Hoping to hear from the JRT rescue association tomorrow about a year old female. They said she was malnourished but otherwise treated well so she doesn't seem to have any issues.
You can really see the intelligence in their eyes.
Posted on 07/04/2010 4:46:21 PM PDT by Willie Green
BRADFORD – Readers at UnionLeader.com expressed outrage yesterday that the federal government had rounded up and euthanized 21 Canada geese on Lake Todd on June 23, in a response to at least two property owners' concerns.
For seven years, the geese -- considered the largest, most common water birds -- have been fouling lawns and beaches along the 50-acre pond, which straddles the Bradford and Newbury town line.
Federal officials said two property owners paid for the round up, gassing and killing of the now-flightless geese and their goslings.
Their bodies were frozen and will be chopped up and fed to captive animals, said Carol Bannerman, public affairs specialist for wildlife services for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services in Riverdale, Md.
USDA follows guidelines established by the American Veterinary Medical Association on euthanasia of these birds when they are considered a nuisance, she said. Complaints about Canada geese are on the rise in New Hampshire with the resident population now at more than 30,000. The state has a goal, set by the Atlantic Flyway Council, of 16,000 for the goose population.
Last year, about 43 geese were euthanized in the state at three different locations, up from the year before when there were no euthanizations.
►Decision to euthanize NH geese creates flap (115)
Dick Wright of Newbury, who lives near the lake, wrote letters to the editor of New Hampshire newspapers last week decrying the practice. He said the problem is property owners who create large lawns and fake beaches, which attract the birds to stay.
Bannerman did not disagree that the geese like to eat lawns and stay on them to keep their eye out for predators.
Jared Teutsch, president of the NH Lakes Association, said conflict between the Canada geese and lakefront property owners is on the increase across the state.
He said native shores of brush are in some cases being replaced by lawns and man-made beaches. That is a welcome mat for migratory geese to settle down and nest. Once born here, they return and bear their own young and have lifespans of up to 25 years.
Teutsch said in the state "There has been a lack of emphasis on shrubbing your shore." He noted the revised 2009 Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act law allows for landowners who insist on such green sloping views of their expensive shorefront to have that, as long as they plant trees.
At www.UnionLeader.com, more than 100 people had posted comments on the story by midnight. The majority were opposed to the practice of eliminating the geese in this way.
Others, however, said Canada geese are becoming a problem and some solution is needed.
One reader argued that if the government were to eliminate the birds, property owners "should be required to alter their property," to discourage more birds from replacing the ones euthanized.
Many wanted the names of the property owners exposed. The government declined to identify them.
Some suggested dogs such as border collies could be employed to keep geese off personal property.
Others suggested an extension to the state's three-week long resident Canada goose hunting season, but others, such as Michael King, lamented that there are not enough hunters to do the job.
Hope Ullman of Wolfeboro said the story disgusted her and said the use of the word "euthanize" was a misnomer.
"It's murder," she said.
Jeb Harkins of Hancock sympathized with the situation and noted that he finds himself having to be careful to not step in Canada goose feces and that they have been a problem on golf courses for years.
A Canada goose can eliminate between a half pound and a pound of feces a day.
Some suggested the government might spend less and be more humane by considering relocation of the birds.
While most of the Canada geese are non-residents, resident populations have quadrupled between 1990 and 2008 along the Atlantic Flyway, according to federal estimates.
Since 1993 complaints have increased three-fold, according to a federal Environmental Impact Statement issued in 2002.
New Hampshire's resident Canada goose hunting season is Sept. 8-25 with a daily bag limit of five and a possession limit of 10. The season ends before non-resident Canada geese begin their migratory flight.
Some suggested an extension of the season and an increase in the bag limit.
Can my JRT come and bring the Corgi from hell with her ?
My hubby, son's and now grandsons are all hunters...one grandson got his first doe at 14....his father fixes the best venison you could ever taste...
In real bad times, if they come, I don't worry about them finding something to shoot and eat...
Squirrel and dumplings is a dang fine meal.
That's the reason they've become a nuisance. They've learned that humans will feed them, or that they can get food easily where there are humans, so the flocks have grown larger. Sometimes they don't even bother to migrate, because they know where their next meal is coming from.
Flightless?
They fly pretty well around my neck of the woods.
“Hope Ullman of Wolfeboro said the story disgusted her and said the use of the word “euthanize” was a misnomer.”
OK, yes its a euphemism - how about if we just call it a large cell mass, would that be better Ms. Hopey/Changey?”
“Moments later after the feathers settled, what could be seen were 13 dead geese, blood everywhere, an out of breath dog, and three toddlers who needed therapy. My wife said it was like seen out of Apocalypse Now.”
That would have made an outstanding photo essay!
Classic Jack! The 3 we have now are not classic. Two are long haired, one is longer than your average broken coat, the other one has hair so long that no one thinks he is a JRT. I had him DNA tested and he came out Fox Terrier and Australian Terrier. Both of those were what I expected. The 3rd one looks like a JR in size, body conformation and short hair but his ears stick up like a Fox Terrier. The long haired/broken coat Jacks are not as hyper active as the short haired ones and I should know, we have had about 10 of them in the last 15 years. Four were long haired and 6 were short haired. About half we took as rescues and half we bought.The longer haired variety is definitely my favorite of the two.
Come on, the more the merrier!
Killing is something a mean right winger would do. Euthanizing is something a kind and gentle liberal would do.
No argument from me on that! Except that once you club or shoot them into submission, they can become downright tasty! ;)
Only 23? too bad it wasn’t 23,000 ...
The reason is that it needs to be palatable when our health care program kicks in and they advertise the “youth in asia” program for people over 65 under ObamaCare..
I hear you, sounds like my family. When we were first married we so so poor but we ate pheasant "under glass" often. A very nice pheasant and a big glass bowl covering it, still laugh over that.
Heard a story about a guy who killed and cooked a Canada goose. It was so tough as to be inedible.
>>About 4,000 were killed by Washington Fish & Game Dept. in Kirkland/Bellvue area awhile ago because they were not “migratory”<<
That equals out to three tons of goose crap PER DAY removed from the community. Bravo!
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