Posted on 04/11/2005 2:10:01 PM PDT by presidio9
Customers of a south side print shop beware of the hissing goose. For the second year in a row, a Canada goose has made the front door area of Artcraft Inc., her home. Mother Goose, as she's called, greets customers by hissing at them.
Last year, she hatched a gosling just a few feet from the front door. She has already made a nest this year.
"I had one customer call from a cell phone and ask if she would bite," said Judi Williams, the company's office manager. "She hisses, but she doesn't bite. Otherwise, everybody thinks she's pretty cool."
Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials said geese have no teeth and don't carry rabies. They rarely nip, but are known to hiss when people or animals invade their space.
There are about 80,000 Canada geese in Iowa, said Guy Zenner, a state waterfowl research biologist.
"You're going to see things like this," Zenner said.
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LOL...That they are...
They greet us SHISSING in New York.
We've got tons of geese near where I work in NC. Usually they're seen in pairs. They can hiss especially while they're nesting. Often the male will hiss and flap his wings to protect the mate. I have heard of them nipping but haven't experienced this myself. Not quite sure why this is a news story. It would be like writing a story about a rotweiller that snarled when you walked by a used car lot. Sounds like some of these AP writers don't get out much.
If I was from Canada I'd hiss too!
</Cliff Clavin Mode On>
Actually, Canada geese get their name from the guy who named them, not because they are from Canada. As far as I can tell for the most part they live on golf courses in the United States.
BS. It's a Canada Goose. Those things are some of the the meanest SOBs of em all.
Is the attack squad loose in Iowa?
Yes, they bite. And they have sawtooth beaks. Big ones.
Maybe someone will post a pic.
LOL--Great picture, but I was referring to a picture of the beak, closeup.
We had geese for quite a while. They are VERY territorial, and will attack. I pulled feathers every year...the goose will grab on with its beak, and twist, while beating with the very strong wings--I used to put a sock or glove over their heads and tuck it under my arm, before pulling feathers, still got bit and beat on.
Aren't they beautiful birds? I'm still hoping for a closeup of a goose head, with the serrated beak showing...
Sometimes, just for fun, I imagine a T.Rex all feathered....tail like a peacock...glorious colors all over...and the other dinos, too...
While I agree that WILD Canada Geese ARE beautiful, most Canada geese are the descendants of tame "live decoys" that were released when hunting was banned at the beginning of the 20th century. They don't migrate, because their parents never taught them to, and they spend most of their time crapping on parks, soccer fields, and golf gourses up and down the eastern seaboard.
Our geese stayed home and foraged throughout the winter. We tossed out corn, and they ate dog food too...Cold never seemed to bother them a bit.
I have pics posted at LINK if anybody is interested. With any luck, I'll get some shots of the eggs hatching and the new family on its way which I will post at the site.
EW!!add me..add me!!! I love them. I have over 4,000 rubber duckies. Love them. Love Geese!!!!
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