Michigan Sends Unwanted Geese to Iowa- Endangered Species Act Causes Overpopulation

Detroit News ^ | 6/30/02

[11th Earl of Mar]

MILFORD, Mich. (AP) -- Thousands of unwanted Canada geese are finding a new home in Iowa.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources last week trucked the last of 4,100 of the honking birds to a conservation area 550 miles away, near Chelsea, Iowa. DNR workers took seven truckloads of about 575 each.

[BossyRoofer]

Darn we got goosed again!

[rodeocowboy]

They should make a year-round open season on them. Trucking geese to other states?! Now I know why Gov. Engler cuts these bastard's (DNR) budgets all of the time.

By the way, for those who don't live near the Great Lakes and have never seen a goose turd; they are about the size of a cat's turd. And they $hit as much, or more, as sea gulls.

[Michael Barnes]

I don't know why these damn birds are on the endangered species list..their freaking everywhere here in western PA..Hell, even in Charlotte when I lived down there the pesky birds were to be found all over..

[cva66snipe]

In Tennessee they're so many they are cross breeding with other lines. Time to call open season before disease hits and does wipe them out.

[marktwain]

They are very tasty. A 6 month season, with special weekend hunts in the Chicago parks would thin them out nicely.

Oops! can't let any of the peasants think owning guns might have a purpose... well it was a nice idea...maybe if we only certified golfers apply for these special hunts...

[DeFault User]

Those geese are still all over Charlotte. They seem to have adapted well to city life, crossing streets with impunity and crapping everywhere. Most seem to stay all year. What happened to the migratory instinct?

[cva66snipe]

Those geese are still all over Charlotte. They seem to have adapted well to city life, crossing streets with impunity and crapping everywhere. Most seem to stay all year. What happened to the migratory instinct?

That's the whole problem they don't. They stay and adapt to the area then cross breed with other species which makes for more problems. This and not hunting them will be there demise. They will cross breed themselves out of existance in the lower states. The true Canadian Geese as a species with be in Canada and miagrate.

[varon]

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources last week trucked the last of 4,100 of the honking birds to a conservation area 550 miles away, near Chelsea, Iowa.

One would think catching a wild goose is more difficult than an illegal immigrant. So why aren't we reading INS last week trucked 4,000 illegals to Mexico? Is it because the illegals honk louder and the INS doesn't want to put up with the noise? ;-)

[shaggy eel]

ping

[varon]

In Tennessee they're so many they are cross breeding with other lines.

Any Goose/Turkey young 'uns yet? I'm just cant wait to see/hear a honkin' turkey ;-)

[lizma]

They are nasty.

I pulled into a parking lot and the car next to me was absolutly covered in goose poop. It must have taken 200 hits!
I would have loved to stick around and talk to the driver.
Where did you park and WHY HAVEN'T YOU WASHED YOUR CAR????

A few years ago a goose with an attitude took off after my 8 year old son. Funny now but not then.

As far as I'm concerned; Goose, another white meat.

[Hot Tabasco]

maybe if we only certified golfers apply for these special hunts.

Does a machete' count as a bagged club?

[petuniasevan]

I live by water. Canada geese come into my yard, leave their calling cards, and uproot all my plants. I had to enclose the vegetable garden with chicken wire.

My town enacted a "no feed" law a couple of years ago to deal with the goose, duck, and gull hordes. It helps but a season on these pests would help more.

[Hot Tabasco]

One would think catching a wild goose is more difficult than an illegal immigrant.

I travel 17 miles from Macomb Twp. to Troy, MI every morning and I pass these damn geese off on the grass beside the expressway. I am seeing more and more of these damn things with neck bands on them...

[petuniasevan]

I approached a nesting pair 3 years ago. Only the fence between them and myself kept me from needing the services of a clinic. They are VERY nasty, and their aggressiveness keeps other birds from nesting and feeding in the area.

Hubby poorman's brother has a scar on his nose from an "attack goose".

[petuniasevan]

A new hobby for you then: "collect" neck bands. See where the geese came from.
Send them in to Fish and Game with a note "where they went".

[Don Joe]

UFB, what a waste! I'd gladly take a hundred or so. Look what I have to pay for geese: http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.co m/detail.asp?SID=728137&SH D=23&ProductID=625

If you've never eaten a goose egg you're really missing out (presuming you like eggs).

[redhead]

"By the way, for those who don't live near the Great Lakes and have never seen a goose turd; they are about the size of a cat's turd. And they $hit as much, or more, as sea gulls."

Correct. When we had our little farm, we had four domestic geese. They pooped EVERYWHERE, including the porches, sidewalks, and any surface that was flat enough to accommodate them. They pooped in their SLEEP! Their turds were about the size of a woman's finger, and they could produce one every 10 or 15 minutes. The phrase "Loose as a goose" is based on fact, believe me. We finally had to fence in the dooryard and leave the rest of the property to the geese so we could step out on the porch without having to step in a pile of poop. (They were awfully good weeders, though, and seemed to LOVE stinging nettle.)

[mitchbert]

Here in Toronto a couple of years ago there was a brief discussion regarding using them as homeless food. They may look nice on postcards or from a distance, but in reality they are aggressive, filthy winged vermin with generally bad attitudes. You don't ever want to let your kid approach one to try and pet it.

Up here some don't migrate and hang out in a park on the east side of the city. When its really cold they go dormant at night and it looks like there's a field of dead geese when you drive past in the morning. Lovely. Then the sun comes out and they all get up and gaggle off. Wonderful creatures.