Culling Canada Geese

[237SJ]

Is it time to start culling Canada Geese? I went down to the river today where there is a pontoon next to the riverside where people can launch their kayaks/canoes. It was completely covered with Canada Goose droppings (and they`re not small droppings). There was a massive goose there who wasn`t at all fazed by my being there. You can`t walk on the grass by the river now unless you want to be covered in goose cr@p. It`s everywhere. There must be health implications there and there must be an impact on native wildlife from these birds. Apparently you can kill them (in season) but it is illegal to sell the meat.

[boxtops]

Which river, 237?

[237SJ]

Boxy - the Thames by Hampton/East Molesey. They`ve been there for a long time but I`ve never seen so many droppings as now.

[Squitty]

There has been talk of allowing a cull of canada geese and promoting them as food but here is a recipe....

stuff the canada goose with a housebrick
cook in hot oven for 3 days
throw the goose away
eat the brick !

[237SJ]

Are they tasteless then?

[emmie]

According to one site i looked at there have been geese culled, this was from a park in London, the residents got a nasty surprise hearing gun shots early one morning, a number of them called the police, only to find out that the council had authorised the cull, perhaps they should have told the residents. Surely there has to be a better way, can't they stop them from breeding, or pack them off to a sanctuary.

so off they popped.

[237SJ]

I wouldn`t have thought they could put them in a sanctuary. We have a swan sanctuary here but swans tend to stay on the river. The geese fly about (I hear them going over my house at dusk) so it would probably be hard to contain them. Some kind of contraceptive in their feed or via darting would be a good idea but it would probably be too expensive. A flock of them nearly brought down a 747 at Heathrow several years ago. They`re a damn nuisance (and I`m an animal lover) but I think they have outstayed their welcome in current numbers and something needs to be done.

[Maydup]

;-(

I love the geese in Norfolk. Especially when they fly in formation over the fields at sunset. I think they are beautiful and they symbolise summer for me.

I'm sorry they've cr*pped on your patch - can you not report it to whichever authority looks after the riverbank? Eitherway they'll be migrating from next months.

[237SJ]

Maidup, they don`t migrate. They stay here all year long. I think that`s the problem.

[emmie]

perhaps some contraceptive in the food then, can't see why not, if you want to keep the population down, without taking pot shots at them

[Maydup]

Then you're right something needs to be done and they are extra dangerous so near to Heathrow.

See if you can find the relevant authority online and start pestering them about it.

[237SJ]

The authority are the Environment Agency but they are only concerned about the river. Obviously the airport is a different authority (Hounslow Council probably). I expect at some point something will be done via a new law which is nationwide. Apparently, they are very nice with Teriaki Sauce :-)

[wildwood]

These beautiful birds are all over the planet and seem to benefit from Men's presence and crops. On a lake side where they breed in NZ the authorities puncture a percentage of the eggs but allow enough to progress so a manageable population is maintained

[starone]

A friend of mine was paid to cull them from a golf course where they stayed around the water part of the course. They are very clever and learned to recognise him in his shooting gear. As soon as he arrived they would fly to the other side of the lake - they did not do this when golfers were about, only when he was there. He had to vary his clothes to get near enough to shoot them and even then could only manage a couple before the others flew away. Unfortunately their poop is rather large and the golfers did not appreciate it on their golf course. I had one of the birds and cooked it. I thought it was very nice. Like a turkey. You have to be able to prepare it, which some people would not be able to do. Being old, I know how to pluck and draw - modern ladies have never had to do this but buy everything ready prepared from the supermarket.

[notasyoungasiwas]

Poor bloody birds - they crap so kill them!!! Watch where you walk then 237SJ and why should that goose have been 'fazed' by you anyway? Typical response, anything that gets in the way, destroy it!