Canada Geese are a protected species under the Federal Migratory Bird Act of 1918. This act protects the geese and their goslings from being injured as well as protecting their eggs from being damaged or being removed from their nest without a Federal permit. Such action can lead to a large fine.

Protection of these geese has caused the goose population to increase dramatically. Warmer climates have enabled the geese to take up residency year-round in the Northern United States.

An adult goose eats up to 3.5 pounds of grass directly from its roots each day. It then takes approximately only 7 minutes for the grass to pass from food in the digestion system to messy goose droppings. These droppings could have parasites and diseases. The droppings kill the landscape. A goose can produce droppings up to 25 times per day.

The Centers for Disease Control state that geese droppings are a health hazard.

Geese can be quite aggressive toward humans. They have become accustomed to humans’ presence and don’t fear them. They are especially aggressive should they have goslings in close proximity or a nest with eggs.

Geese soon become resistant to attempts by people to “shoo” them away. Such attempts include loud gun noises, balloons, fake coyotes/wolves, grape juice, blinking lights, etc.

Once the young geese have left their nest, they will return to the same area to mate and raise their goslings until they can fly and then the goslings, when they have flown away and are old enough to mate return to the same area to lay their eggs and the cycle continues.