Hawkins (1970) found Canada geese at 4 Metro sites in 1968
and Cooper and Sayler (1974), repeating Hawkin's survey in 1973, reported mostly
free-flying geese at 13 sites. By 1984, the goose flock expansion precluded
individual flock counts, and a stratified random survey based on the MNDNR's
protected wetland database was used. Protected wetlands included type 3, 4, 5
wetlands (Cowardin et al. 1979) larger than 1.1 ha and lakes. The water bodies were
stratified by county and wetland type and 10% of the type 4 and 5 wetlands and lakes
selected randomly. Selected wetlands were visited during the June to July molt
period and the birds counted. The survey was repeated in 1994 with an equal
partitioning of the sample into hunted and unhunted wetlands and lakes. Shoreline in
mowed-grass or pasture was estimated to the nearest 25%. From these data, a Twin
Cities population growth model was developed, the influence of shoreline goose
numbers assessed, and, using the wetland inventory and published data on Canada goose
nest densities, the Canada goose carrying capacity of the Metro estimated.
Goose complaint site data were recorded from 1982 to 1996.
These sites were classified by predominate human use, the season when the problem
occurred, location, and primary complaint (droppings, damage, water quality, hazard,
etc.). The human tolerance threshold--the number of birds that prompting the initial
complaint--was determined by counting the birds at the site when the first complaint
was received.