Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site GEESE OUT

I have 2 geese that come to my pond everyday. I tried to chase them away yesterday and they wouldnt even fly away.I just put my fingerlings in will they eat them? and is there any tricks to keeping them out?

Hosty...the geese won't mess with your fingerlings...they's wreak havoc on your plants and garden and will demolish any water vegetation you've got...they'll also fertilize your pond...if all you end up with is two, count your blessings !...Removal can be a booger, they're very stubborn and can be territoral and can give a nasty pinch !...if you've got a K9 friend, turn him loose on them...failing that, your constant presence and harassment may do the trick...the last resort, apply with the state/province for a nuicance removal permit and let Remington do the talking !

Good luck !

Torchy

For us, geese are a horrible problem. It was great when we had one pair with their babies. These babies come back and this continues to multiply. Now we have 30-50 geese using our 4 acre lake. They destroy everything. Try not to get to this stage.

I don't know about the legality of managing the number of young hatched each year. However, it is just as much fun to watch 1 or 2 young as it is 5-7 young. If an entire clutch is destroyed, the geese will renest and you are back where you started.

Norm, I don't think Hosty has much to worry about at this point. In certain cases where the population is out of control, I've seen the fish and game people addle the eggs on a nest site. The idea is to shake them vigourisly but not damage the shell.Replace them on the nest and the parents will still tend to them even though they won't hatch. They will not re-lay a new batch and will eventually abandon the site and subsequently not reproduce that year. I do not suggest this unless it is causing major damage, and legal issues are verified.

When we bought our place (with 2 ac +- pond) we counted 140+ geese at one time. At that time there were horses on the pasture and it was eaten down to almost nothing. It seemed that the geese liked the location as much for the pasture as the water. Since then the horses moved next door ( which has 3 approx 1 1/2 ac ponds), I let our pasture grow up to the point that it is difficult for them to walk and graze and the geese have left. We have 2 that seem to hang around but we also have a varmit - fox or coyote - that keeps them in check.

Want to scare off the geese? Bottlerockets with report work great. They make the job easy, and its fun.

the best way,is any way to bug the heck out of them , bottle rockets, gun shots. i get couple every year, here and there. i bug them and when they go in the water , throw rocks at them lol and they will leave. you got to be persistant. once they lay eggs , that nest is federaly protected , but that is soon to change.

Ken, what do you mean that once they lay eggs, they are federally protected? I don't want to do anything illegal. Can you be very specific about what a person can and can't do? Also, what do you mean when you say "things are about to change"?

the giant canada goose is a migratory federaly protected bird. you need a permit to mess with them out of hunting season from the feds wildlife service. 20 years ago it was cool sight to see a flock going to canada, now they just winter over in most places. so to keep their numbers in check, they will be taken off the list and hunted very heavy , with a long season. guess the senators are sick of stepping in crap while golfing lol