Goose Control

First, contact your local wildlife officials. These pests are under federal protection, but as bird populations have risen, state and local agencies have been given more authority. These agencies can inform you about what you can and cannot do (and when), according to your specific area. Harming the geese (bludgeoning them, letting your dog get his paws dirty) could earn you some serious fines. And you're probably not the only one in your area with a goose problem. Wildlife officials may be able to recommend local goose control experts, area control programs, or popular control strategies being used locally.

Harass, intimidate, and haze the geese within legal limits. You want them gone before they settle down and nest. If you're dealing with only a few geese, you might be able to scare them away yourself—courageous goose control. Put on some war paint, blast some loud music, and charge at the fowl fiends screaming and cursing. Enhance your size with brooms. Recruit friends into your militia—but don't let children or the meek help. Geese fight dirty. They bite hard, and they use their bony elbows (really).

For larger flocks or commercial properties, you'll need to step it up. Trained, bird-herding border collies are all the rage in goose control. You can hire these dogs for regular harassment sessions, or, if you own a large commercial property, you can buy an animal for $3,000. Noise and light will also work (if legal and appropriate); fireworks, pyrotechnics, bird bangers, propane cannons, and screamer sirens are good options.

Set up simple goose deterrents—scarecrows and Mylar tape. Make a scarecrow on the cheap—big eyes, flashy materials, and limbs that allow for movement are key ingredients. Mylar tape—found at any home and garden center—is another cheap goose control tool. Set it up on stakes 15 inches off the ground (one more halfway down). Give it some slack and twist it. It will reflect brilliantly and make an odd sound in the wind; both of these effects will disturb geese. Just be sure to move these deterrents around often lest the geese become accustomed to your tricks.

While you're out, purchase a decoy or two. Home and garden centers and some sporting goods stores will have decoys for deterring geese. For ponds and lake fronts, swan family decoys are the most popular. These birds are fiercely territorial and geese rightly fear them. Just make sure they have some give that allows for movement. For your yard, dead goose decoys are a good option. It may be a little macabre, but a plastic goose corpse, in full agony pose, makes for a great conversation starter. With decoys and the above strategies implemented, your property now has the ambiance of a goose hellscape.

Fences make good goose deterrents. Sure, you can build a fence or grow hedges, but these are long term, expensive goose control options. A simple three strand wire fence (first strand one foot off the ground, each successive strand one foot higher) will suffice. Can't they fly over? Sure, but this is unlikely during the summer months when the birds are molting. Geese also rarely leave their young behind. If you'd like a simple, ready made fence, look for Goose D-Fence, which takes less than a half hour to set up and is perfect for yards, gardens, and shorelines.