Methods to Persuade Geese to Leave?

[MRG]

I’ve had goose and enjoyed it. Need a big oven and some cooking skills, but anyone who can cook a large turkey could give it a go.

Swans will also keep the geese away.

Swans may be good for some applications buy not all. There were had 25+ at one time. The swans did their own thing, sure the geese avoided them but there's a lot of water swans don't care about. They feed in 5' or less of water.

 

[misanman]

We have a similar problem but it is mostly migratory geese. I use a "Bird Banger". It is like a starter pistol and uses a .22 cal blank to launch a exploding projectile above the geese. They don't like it at all and the same group almost never come back. Of course, there could be a new group another day. They are approved for the control of fowl in agricultural applications.

 

[CindyBlue]

I think having a dog in the pond that geese spend a lot of time in might cost you so much dog-washing time that it might not be worth it (grin!)

 

[Music Lover]

A lot of suggestions for a dog but getting a dog means 12 - 15 years of daily care, vet bills, being home to let it out, etc. If you're too busy or not a pet person it's a lousy idea.

 

[dmpi]

These birds are attracted to well maintained lawns. A dog is probably the answer. Maybe you can borrow a dog from one of your friends. It shouldn't take long before these birds get the message and move along.

 

[CardsFan]

A standard poodle is a hunting dog at heart. And, it's a water dog -- that-s why the coat is curly, to shed water.

I can attest to the bold. Friends had a standard poodle years ago when all our 30 something kids were around 10yo. That dog would play and swim with them in the creek for hours. He would even climb up the bank and jump in after the kids from about 8 feet high.

 

[Ronstar]

Ronstar a member here had an issue with them also. I'm sure he will see the thread and have some expert advise for what he did.

I can't remember if it was Ronstar or someone else, but one solution mentioned here was to string plain fence wire (not electrified, although that might help) about 8 or 12 inches above ground. That's too high for them to step over easily and too low to duck under. That would make it difficult to mow though.

I did install a fishing line about 12” above ground between stakes across my shoreline in the spring. Worked fine initially as a deterrent to adult geese. But babies would walk under it. So I installed a second fishing line about 4” above ground. The babies were persistent and go over or under it. And the adults would follow.

As summer came, babies grew and the geese seemed less interested in coming up into my back yard. And I have a thick grouping of fountain grasses along shoreline that may be a deterrent once they get big and thick enough mid summer.

I see a lot of my neighbors with the string lines along their shorelines. And I noticed recently a lot of pinwheel spinners. And some fake cardboard owls and coyotes.

I see online that the pinwheels are effective. I’m going to add some to the mix next year. And maybe a fake coyote if DW allows it.

 

[ERD50]

I think they don't like to hang out near places where they can't scope out predators. Maybe put some line of sight obscuring lawn chairs down there and see if that keeps them away. If that works, you could plant evergreen bushy things, if you prefer, to achieve the same effect. Those methods have worked at my lake cabin.

Interesting idea. Don't know if it would work or not, but I've watched the geese around us, and one or two in the group would always seem to be on the look-out, heads up, always looking around.

I'd bet they would be nervous if they couldn't have a clear view, and avoid that place.

-ERD50

 

[4legsgood]

Interesting idea. Don't know if it would work or not, but I've watched the geese around us, and one or two in the group would always seem to be on the look-out, heads up, always looking around.

I'd bet they would be nervous if they couldn't have a clear view, and avoid that place.

-ERD50

It's an easy zero cost thing to try.

I have a labrador, and he couldn't care less about chasing birds, go figure.

 

[Winemaker]

Make a smoky fire in your fireplace, and maybe cook some goose fat.

 

[NateW]

...Farmers use propane cannons to scare off wildlife, but they probably don't have neighbors close by. https://gemplers.com/products/m8-multiple-detonation-cannon-cannon-only?currency=USD&variant=21170467340377&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&utm_content=https://gemplers.com/products/m8-multiple-detonation-cannon-cannon-only%3Fcurrency%3DUSD%26variant%3D21170467340377%26utm_medium%3Dcpc%26utm_source%3Dgoogle%26utm_campaign%3DGoogle%2520Shopping&utm_term=shopify_US_2042945896537_21170467340377&gclid=CjwKCAjwqeWKBhBFEiwABo_XBmwyMmo0vlZBu7MDTAOBwfAJreZr6wAmSsx4pvqGrYYkpwNYA2VB_BoCxLQQAvD_BwE...

I like the propane cannon idea. This is something else I could plumb into the house's 500 gallon propane tank (I already hooked our grill up to it).

 

[NateW]

I’ve had goose and enjoyed it. Need a big oven and some cooking skills, but anyone who can cook a large turkey could give it a go.

I wanted to give it a try, but DW does not like the idea. I even showed her an article that noted how expensive meat has gotten and that Thanksgiving turkeys will be in short supply.

 

[NateW]

We have a 10-acre pond in the back that we share with 8 other houses. We have tons of geese, ducks, herons, etc. We enjoy watching them, especially all the new types when they are migrating.

Some of the geese stay all year, but most are migratory. They avoid our yard most of the time because we have a border collie, whose biggest thrill in life is chasing off a big group of 75-100 geese. He proudly paces up and down the shoreline as they squawk and flap their wings at him. It can be pretty hilarious.

But when he's inside, they will come back into the yard and hang out for a while. We don't really mind. I've never noticed any problem with the excrement. But again, they don't hang out very often in our yard because they know it's only a matter of time before the beast goes out for a pee.

The Border Collie is the idea DW likes and getting one would require us to have a fence erected, which is another plus.

The last quarter of the back yard has goose poop all over. It completely fills the treads of the riding mower tires. Because its an electric mower I keep it in the unfinished basement (no gas fumes and have double doors on a walk-out basement). I am not supposed to hose off the mower (cutting deck electric motors may short out), so I really can't hose off the tires.

 

[NateW]

We have a similar problem but it is mostly migratory geese. I use a "Bird Banger". It is like a starter pistol and uses a .22 cal blank to launch a exploding projectile above the geese. They don't like it at all and the same group almost never come back. Of course, there could be a new group another day. They are approved for the control of fowl in agricultural applications.

That looks like it could be a lot of fun; although I think the neighbors may not like it (or a propane cannon), unfortunately.

 

[NateW]

A lot of suggestions for a dog but getting a dog means 12 - 15 years of daily care, vet bills, being home to let it out, etc. If you're too busy or not a pet person it's a lousy idea.

We have been thinking about getting a dog on and off for a while (I have owned dogs before I met DW) and we have had several cats (down to one now). The geese problem may be what makes realize that now is the time to get a dog. DW is reading about border collies. When I was a kid my parents owned two Australian Shepherds (at two different times). One was fairly calm and good natured and the other was hyperactive and had somewhat of a bad temper sometimes. How is the disposition of border collies?

 

[NateW]

Make a smoky fire in your fireplace, and maybe cook some goose fat.

I half seriously and half jokingly said something very similar to DW last night along the lines of buying a ready-to-roast goose and cooking it on the grill way out in the back yard and see if that scares off the geese.

 

[rk911]

The best solution and only one I’ve heard of is a dog.

don't know 'bout where you are but there are businesses here that claim to be able to manage the goose problem with dogs.

 

[Cobra9777]

The Border Collie is the idea DW likes and getting one would require us to have a fence erected, which is another plus.

The last quarter of the back yard has goose poop all over. It completely fills the treads of the riding mower tires. Because its an electric mower I keep it in the unfinished basement (no gas fumes and have double doors on a walk-out basement). I am not supposed to hose off the mower (cutting deck electric motors may short out), so I really can't hose off the tires.

I have a 48" zero-turn, gas powered. No goose poop in the treads. We have thick St. Augustine grass that I cut at 3.5". I guess the goose poop just disappears into the grass and becomes fertilizer. It's never been the slightest problem. We like the geese... and the ducks and herons. They are fun to watch and observe their behavior. It's part of the appeal of living on a waterfront lot.

Regarding border collies, ours is 10 years old now. So he's calmed down a lot. But he was a neurotic-like mess until a couple years ago. Very unpredictable. Non-social. Occasionally dangerous to strangers. They are hard workers and very loyal. But you have to have the time to "work" them constantly. They want to work and they want to please you. But, without a herd of sheep, modern humans don't have that kind of time or patience. So the dogs vent their frustration with neurotic-like behavior.

He was 2-3 years old when we adopted him. I had just retired at the time, so plenty of time to work with him. But still... OMG... a very unpredictable dog. Don't get the wrong idea... he's sweet and lovable. But if you do something unexpected, like dance to a Stevie Wonder song in the kitchen, he will snap at your face and try to get you to behave and "rejoin the herd."

So yeah... be careful with this breed. No doubt they will keep your geese away. But they might also keep your grandkids away. And that's not good. We have to crate him when the grandkids visit. Even as a 10-year-old dog, he's still frustratingly unpredictable.

 

[skyking1]

The Renton airport has an ongoing goose problem. When I was flying banners out of there the airport staff would use noisemakers, and sometimes a hired border collie and handler. That was always the most effective. They made a horrible mess where we dropped and handled banners, yuck!
One one busy day, somebody spooked the geese up into the air as I was dropping in to hook the banner. I firewalled it, pulled up and over the geese, then figured I could make the grab and I did.
The ground crew said that as I pulled up to avoid them, the grapple hook swung down and tagged one a direct hit. "it spiraled into the lake like a lawn dart" they said.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

I have a 48" zero-turn, gas powered. No goose poop in the treads. We have thick St. Augustine grass that I cut at 3.5". I guess the goose poop just disappears into the grass and becomes fertilizer. It's never been the slightest problem. We like the geese... and the ducks and herons. They are fun to watch and observe their behavior. It's part of the appeal of living on a waterfront lot.

Regarding border collies, ours is 10 years old now. So he's calmed down a lot. But he was a neurotic-like mess until a couple years ago. Very unpredictable. Non-social. Occasionally dangerous to strangers. They are hard workers and very loyal. But you have to have the time to "work" them constantly. They want to work and they want to please you. But, without a herd of sheep, modern humans don't have that kind of time or patience. So the dogs vent their frustration with neurotic-like behavior.

He was 2-3 years old when we adopted him. I had just retired at the time, so plenty of time to work with him. But still... OMG... a very unpredictable dog. Don't get the wrong idea... he's sweet and lovable. But if you do something unexpected, like dance to a Stevie Wonder song in the kitchen, he will snap at your face and try to get you to behave and "rejoin the herd."

So yeah... be careful with this breed. No doubt they will keep your geese away. But they might also keep your grandkids away. And that's not good. We have to crate him when the grandkids visit. Even as a 10-year-old dog, he's still frustratingly unpredictable.

I'm a longtime member of a multi-breed dog training club. DW and I have had four Australian shepherds and an English shepherd, so I'm clearly a fan of herding breeds. I've seen some great border collies, and as competitors in agility or obedience they're fantastic. But they seem "on" during almost all their waking hours. That intensity is hard to burn off.

That said, BCs have a distinctive behavior trait in that they "eye" the herds they tend, intimidating them from a distance. Considering how mean geese can be, that's a valuable skill. Australian cattle dogs and kelpies may be capable of doing it... in fact, I stumbled across this webpage while browsing on the subject: Using Dogs To Scare Away Canada Geese

 

[SoaringEagle]

I live on a pond and I have the exact same situation and I found a good solution. I didn't want to put up a permanent fence. I found some plastic fencing like shown in this photo. The fencing can be held in place with wooden stakes also found at hardware store or big box home center. I put the fencing along the pond border. Don't leave any gaps because those geese will find it. The fencing is green and is only 2 feet high and so in blends in. Very unobtrusive. The geese here in Minnesota won't hop even a 2 foot fence. The baby geese can't fly and therefore they can't hop the fence and the parents lose their flight feathers for a while after breeding season. The geese take the easiest route out of the pond and therefore go into my neighbor's yard now. Good luck.

 

[Scusan]

Some other things I've used, seen, or heard of:

Metallic mylar tape (twisted) between posts. Twists in the breeze and is extra visible

Green laser (you tube)

Hang plastic grocery bags on posts, they move in the breeze as well. Makes your waterfront property look really classy too!

Taller plants at the water boundary. Geese won't go where they can't easily get back to the water.

Cut up black hose and lay it out near the shore.. looks like snakes and geese apparently hate snakes.

Cut up irish spring soap and put it in the grass

Red pepper

Moth balls

There are several types of spray you can get

https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62120-...nkler+animal+deterrent&qid=1633341403&sr=8-13

firecrackers, lady fingers, etc

Plastic dogs, coyotes, owls, swans

Used dryer sheets (OK, I made that one up)

Check what's legal in your area (or know what your neighbors will rat you out for...)

Good Luck, let us know what works

 

[pb4uski]

We occasionally have geese problems on our pond. They don't like obstructions between them and the pond. We put up a goose fence... driveway stakes every 15' or so along the shore and two strands of bailing twine horizontally between the posts... one about 12" high and another about 24" high. Theory is that they'll avoid that area because they don't have ready access to the water.

Also, let the grass grow high for 6-8' along the shore. They dislike high grass from fear that predators might be lurking in the grass.

Another option that we never tried were motion detected noisemakers or motion detected water sprays.

They were such a nuisance at one point that the lake association paid $1,500 for the USDA to do a geese roundup where a crew came early in the morning, rounded them up on a lawn, put them in cages and took them away and destroyed them. There is a period of time after their feathers molt that they can't fly... in June in our area as I recall.

 

[pb4uski]

I understand that they’re not good eating so that sucks for the hunting aspect. They’re basically vermin. One golf course around here doesn’t have any geese, but hey maintain that they’re just lucky. Me thinks some dogs or special deterrents must be in place.

I can tell you one thing, they’re pretty tough. My buddy hit one square in the neck with a golf ball - an honest accident. And that thing shook it off. Stunned it for a bit, but he walked off after a few minutes. I thought we were going to have to put it down to be humane. Not sure how we were going to do that, so we were glad it didn’t come to that.

Perhaps a 7-iron or 9-iron would have worked

Seriously though, IIRC they are protected and the fine for killing the is $10,000!

 

[Lcountz]

I live on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest in PA, and have a large pond down behind my home.....Geese come in the spring and a pair lays eggs on a tiny island in the pond.....but I think raccoons found a way to get to the island and the last few years no little ones, or they hatch and then disappear one a day.

In the fall, a ton of them arrive just to stay a day or two, then continue south. The field around the pond is at least a foot high at this time of year. They mostly stay in the water.


And then there are the coyotes. I think they keep them at bay, or at least discourage overnight stays. I see a pair of coyotes on the ice in winter time, so I assume there are some in the woods year round. I sometimes hear them screaming at night.

I like to watch the geese and ducks, but the pond is far enough away that I don't have to walk in or mow thier droppings. Sometimes they come up the hill to the house, then there are droppings, but only a few days a year. I would NOT have to deal with that near the house on a continual basis.

I have learned to save a nice large piece of "clean" high grass to mow last thing before putting my mower away. Also helps with my neighbor's dog who I think is even worse than the goose droppings.

I also have turkeys and deer that make messes too!

But I live in the country.... So I'll take it, because I love it here!