HOA Tips for Goose Control

HOA GOOSE CONTROL - TIPS

Many planned, new construction communities in Illinois include open, green-space and planned water features such as retention ponds.  Community residents find these features beautiful and convenient for fishing and watching wildlife. These man made ponds also make an ideal habitat for Canada geese, who will eventually find this water to their liking and move in.  Your Home Owner's Association will need to take action sooner or later.

We are often called during construction of these communities because geese become habituated to the water accumulating in holes and ditches due to construction activities.

Canada geese choose nesting sites in March and begin to lay eggs in early spring.  Geese can be aggressive to humans and pets at this time.  From April through early August Canada  geese will raise their young and lose  their flight feathers (called molting).  Unable to fly at this time of year, they will walk, roost, eat grass, vegetation and poop a lot making a  mess of your beautiful landscaping.  Unable to fly to escape, geese will hiss and flap their wings in an attempt to intimidate people that get too close.

The huge volume of goose poop is not only messy and unsightly - it also contains diseases that pose a risk to humans and pets.  Their droppings have been found to contain E. coli, salmonella, giardia and other pathogens.

Rescue Me Goose Chasing's Certified Training by the National Wildlife Control Operator's Association and years of experience, on various properties, using humane methods, prevent geese from getting comfortable.  We provide a year round service but can  also tailor our services to meet your budget and needs.

Our Spring Service will identify and remove nests and have our trained goose dogs  and their handlers visit multiple times per day as needed to encourage the geese to find a different location to roost, nest and raise their young.  

In mid August, geese will start to fly again.  Resident geese become casual visitors to properties and may stay all day roosting and making a mess of properties with their droppings.  Our Fall Service prevents geese from visiting your property.  It also makes it that more unappealing for them as a nesting spot in the spring.

TIPS FOR HOA and GOOSE CONTROL

1.  Inform all residents by email, postings or mailings that a goose control company has been hired.
2. Caution residents that goose dogs will be on all properties herding geese when they are present.
3. Alert residents that if they have dogs they should obey leash laws especially when goose dogs are present. If your dog is reactive, please leave the area.
4. Safety is of the utmost importance for those providing this valuable service to your community.  Please prevent dogs from harassing or chasing working dogs and their handlers.
5. Expect multiple visits per day as necessary by handlers and goose dogs.
6. Ask prospective goose control companies for references.
7. Use a Certified Goose Management company.

Please call us for more information about our experienced staff and Certified Geese Management programs can solve your HOA Canada geese problems. 

630-926-8962

What does Canada Goose Control Cost?

    We often get calls from potential clients that would like to get quotes on the phone. What does Canada goose control cost? Unfortunately, this is not a one size fits all proposition. There are many factors that go into pricing a property for goose control with dogs.  We cannot give accurate quotes over the phone.  In order to give an accurate price, we must do a thorough survey of your property. We must see it in person to get an idea of the neighborhood, terrain, geese population, amount of people traffic, adjacent properties, size of ponds and their accessibility. Have people, residents, been feeding the birds? 

    Below I will layout a couple examples of properties and why one will cost more than the other.

    The easiest properties are those that are close in proximity and have no ponds. Think football, soccer and baseball fields. Especially if they are entirely fenced in and no danger to our dogs.  Now if that property sits next to a large body of water across the street that has nesting geese, it  becomes more challenging. But sports fields in and of themselves are about as straight forward as you can get. 

    Now let's look at a different property,  a retirement community.  Let's say that it has had resident geese nesting on it for 5 years and has a pond on two sides of its properties. Both ponds are about 3 acres in size. This becomes more challenging.  Geese like their homes. No one likes getting kicked out of their home. Same with geese.  Geese fly to water for safety.  A property with two ponds allow the geese to fly into either for safety.  For us that means chasing geese out of one pond into the other  then back out again.  The longer geese have resided on a property the more sticky they are to it. Sticky geese mean more work.  Two ponds mean more work. Hence a difference in price from our first example.

    Now let's say their is another property similar to the above but sits on a 15 acre lake. To service this property we may need a boat. The geese have more options to flee. They can go across the lake onto the grass, fly further away and land in the water or hide among the low growing grasses. 15 acres of water is a lot to cover.  This customer also want spring nest and egg depredation.  We have the experience and training to get the job done. However, it is more than likely going to cost more than both of the above properties simply because it will take more work.

    Then there are customer's expectations.  Some  clients do not want to see a goose on their property ever. Some clients are happy with a significant reduction and some only want them gone from Spring through summer.

    The combinations of customer requirements and property configurations is endless.  Our property surveys and quotes are free and come with no strings attached and no high pressure sales tactics. Goose control costs will vary on the size of your property, amount of water, the number of geese, your budget and expectations.

    If you are looking to reduce or eliminate the geese on your property, give us a call.
  
We Get Rid of Geese . .  FAST.

630-926-8962


Visit our Website for more information:
www.rmgoosechasing.com

DIY High Protein Dog Biscuits

DIY High Protein Dog Biscuits

    Our dogs do a lot of work and we like to reward them with special treats.  But we would also like the treats to be healthy and give our dogs fuel for their jobs.  This Homemade High Protein Dog Biscuit gives our dogs a treat they love but also fuel to keep them going on while doing their jobs herding Canada geese off properties.

I have adjusted this recipe several times to get it where it is now.  I include Venison liver, because I have it available from our deer hunts and I do not like to let anything go to waste. Our dogs also get to enjoy the heart the day I come home as a treat. We raise Indian Runner ducks so I include their eggs along with the shells crushed up. Delicious Bacon grease is to added for some fat. What dog does not love bacon?  Then garlic and parsley. 

  Garlic for dogs, as well as for human health, is an excellent antibiotic and immune booster. I stick with fresh, raw garlic and keep it on hand for both cooking and healing. If it’s fresh, I have read that the medicinal qualities are still there. 

Ingredients

4 cups of Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup of Oatmeal

1 1/2 cups Bone Meal

2 tablespoons Parsley

1 pound of liver ( your choice)

2 cloves fresh garlic

3 Duck eggs or 5 chicken eggs

1/2 cup Bacon Grease

Directions:  

Mixing

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Mix until well blended with a wooden spoon
3. Set aside
4. Cut the liver in cubes and blend in a blender a bit at a time until pureyed
5. Add Garlic, crack eggs and shells add to blender and blend for 30 seconds
6. Add the bacon grease in liquid form and blend for 5 seconds
7. Add  1/2 the Liquids to dry ingredients in the large bowl
8. Mix until absorbed
9. Add the rest of the liquid a little a time.
10. The dough should be the consistency of a dense cookie dough.
11. If it it too stiff add a little more water. The dough should be a bit tacky that is requires some flour to handle and to avoid sticking to your counter.
12. Pre heat oven to 375f

Forming

1. Cut the dough in half
2. Roll out the dough to about 3/16" thick
3. Use whatever shape cookie cutter you have chosen to cut out your pieces.  We used Canada Goose shapes for fun the last time. We also use dog bone shapes. Any shape will do.
4. Place evenly spaced on a cookie sheet.
5. These do not spread a lot so they  can be about 1/4" apart

Baking

1. Place biscuits on the center rack and bake for 25 minutes.

When these are done, they are very crunchy. Our dogs enjoy them very much we hope yours will too!

Rescue Me Goose Chasing!

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How to Get Rid of Geese: Goose Control Products

HOW TO GET RID OF GEESE

GOOSE CONTROL  PRODUCTS REVIEW 

      Many people research how to keep geese out of their yards and off of their properties.  Most of our customers tell us that they get their information and products from internet.  This is all well and good but if you do not know how to use the information and products properly you will lose your hard earned money and still have geese in your yard.

   Canada geese are beautiful birds. Their honking high in the sky signals signs of spring and fall migration.  In many cases these beautiful geese become a territorial nuisance and unwelcome guests to our properties. So exactly how do you resolve this nuisance geese issue by yourself? 

    There are several products that can be purchased as 'deterrents'. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages.  There are coyote effigies in many forms, lawn spray on deterrents from different companies, noise makers, streamers, bird bangers, motion detecting sprinkler and bottle rockets.  We have seen alligator heads and fake swans used also.  There are blinking lights that turn on at night and various types of string grids and borders to stop geese from landing or walking on your property.  There are many product to deter geese from eating your grass, pooping on it and when nesting, attacking people.

    There are several lawn treatments that claim to repel geese.  Flight Control Plus is what we use if our client prefers not to use dogs for one reason or another.  This liquid is effective against repelling geese because it uses a visual deterrent and a physical deterrent.  When Flight Control Plus is applied to lawns it makes the grass look different to the geese than untreated grass.  The physical deterrent is when the geese eat the treated grass it upsets their stomach.  The Canada geese put two and two together and decide not to eat this funny looking grass anymore because they get stomach distress.  The geese, then, ultimately decide to find someone else's lawn to feed on.  Flight Control Plus does not wash off with rain or snow.  It will also lasts for a few lawn cuttings.  This is beneficial because it does not have to be applied as much as other spray on goose juices.

    Coyote or dog effigies can be effective for a while and in some instances work depending on the size of the area.  Effigies are not a maintenance free tool however.  In order to give them a chance to work they must be moved frequently. If they are placed at the center of a soccer field for instance it may stop geese from landing initially. Geese will land as a far away as possible from it after a while. They will then move closer and closer to it until they realize it is not real or a moving threat.  However, if the decoy is moved throughout the day it may fool the geese into thinking it is real.  We have seen them work better in smaller areas where geese do not have an alternate landing area.  There is also a dead goose decoy that is sold. We have never seen one employed.  The reviews on them are not very good.  

    Plastic swans in your pond or lake usually do not work well at getting rid of geese unless you had a live aggressive pair of swans nesting there before.  Again if you place a plastic swan in the middle of a 15 acre lake a flock of geese will just land far enough away from it to feel safe.  Once they realize Mr. Swan is always in the same spot, Canada geese will continue to come.   If you have two, 1 acre ponds and one pond has a live pair of geese in it and the other a fake, the set up will probably work.  The live swans are giving the fake swans some credibility.

    There are large propane noise canons that can be purchased that blast off on timers.  These work if you are in a large unpopulated area. Otherwise your neighbors will hate you and call the police. These are somewhat appropriate for farmlands and out of the way golf courses. But like the other tools the direction and location of the canon is critical and needs to rotated on a frequent basis.  The time of day would also be critical as you would not want a noise canon going off while people are golfing.

    There are solar yellow blinking lights that turn on when it gets dark to deter geese from roosting in your pond our lake. On small ponds these can be effective as geese cannot get far enough away from them.  If one blinking yellow light is placed on a 20 acre lake geese will just stay far enough away from it for their comfort.  These lights are relatively expensive so purchasing many could be cost prohibitive.  These lights also do not work during the day.  Used in the correct manner for night roosting geese they can be effective.

    Setting up a grid system with string  or wire on a pond is considered inhumane as geese may not see the grid and get tangled up in it. This could lead to broken legs, wings or death if the goose gets snagged in an awkward position and drowns.  I have seen some grids set up on flat roofs to deter geese but they also become a nuisance to HVAC guys who service air conditioners.  One simple thing we have seen work quite well is a rope used to separate a pond from a lawn.  If geese are wading out of a pond and onto your lawn, a 1/4" rope strung about 8" off the ground will deter geese from crossing over it.  Geese are  somewhat lazy and do not like having to fly over it for some reason. It is a real simple set up depending on how far you need to stretch the rope to keep geese away.  We use 18" flat wooden stakes  (Menards,Walmart ) and drill a hole at the top of it each one. We place the stakes 6'-8' apart and tie knots at each end.  Due to weathering, the rope will sag so leave room to pull the stakes further apart from each end.  I am truly amazed at how simple this is and how well it works. If the rope stretches and falls to the grass however, the geese will cross over it. So keep it raised up to be effective. 

     Canada geese are relentless once they find a place to their liking.  More than likely it will not be the same geese visiting your property every day as geese love to property and pond hop.  Your efforts must be as relentless as their willingness to stay. If one thing does not work, try another or try it in a different manner and location.  Remember you are dealing with nature and wildlife and both are pretty unpredictable.  Be inventive and consistent using your Canada goose deterrents and you will have a better chance at success.  Please always remember to be humane and considerate to your neighbors.


Rescue Me Goose Chasing
We Get Rid of Geese ... FAST!
www.rmgoosechasing.com

Canada Goose Egg Addling DIY

Mamma Goose Standing Guard

EGG ADDLING STEPS  -  Do It Yourself

   Egg addling is the term used for rendering goose eggs non-viable. This  prevents goslings from hatching. Egg addling has an effect in reducing the resident Canada goose population. Not only are the year’s hatchlings reduced, but when goslings mature they tend to nest in the same area, adding their offspring to the local population. After one to two failed nesting seasons, mother goose is apt to move her nest to a different area next year.  If you have a nesting goose population and have the gumption to take on this task yourself the below information will guide you through the steps.  Before starting, check your individual state's requirements by contacting your Department of Natural Resources' Waterfowl Biologist.
    There are different egg addling methods. These include: Egg Oiling,  Nest and Egg removal, replacement with dummy eggs, shaking or puncturing eggs. RMGC egg addling is performed by oiling eggs, in compliance with The National Wildlife Control Operators Association and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) protocols. 
    The procedures to obtain an Illinois state permit and federal registration to addle resident Canada goose eggs are not complex, nor does it cost money. In Illinois, a permit must be requested through the IDNR with  the property address and anticipated number of nests and eggs to be destroyed.  If you are an ambitious homeowner and familiar with waterfowl, the IDNR may extend a permit to you.

1.) OBTAIN A PERMIT

       ​Contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in your state for a permit. This is a must do and absolutely needed. Follow the directions on the permit application. They are pretty easy and self explanatory forms. In Illinois we have to deal directly with the state DNR. Most states use the U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service reporting system. https://epermits.fws.gov/eRCGR/geSI.aspx

2.) LOCATE NESTS

       Geese build nest in a variety of places. Normally they are close to water and on islands. However, we have seen nests built in planters, in parking lots, on roofs and on balconies.  Some of these in crowded shopping malls.  Depending on your area, we will walk along shore lines, paddle kayaks, climb up on roofs to look for nests. Once they are found we will mark them, usually with a small flag, and record them on a site map.  We will do this with two handlers and sometimes a dog due to the aggressiveness of the nesting pair of geese during the spring season. Mamma goose must be chased off the nest. She can be stubborn.

3.)ADDLING THE EGGS
      When nests with eggs are located,  a float test must be performed on the eggs to assess development. If eggs are in the earlier stages and do not float,  they are coated with 100% food grade corn oil to prevent oxygen from reaching the embryo, rendering the eggs non-viable.  They are put back into the nest so the mother goose continues to incubate her clutch. If eggs are developed and can float, they cannot be humanely addled. They are replaced into the nest and left to develop. This is why you must take action as soon as geese start to nest.
   If the oiled eggs are not replaced and the goose is still fertile, she may re-lay her eggs.  Once the incubation period has past, the eggs are removed and buried off site.
The nest is then destroyed and removed.  This sometimes encourages geese to leave the site and not return to nest.


4.) REPORTING AND DOCUMENTING
    For each site visit, RMGC will record the location of nests, number of eggs addled and plot the data on to a site map. This information is then used for annual reporting to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. If you choose to do it yourself the same procedure must be followed. If you are reporting back to the USFWS it has to be done on line and it less complicated.

5.) PRECAUTIONS
      Nesting geese are very aggressive. Keep this in mind when deciding whether to do this yourself or hire a company like ours to do the work.  Always work in teams of two so one person can stand guard.  Often the geese will leave the nest when approached but fly back towards you to protect their nest.  This is where an large open golf umbrella comes in handy. By holding it up the goose will flap its wings on the umbrella versus your head.  Some people will also use a trash can lid. But in my opinion they are too small.


If you decide this task is not something you want to tackle, give us a call and we can do all of the above for you at one low price.



Rescue Me Goose Chasing
We Get Rid of Geese . . . FAST!

Spring Wild Canada Geese Control

Spring Goose Control 

    Late February through March Canada Geese start to pair up for the spring and look for ideal nesting properties.  Canada Geese are monogamous and mate for life.  This is the time of year when pairs of Canada geese either return to their place of nesting from previous years or look for a new place.   More times than not they will return to the same general area to nest. They may not nest in the exact same location but they will nest on the same lakes, ponds, parking lots etc..

    Why are Canada geese so habitual when selecting a nesting spot?  We believe, and according to the experts, it has to do with familiarity and safety.  Geese who have had successful hatches are imprinted to believe that they found a good spot free of predators, hunters and disturbances. In essence, they have found a good neighborhood to live and raise their young.

    On the contrary, geese that have had unsuccessful hatches are unlikely to return to that place because it is a bad neighborhood for one reason or another.  Given the choice, geese will nest where there is less pressure from predators and human intervention.  This is why our Nest and Egg Depredation Program is so successful.

    Spring goose control is so important to our  Nuisance Geese Management Program.  Without spring goose control the population of wild geese will continue to grow and flourish. Our humane methods of hazing wild geese with our goose dogs, and other proprietary methods, ensure that when geese leave they know they are leaving an area not conducive to nesting or raising their young.  These wild geese find themselves being chased off lawns, into water, then once in the water, chased out by one of our dogs.  This is too much pressure for them.  The geese leave to find another home where they can roost, nest and raise their young in peace. The loss of  a nest by a wild Canada goose pair, can lead to them leaving town and flying all the way back to the Arctic.

    Recent study, discussed here, in National Geographic,  found more than half the resident geese tracked during a satellite-monitoring project, migrated to Canada when their nests failed. Another study found that 44 percent of geese in New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont headed north when they had no young to care for.

    Researchers tracked one female goose who nested every year in front of the same Toronto office building until it lost its clutch of eggs. Then, it flew to extreme northern Québec, on the fringes of the Arctic. “If it hadn’t lost its nest, it would have stayed in the plaza outside of shipping and receiving all summer,” researchers reported. 

   If you are tired of having Canada geese on your lawn, in your pond, lake or at your place of business all spring and summer, you have to stop the spring cycle of nesting and the fall cycle of pond hopping and roosting by migratory and resident geese.  Resident geese that find your property to their liking in the fall will be sure to return in the spring.

    Rescue Me Goose Chasing employees use all the Certified Goose Management training we received at the National Wildlife Control Operators Association (NWCOA) and our experience to Get Rid of Geese...FAST!  

Call Us for a free consultation  630-926-8962

www.rmgoosechasing.com

   

What's with all the Canada Geese?

Seemingly every year the Canada goose population rises. 

Why are there so many Canada geese now versus thirty or forty years ago?

    Canada geese were almost eradicated by hunting, egg gathering and the draining of wetlands in the early 1900's. The government stepped in and Federally protected them in 1918. They were also raised in captivity by a Waterfowl Research Supervisor named Forrest B. Lee, also known as Father Goose, and spread throughout the U.S. to increase their population in the early 1960's. In January 1962, Forrest had been studying a flock of large Canada geese on Silver Lake at Rochester, Minn., and invited waterfowl experts in for trapping and further examination. The Silver Lake flock turned out to be Branta Canadensis Maxima, the Giant Canada Goose, a species long thought to be extinct. As it turned out, the species was not extinct and additional small populations would also surface later.

    In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest into leaving Minnesota and in 1965, the family moved to Jamestown. Forrest would head the center’s Canada goose production and restoration program. Forrest soon had 64 pens with 64 breeding pairs of screened, high-quality birds. Forrest worked long days, seven day a week and often stayed overnight at the propagation building if it was needed. This large Canada goose production project involved private, state and federal resources and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. Forrest even worked with scientists in Japan and Russia.  By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. 1.

    In one year those 6,000 geese or 3,000 pairs could reproduce an average of 6 goslings. That's 18,000 more Canada geese! With those eighteen thousand pair up and along with the original 6,000 they could produce another 72,000 the following year.  It is easy to see why the Canada goose has become a nuisance not only in the United States and Canada but world wide.  Their survival rate and proliferation is astounding.

    Individual state Departments of Natural Resources have tried to control the goose population through hunting.  Some have extended the goose hunting season or increased bag limits. None of this seems to be working.  To make matters more difficult, us humans have created very nice areas for Canada geese to nest, roost and eat.  We have put in very attractive neighborhoods, golf courses and corporate centers with retention ponds, detention ponds and decorative ponds.  All surrounded by their favorite food, lush, fertilized green grass.  To make it even more attractive to these nuisance geese, there is a lack of a natural predator in these areas. The geese can go about their business without a worry.

   People have become so accustomed to seeing them. Geese have become welcome guests by nature starved city dwellers.  Some people have taken to feeding and claiming them as their own.   Many resident geese no longer have a fear of people and have become friendly.  This is where human and geese conflicts arise. Friendly geese become aggressive and territorial during nesting season. Suddenly what was a good idea in the fall has become a horrible idea in the spring.

    Waterfowl professionals have said that if you were to take any giant Canada goose in existence today, you could trace it's bloodlines back to an egg that Forrest placed in an incubator or a gosling he held in his hand.  It is incredible what started out as a project to save a species of geese has turned into a world wide problem.  I often wonder if Forrest was alive today what he would think of what has happened. Would he do something different?

    In the meantime we are considering names for our next two goose dogs. I think one should be named Forrest and the other Lee.

www.rmgoosechasing.com

1. Bismark Tribune