Man shoots goose. Will the judge cook his?

The Chicago Tribune ^ | 3/15/2006 | Ted Gregory

[RushCrush]

Like a lot of homeowners, Larry Tomko has grown weary of geese. He's tired of scraping poop from his driveway with a snow shovel. He's fed up with boorish geese gobbling millet he leaves for chickadees. He feels overrun when dozens of the feathery transients loll in the pond a few steps from his yard.

When his frustration brims, Tomko has run out his front door waving his arms and shouting at the geese. Sometimes he launches bottle rockets at them. About 10 years ago, he started firing pellets from an old air rifle at the geese. They would squawk and flee.

Then on Feb. 26, he killed one, accidentally, sort of, with the pellet gun. Geese are federally protected, and neighbor Jack Casino saw it. Casino is a former hunter who said he has seen too many innocent animals suffer at the hands of man.

Now, Tomko has a date with the criminal justice system. And the incident has generated anxiety in the bucolic, unincorporated Winfield Township subdivision, transforming the place into a microcosm of the decades-long conflict known as man versus goose.

[RushCrush]

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[jeremiah]

Yeah, I believe that Casino is a hunter with feelings for innocent animals.

[TXBSAFH]

SHOOT


SHOVEL


SHUT UP!

[Bear_Slayer]

Wait until these geese start carrying avian flu into the country. They'll be killing them in droves, worse than the passenger pidgeon.

[YouPosting2Me]

Just claim bird flu protection.

[Echo Talon]

LOL! Shooting bottle rockets at them!

[jaydubya2]

They allow pellet guns in Illinoise?

[holymoly]

Geese are federally protected,

Why?

All they do is honk and sh*t, take three steps, honk and sh*t.

[Zavien Doombringer]

Federal and state laws protect Canada geese

Maybe a state law, not a federal... They aren't on the endangered list and no limit

[Cobra64]

If geese are on our property, I take 'em out with sub-sonic .22s. Nature takes care of the rest.

After we moved here, our liberal neighbors began wondering if the geese had taken to a different flight pattern. I just smile.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Federal and state laws protect Canada geese

To bad they don't protect children.

[kaboom]

Are those directions to be used on the goose or the neighbor?

[300magnum]

[ClearCase_guy]

They allow pellet guns in Illinoise?

Assault pellet guns are banned.

[BadAndy]

I don't know Mr Casino, but I'm sure I wouldn't like him.

[TXBSAFH]

Your call.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

I prefer to hunt out Canada Geese nests in early spring and scramble the eggs.

It works.....halved the population in 3 years.

[jaydubya2]

Ha, Ha!

[parsifal]

Be careful about being bad to geese.

parsy, who had to take a gander at this post.