Is My Goose Cooked, Or Should I Just Get The Flock Out Of There?

[Ohio Rusty]

Hey Sage .... we have the same problem at work where the geese chase people coming in. We have had excellent luck with people carrying the long, large golf umbrellas. When a goose starts the attack, people open the umbrella and create a wall between them and the goose. Most times the goose gets confused and the attack stops. If they do nip, they nip at the umbrella an neither the goose or the person is harmed. It works every time.
Ohio Rusty

 

[stangfan93]

I lived in an apartment area in SE Houston called Windmill Lakes. There were 4 complexes located on two different lakes. over 200 acres of lakes. The one i lived in was OVER RUNNED by ducks. There were few geese and they did cause a problem for some folks. I would just take off my belt and kind of snap it at them and then they would leave me alone for the moment.

The ducks did not cause a real problem. The only problem was when someone was when you were driving along and then you had to wait for ducks to cross the road.

 

[Randy in Arizona]

I look back on when I was semi-professionally clearing out Prairie Rats for the local farmers, and I abhor the present extensive use of aluminum phosphide for Prairie Dog control.

At least when I put them down with my .223, they died instantly and painlessly. One second they are looking around at the blue sky and pretty clouds. The next instant there's nothing.

When I look back on my Prairie Dog shooting with a .300 Win Mag, it was more like one second they are looking around at the blue sky and pretty clouds. The next instant they are a cloud! (or at least a fine mist.)

 

[Waitone]

Golfers deal with the problem all the time. A golf club in the hand can be used to simply keep the goose at a distance until you've passed through his zone of protection. No need to get physical. A nine iron does nicely.

BTW, air horns on golf courses are considered bad form.

 

[Sage of Seattle]

Just want to bump this thread today, then tomorrow if/when I get some more information.

Thank you all once again for all of your funny and thoughtful comments.

 

[telomerase]

After all, do we not have dominion over the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea and the animals that walk the earth? I believe that authority was granted to us about 4000 years ago in some document or another which I can't remember or cite right now.

Well, at least 6000.... and that's if you don't use the original Sumerian dating, when "Noah's" name was Utnapishtim...

 

[Sage of Seattle]

Okay, called around a bit today.

First was the Ada County Parks Department. Pat B. was very helpful and suggested I contact a Mike A. at Garden City Hall Parks and Trails. He suggested I call the Idaho Fish and Game Department, so around 4:30 I tried phoning but, as Mike had said, they were probably closed for the day. Of course, the answering machine says they're open from 9 am to 5 pm...

Everyone so far was very sympathetic to my plight but didn't want to commit to anything, which is fine.

No attacks today, but my usual feathery combatant did eyeball me again. I'm thinking that I should probably tell the little ba$**** that I'll call in reinforcements if he/she continues to harrass me.

For a few beers, anyone in Boise care to be my reinforcements? Biker? ID_shooter?