PREVENTION IS THE KEY

Make your property less attractive to geese

• Don't feed geese
• Leave a 20-30 foot barrier strip of tall grass (6 inches or more) adjacent to lakeshore
• Plant dense hedges or erect fencing near lakeshore areas to reduce access to your lawn
• Check your property frequently for nest building activity during the spring
• Remove any nesting materials found
• Harass geese that frequent your property
• Be persistent (the geese will be!)

Support special metro goose hunting seasons in your area to keep populations in check

THE LEGALITIES OF GOOSE CONTROL*
(*under Federal law--state laws may be more restrictive, contact your state wildlife agency for more information)

What you can do
-"Harass" the birds prior to nesting using noisemakers, dogs, or implements like brooms or rakes
-Remove accumulated nesting material (prior to nesting)
-Erect fences and barriers to keep geese off your property

What you can't do (unless in possession of an applicable federal permit)
-Injure, capture or kill geese (except under applicable hunting regulations)
-Disturb geese on an established nest
-Collect or destroy goose eggs

IF ALL ELSE FAILS

Contact your state conservation agency

Contact your local office of Wildlife Services (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture)

Iowa Illinois Indiana Michigan Minnesota Missouri Ohio Wisconsin

515/233-9130 217/241-6700 765/494-0535 517/224-9517 218/327-3351 573/446-1862 614/469-5681 608/837-2727

• Protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act

• Feed by grazing on succulent grasses and small plants

• Weigh 12 pounds or more

• Live 10 years or more

• Able to reproduce at 2-3 years of age

• Eggs hatch in 28 days--broods average 4 goslings

• Return to the same nesting and feeding areas each year

Goose Web/ Index/ back

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Created 3/1/97; last update 4/20/98.
Questions? Dr. James A. Cooper goose@fw.umn.edu
Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, University of Minnesota
URL: http://www.fw.umn.edu/research/goose/html/tips.html
© 1996 by the University of Minnesota