Extirpated during European settlement over most of its
former southern breeding range, the Canada goose (Branta canadensis) was
re-established in the midwestern and eastern United States and Canada
(Nelson 1963, Dill and Lee 1970, Cooper 1978, Lee 1987, Zenner 1996). First released
in urban-suburban environments in the 1940s, the species was breeding in several
midwestern and eastern cities 2 decades later (Hawkins 1970). Since then Canada
goose populations including metropolitan flocks have grown at phenomenal rates.
Ankney (1996) reported breeding Ontario Canada geese grew exponentially--from <1,000
in 1967 to 190,000 in 1994; Zenner (1996) estimated Mississippi Flyway Giant Canada
goose (B. c. maxima) numbers at 1 million in 1996, mostly from re-established
flocks. Goose problems have been reported in Anchorage, Vancouver B.C., Seattle,
Denver, Chicago, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Winnipeg, Toronto, Boston, Washington,
D. C., and other urban centers (Laycock 1982, Nelson and Oetting 1982, Cooper 1987,
Conover and Chasko 1985, Ankney 1996). Complaints include droppings on golf courses,
docks and swimming beaches, parks, and residential yards (Conover and Chasko 1985,
Cooper 1987), water quality reduction (Manny et al. 1994), and aircraft hazards
(Cooper 1991, Dolbeer 1996).
Urban Canada goose management approaches can be divided into
short-term redistribution techniques and long-term population and habitat management
procedures. Short-term techniques prevent or reduce goose use of a specific site
from hours to several weeks. Redistribution has been attempted by prohibiting
artificial feeding, hazing using humans (Aguilera 1989), vehicles, dogs, swans, swan
or dead goose decoys, and sounds (Mott and Timbrook 1988), erecting access barriers
such as wire, rope, or bird-scare tape fences, and taste aversive chemicals (Conover
1985, Cummings et al. 1991, Belant et al. 1996). Long-term approaches include
population reduction by decreasing reproduction or survival, removing geese, and
habitat reduction. Reproduction has been inhibited by embryocides (Baker et al.
1993, Christens et al. 1995), egg removal (Wright and Phillips 1991), and
vacsectomization (Converse 1985). Populations have been reduced by sport hunting,
shooting (Cooper 1991), capture and relocating of goslings and/or adults (Blandin and
Heusmann 1974, Martz et al 1983, Cooper 1987), and capture and processing for human
food.
This paper describes Minnesota urban goose management
policies and presents data for Metropolitan Twin Cities Area (Metro) goose population.
The Twin Cities, lat. 45o long. 93o, is a 6,076 km2
midwestern urban complex with 2.5 million residents and more than 3,000 lakes and
wetlands covering 37% of the area. The Metro population growth, human tolerance,
complaint types and levels, and the efficacy of short and long-term management
procedures are discussed.