Humane Society rep discusses resolving geese problems in West Milford
Lynsey White Dasher, director of Humane Wildlife Conflict Resolution, with the Humane Society of the United States, discussed ways to resolve human/geese conflicts with humane and effective approaches. She addressed a joint meeting of the West Milford Lakes Committee and Sustainable West Milford on March 21. The gathering in the municipal building meeting room was attended by the general public as well.
The speaker said a multi-pronged approach with a community effort is the best way to resolve wildlife conflicts.
Dasher explained that there are two types of Canada geese. One type is migratory, staying in the local area in the fall and winter before leaving to nest in the arctic. The other kind are resident geese who live in the area year round and do not migrate, she said.
The difference is in behavior, not biology, said the speaker. By 1900 the geese population was decimated. By the 20th century wildlife managers bred the birds and relocated them but the giant sized geese are not strong migrants, she continued, explaining that captive-reared geese aren’t taught to migrate.
With late winter-early spring mating season, the breeding geese return to prior nest sites with new breeders looking for locations near home, Dasher said. The end of March through May 1 is the nesting season, continued the speaker. She said both parents defend the nest and goslings.
Continuing with the information, Dasher said the average clutch has five to six eggs. All are laid before the goose starts to incubate from the last of April through the summer. The goslings don’t fly until they are 10 weeks old and the parents do not leave them, she said. The geese molt each summer and cannot fly or readily leave an area, the speaker reported.
Dasher said the local geese move around and may be found with the migrating geese. She said expansive lawns, parks, golf courses and open water provide perfect habitat for the geese where they have a free buffet. She said they love fertilized lawns.
Three components were offered by Dasher as a successful strategy for getting rid of the geese. They were listed by the speaker as curtaining reproduction, aversive conditioning and habitat modification with people not feeding them. Addling (any process by which keeps the eggs from developing); oiling the eggs; removing them from the nest and replacing them with dummy eggs and nest destruction were discussed during the video presentation.
After nesting is finished, ways to rid an area of geese include use of trained dogs to harass the geese without harming or touching them in any way, laser, chemical repellent, pyrotechnics and exclusion, Dasher explained.