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lot0210
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 9 Grove City OH
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2008-01-08          150074


Hay all, I know that this has nothing to do with equipment but at our golf course we have a big goose problem any suggestions on getting rid of them?



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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2008-01-09          150080



Shot guns are often used in our area for hunting and the off season of golf might work for you. Normally to get rid of critters it's easiest to remove the food they like or the conditions.
They sure can mess up a water front in little or no time. A friends wife thought they were so nice to look at but when summer hit and there pondside deck was covered with droppings she had other ideas. ....


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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2008-01-09          150086


Couple of ideas:

1) I have seen people hire trained dogs, I believe border collies or other such sheep shepherding dogs to chase them around.

2)Someone told me they heard that growing tall vegetation or other obstruction around the edges of ponds and lakes discouraged them from using the pond or lake as it was hard for them to get on land. Don't have any evidence this works.

3)For Vultures hanging them in effigy (by their feet) where you don't want them is supposed to be very effective, might work for geese, don't know.

4) For grazing deer we used a photo sensitive cell to turn on a sprinkler, to startle them, some permutation of this might work, maybe with a sound they are afraid of. Though they seem to be the most arrogant birds I have ever seem, strutting across highways without a care in the world.

Our golf pro Murf will probably have some real life ideas. ....


Link:   Border Collies at Golf Courses

 
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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-09          150091


In our case, Deputy Dog, his sister & I hire ourselves out to control geese at golf courses and other locations around here, and even a few places out of town a ways.

A Border Collie isn't always very successful at controlling problem birds, they are herding dogs and the problem geese are usually so used to human contact (read: free food) that in most cases all that happens is the geese just get in the water and swim around.

In fact if you read the linked to website they even say in their 'how it works' section "A good goose dog will chase the birds into the water and keep them from getting back on land to feed. "

In our case a Jack (Parson) Russell Terrier is so fast and aggressive towards the birds they just don't want to take a chance and LEAVE. A Border Collie on the other hand will approach slowly and duck down, almost crawling because they are bred and trained NOT to harass the sheep they are herding.

In fact I've seen and heard of dogs being hurt by geese, a big male has a powerful enough wing to break a mans arm and they can get quite defensive.

My little guys have learned to work as a team, the geese can't face two directions at once and relate the situation to natural predation from wolves or coyotes. I've got quite a few tail feathers Jackson (Deputy Dog, below on the left) has plucked from the hind end of stubborn Ganders in hit & run sneak attacks. Following that they give out a very particular honk and the whole flock leaves.

If you don't want to host the 3 of us ( ;) ) there are a variety of products you can spray on the grass to make it taste really bad, but it must be re-applied after each rain or watering. Re-shaping pond banks to have a short very steep drop into the water helps too, the geese prefer a place they can land on water and walk ashore, or at least be able to get back out of the water if they have to take refuge in it from something.

Best of luck. ....

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DennisCTB
Join Date: Nov 1998
Posts: 2707 NorthWest NJ
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2008-01-09          150092


Quote:
Originally Posted by Murf | view 150091
In our case, Deputy Dog, his sister & I hire ourselves out to control geese ....


Hey Murf maybe that is what I should do when I get out of this computer racket? What is the pay, and how often do you get called back? ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-09          150093


Dennis, it pays ok, but not nearly as well as the golfers themselves get paid. ;)

Depending on what we are doing, and where it is, we get a pretty decent per diem, plus all travel & out of pocket expenses, plus a ranger cart and an escort/driver.

Some courses now want us for almost every tournament they host, especially the pro-am stuff.

We are also starting to do a LOT of site work for TV & movie production. A ruined shot, or delay in filming gets spendy REAL fast.

Best of luck. ....


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auerbach
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 2168 West of Toronto
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2008-01-09          150111


Kind of hard to remove the food supply when grass-eaters find a golf course. I've heard that oiling the eggs does no harm to the adults but prevents the next generation from hatching. But make sure you don't run afowl (sorry) of relevant laws. ....


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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2008-01-09          150112


There is a flock or two of geese in our world or rather we bump into them once in a while. How do gators and geese get along? Or do you loose too many golfers...
It would seem if you find the eggs to oil them you could either just destroy them or if that would cause them to lay more, then replace with dummy eggs (how about gator eggs oh yea). I wonder what effect playing a recording of geese distress sound would be or the smell of burning geese feathers would have if any. Or sound of their nature enemies or they so tame they don't know those sounds? kt

What I like here and I am not a hunter...we make laws to protect the animals and then we must figure out how to regulate them without taking away their rights. Hey, based upon humans, TAX them. Keep rasing it and they will move to other countries when the tax is high enough. Boy that was simple. Am sure there are those in congress who would support the tax idea. kt ....


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lot0210
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 9 Grove City OH
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2008-01-09          150115


Well With the Cheapskate super we have the dogs are out so the only viable options we have are the nuisance hunting permits or the grass spray so the spray sounds less expensive any idea where i can research it? ....


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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2008-01-10          150129


Just Google for "turf spray goose repellent" and you'll come up with lots of them.

Canada Geese are pretty stubborn critters, once they figure out a safe spot with food nearby, there REALLY tough to get rid of. The problem with doing anything but oiling the eggs is mainly a logistics one. A colony of geese can result quickly from a good area of year-round food and water.

Placing decoys of dead-looking birds does work, but if they are not moved frequently, and placed properly, they are useless.

On the other hand, geese are very intelligent birds, that is why threatening them works so well. Once a bird or two loses a tail feather in a sneak attack from behind, they make themselves VERY scarce and avoid the area for quite some time.

Kenneth, the big problem with your idea of gators is, they REALLY like the taste of eggs, and to there peanut sized brain, a golf ball looks a LOT like an egg. They like to lay in the sun near the water trap and snatch any ball that comes there way.

Best of luck. ....


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DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada
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2008-01-12          150180


Several years ago, in Anchorage, we had a similar problem.

Spenard Lake is the worlds largest seaplane base. The lake has an island where seabirds nest and create a huge problem with all those rotating high speed parts.

Someone finally came up with an ingenious solution.

When the nesting season started the airport authorities dropped three little piggies off on the island. They kept the birds stirred up all summer and ate every egg laid.

And the best part? When the job was done the Police Employees bought the (now not so little) piggies and served them at the annual picnic.

Best pork I ever tasted. ....


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