BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) Enough about deer. Western New York has been dealing with ways to control the deer herd for decades. Goose droppings are right up there, if not even more of a nuisance for many.
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"Why are geese a nuisance,?" SPCA of Erie County Wildlife Director Barb Haney asked rhetorically. "If it's due to the feces, I just want to say that geese eat grass, so they're expelling recycled grass. People get grossed out by it, but it's just grass that has gone through their system."
If there are too many geese and you want to eliminate them, Haney said you need foresight. "They mate in February and March. They lay their eggs at the end of March or beginning of April. The best thing to do, and most humane thing to do, is addle the eggs."
Addling is a way to make the eggs less viable. "You take them and dip them in oil and put them back in the nest. The geese continue to sit on them, so they don't go off and lay more eggs somewhere else."
Haney said the eggs don't come to term and the foul move on. She added, that dealing with reproduction is the "smart way" to deal with population issues; whether it's geese, deer, or any other wildlife.
Like deer, geese have become incredibly adaptable to local golf courses, parks and suburban areas according to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
In 2021, the DEC estimated that there were 364,000 geese in New York State. They have settled into suburban areas with large grassy spaces near ponds, rivers or lakes, an ideal habitat for their survival.
Some communities have enlisted border collies to chase the birds away. Others have tried loud noises, balloons, strobe lights, cutouts of dogs and even drones.
An average adult Canada goose can poop up to twelve times a day, leaving about 2 pounds of poop, per day.
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