB, and HSB (only one seen in 5 yrs) Restocked HSB (2020) Have seen one of these. I think that's about all I should put in my little pond. Otter attack in 2023
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I have been told they taste better after several weeks of eating grain, like corn, oats, etc.
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Joined: Jul 2016
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Our dog makes sure the pond stays clear of the damn geese. If its too cold for him I scare them off with my super soaker works great. We've had at least two landing every night since mid march. I don't let them stay at all as soon as we see them we get rid of them. They are everywhere here. There is a flooded field just down the road that has at least 100 and a couple swans and ducks as well.
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Joined: Jul 2014
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Joined: Jul 2014
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I have personally witnessed a GBH eat my fish within 30 feet of a nested Canadian goose. I also allowed the two geese to nest in the hopes of scaring the GBH but apparently it is not effective. They will likely find a more hostile pond owner next year.
I Subscribe 1 acre pond with YP,HBG,RES,HSB,SMB,GSH,FHM
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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Moderator Ambassador Field Correspondent Lunker
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A few things to try. Take the goose breast, cut in to finger sized strips across the grain. Check for any steel shot. Marinate in Italian dressing for 24 hrs. (I put them in a zip loc bag, cover with the Italian dressing and squeeze all the air out of the bag. Put in fridge. Whenever I remember I take the bag and move the pieces around in it.) The next day throw on the BBQ, cook until they are barely turning from pink to brown inside and they are done.
Like Jeff said, turn them into Jerky. A buddy had 50 geese this year turned into Jerky and summer sausage. It's good!!! You have to make sure all the steel shot is out of the breasts or the meat processor will not be happy.....
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Joined: Jul 2011
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Joined: Jul 2011
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We have a pair of geese that have showed up for three years now. They defend the big pond against all comers. It is fun to watch them attack and drive off other geese, cormorants, a GBH or two and even one young eagle.
They have raised young each year. This year I finally named them. The male is Maverick and the female is Charlie. Seven goslings this year are learning the ropes. It is funny to watch them right on mom's butt. The last time I was out at the farm, they were just starting to graze out in front of the parents.
So for me, one pair is perfect. Yes there is a little poo out on the peninsula, but that is about it. Having the cormorants run off is well worth that one small issue. And the goslings are fun to watch.
Brian
The one thing is the one thing A dry fly catches no fish Try not to be THAT 10%
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