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

Certified Goose Control is a War of Attrition

      

    Back a number of years ago when I became interested in starting a goose control company I had the pleasure of being introduced to Pete Rizzo of Hudson Valley Wild Goose Chasers out of New Jersey.   Pete was very generous with his time and spent a lot of time explaining the business side of things to me.  When it came time to discuss the goose control side of things he talked to me about work ethic and effort.

    This seemed like common sense to me. However, Pete drove this thought home with both passion and warning. The phrase that stood out the most to me was "Goose Control is a war of attrition, and I always win".   Not until I secured my first account did I actually know what he meant.  Our initial account had a large goose problem. Geese droppings surrounded this upscale retirement/assisted living complex. The property is about 10 acres with a pond, several buildings and next to a high school soccer and baseball field.  

    Putting predatory pressure on geese with a dog is relatively easy. We give our dogs a command, they run out to the geese and return when they fly off.  However, geese are not dumb. They are actually very smart. It is not easy to predict what they will do. They will test a dog to see how far he will run and how persistent he is. Sometimes geese will only fly about 25 yards away and wait to see if the dog continues the chase.  In large open areas I have seen geese do this 3 to 4 times before they finally get the message and leave the area completely.  Geese will also fly, or if close, run to the nearest body of water for safety. Depending on the size of the body of water, we can employ several different tactics.  Our options are swim dogs, RC Boats, John boats, Bird Bangers and high powered lasers.  Geese will then fly or move from one side of a lake to the other and back again.  Hence the chasing part of the business.

    It is up to the handler to properly direct the dog and use his or her other goose control methods to convince the geese they should go elsewhere.  This quite frequently takes 5 minutes or in some cases 50 minutes.  This is where the "war of attrition" comes in to play.  This is where we have set ourselves apart from other goose control companies.  

    This year we were hired to take over an account from a large goose control chain.  The reason the Park District decided to look elsewhere was because there were 20 geese this company could not get rid of even though they had addled 6 to 8 nests every year and hazed geese every day. This is a 15 acre lake with 40 homes around it.

Surveying the area for bidding purposes, we found a lot of goose droppings, ALL OVER! In yards, on the beach, on piers, on a basketball court and on paths.  It looked like they had no goose control. Yet they were paying a very reputable company good money for a service and not getting a whole lot in return. 

These geese were making themselves at home.( pictured below)

  After sharing our references with the Park District and our pricing, they took a chance on us because and I quote " Things are getting pretty stale with this other company and we are not seeing the results."   

    It took us about a week to get rid of most of the geese. Then, another week to convince the others it was time to go.  It took a lot of effort and work in those two weeks. We chased geese from bank to bank, from beach to yard and back again. We chased in the morning we chased in the afternoon and we chased them at night.  We chased these stubborn geese with RC boats, with our dogs swimming after them, with dogs running after them and staring them down.  It was a "war of attrition" we did not and would not lose. (Thanks Pete!) 

    Through the spring we were complimented on our work by many residents. We heard comments like, "Best ever", "What did you do with the Geese?", " You are doing a good job".  We would occasionally even get the Thumbs Up by passersby.

    Not long after servicing the account, I saw an ad for one of these high volume goose control companies for help. The ad requested people who had good driving records and loved working with animals.  Really?  Both are necessary but how about employees who have a good work ethic, are self driven, know how to work a dog, have a desire to reduce human and wildlife conflicts,  and do not like to lose.  I think this is where we shine. We work and work hard with our dogs.  Higher volume goose control companies set up people that have good driving records with a dog and instruct them to visit a lot of accounts every day. This is why we won this account and will continue to win more. It is a war of attrition, we will not lose! We take the time to service accounts properly because we are not on a time schedule and take it personally when geese show up on one of our accounts. Our hard work, CERTIFIED Goose Management training at the National Wildlife Control Operators Association and our love of what we do with our Australian Shepherds sets us apart.

    One other thing, our goose control methods were so effective we did not have to addle any eggs or destroy any nests. The geese found out that our handlers and dogs would not quit until they left for good. For 6 to 8 pairs of geese to nest there year after year previously, they had to feel pretty comfortable that the lake they chose was  a nice safe place to  raise their young. Not any more. This community will be enjoying a goose free summer thanks to the efforts of Rescue Me Goose Chasing, Canine Goose Control. We Get Rid of Geese .  .  .  FAST!

Rescue Me Goose Chasing Company Video

This is our first white board type video.  We used a free 7 day trial of VideoScribe to produce it. It is fairly intuitive and easy to navigate around. Importing pictures is easy. It took a couple tries to produce it in a way that it flowed nice from screen to screen but we managed.

I like the way we were able to use it to explain what we do and how it works.

Please give it a watch and tell us what you think.

Thanks,

Your RMGC Team!

Goose Control Product Reviews.

  Through the course of our client dealings, we have found that people try to get rid of geese on their properties on their own.  Clients say that they have tried this or that and it did not work to get rid of the geese.  Sometimes the reason what they tried did not work was a result of not using 'it' properly or using something that boasts false or unsubstantiated claims.

  So we will be reviewing some goose control products that are on the market.  We will let you know how to properly use them, what to expect and how well they work.

Stay tuned for our Product reviews.

Our first review is regarding dog cut outs, 3D fake coyotes and cardboard coyotes as pictured below.
We get calls from people who have tried these fakes to no avail.  They have mean looks, glaring stares or in some cases, just a black shadow with an id tag.

The reason they do not work is because they are stationary. Geese are smart and are not fooled by imitations of a real working dog.  Initially geese may be wary. But eventually they learn that the figure on the lawn does not move when they land or react when they fly above.



Here a gosling is not old enough to realize what a threat is. So when it walks up to an effigy and the effigy does not move, it tells the adult geese it is safe.  There's no fear plastic dog is here!
Another good example is of very protective adult geese with their goslings feeding next to these effigies. We see these driving around our route all the time.

Left:  This customer called and had a pair of aggressive geese chasing employees going to and from work.  Unfortunately the cardboard coyote could not chase the geese! These geese even nested on the roof above.  The male goose is shown here attacking his reflection in the window. He was more concerned about his reflection as a threat to his survival than the cardboard coyote.

Right:  Here is picture from Maverick Detection Services. This is a black cut out of a German Shepherd. It has a very scary ID tag on it.  The many geese surrounding him are wondering why he is there and why his owner has not claimed him. Hopefully he has a chip implanted so he can go back into storage.

There are countless images like this we could post from our experience and others.  Most people spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on various products that do not work prior to calling us to get the geese out.  Once our customers see our goose control dogs in action they say, "Well that was easy!"  Well it is easy because the geese fear for their safety and lives. It is a natural instinct to survive and stay where it is safe.  Once geese realize their on unsafe grounds, they will move somewhere else. We call this putting predatory pressure on the geese.

Our methods are safe, proven and quickly effective. Nothing beats the look and fear of a real predator on your property to get rid of geese.  Our methods are PeTA and HSUS approved and endorsed.  We are Certified Goose Management Professionals and members of the Wildlife Control Operators Association.  We use highly trained Australian Shepherds to put pressure on geese to leave.

CLICK here to read more about us!

The Start of RMGC

  My experience with Comet over the year I had him was educational, frustrating and sad.  I learned an enormous amount about training a fearful dog. I learned a lot about a dog's body language and the different signals a dog will give before he or she lashes out.  Over the years I think quite a bit about him and the relationship we had. He was devoted to me but only me in our home and out. He was a one person dog. The rescue felt he would do better in a single person home with no kids.   We spent an enormous amount of time together on walks, running errands in the car and at training lessons.  He loved the Walky Dog.  It is a snap on attachment to a bike with a spring loaded leash on it. Actually a neat idea. It keeps your dog a good distance from your bike and he can run along side you.  Comet would just run as fast as he could for about 3/4 of a mile.  He had such a strong prey instinct he would pull me as fast as he legs could go when cars past by trying to catch them.

    On occasional walks we would come across a flock of geese around a small pond near our home.  It is a half completed subdivision so there were times there were geese and no people.  Comet had a good recall so I could let him go and he would run out chase the geese away and return.  At the time I though nothing more of it than a way for him to expend some of his Aussie energy.  It was a game he seemed to enjoy and I got a rush watching him do it.  Upon the return of Comet to the Aussie Rescue, they felt that I had done so much for him that they would allow me to adopt another dog, should I desire, in the future at no cost.

Cosmo

   I guess it was the following January that I got the Aussie bug again. Cosmo was a cute Red tri Aussie we discovered and decided to adopt. After a year of obedience training and Comso's excellent recall, we began the game again of chasing geese off a local property for fun.  People would routinely ask us to chase geese from their yards when they saw us walking by as they had seen Cosmo do his thing for fun.

  It was by chance I had mentioned this to a friend of mine who replied that his brother in law uses dogs to  get rid of nuisance Canada geese on the east coast.  His name is Pete Rizzo and his company Hudson Valley Wild Goose Chasers  was doing quite well. After a few informative phone calls with Pete I felt Cosmo was a good fit to be a goose chasing dog.  So it was often that we would visit this neighborhood property to test and hone our goose chasing techniques.  We could not do it too often because the geese would leave and not come back.  So Cosmo and I would set up a routine where we could visit enough to practice but not enough to lose our training geese.  We took sheep herding lessons to fine tune our skills and commands. Soon the geese caught on to us and left. That is when we started looking for other areas to practice that had geese.

    It was in the fall of 2011 that I decided to make the leap and start a goose control company. We chose the name Rescue Me Goose Chasing.  It has a couple meanings. The firs is that we are using Cosmo, a rescue dog, to start with. Second, we are rescuing people and places from the nuisance geese that are ruining their grass, curb appeal and outdoor experience.

Getting started

    Today we are starting our blog.

    We intend to post stories about our dogs, their training, our adventures goose chasing, and encounters with geese and nature.  We will post miscellaneous information about how we care for our dogs and what products we use to keep them in good condition.
 
    I started Rescue Me Goose Chasing because of a rescue dog I adopted years ago. I was interested in adopting a dog that was capable of running with me on my training runs.  I had been training for marathons with our German Shepherd but age was catching up with him and long miles were no longer possible. Actually and sadly running was no longer possible for him.  Zander was a long hair Shepherd.  During his prime he was able to run 15 miles with me.

Zander

   I researched breeds and their different attributes. I decided an Australian Shepherd was the ideal candidate for me as a canine training partner.  I had contacted a local Aussie rescue. They told me I had to pass a three stage process. The first step was filling out an application complete with references. Second was getting approved by a home visit from one of their volunteers and then finally approval to adopt the dog I would request by the foster parents. The application was sent and a date was set for the in home approval meeting.
   When the Aussie Rescue volunteer came to our home she was also in possession of a young Aussie, Comet, she was transporting to Wisconsin.  I told her to let him out so he could stretch his legs and relieve himself. Out popped this nice looking red bi pup. He was mostly a deep reddish brown with some white on his collar and feet.  We took him into our yard where he ran about while my daughter and Stephanie's son got acquainted and played in the yard.  After watching this guy for about 15 minutes I had started thinking this could be the the right dog.  The volunteer asked me several questions about how we care for our current dog, who would be home and how often and several other questions regarding what our intentions were with an additional dog.   Within an hour of arriving they were loaded up and on the road to bring Comet to a foster home in Wisconsin.
    There was something about this pup that struck me. He was about 6 months old, had personality and seemed well adjusted.  He weighed on my mind heavily for the next hour.  I decided I needed to call the rescue and find out what it would take for me to adopt Comet.  She explained that he needed to spend a couple weeks with a foster family so they could get to know him and decide if he was a good fit.  Talk about a nerve wracking time.

Comet

Well two weeks later we were told by the rescue that Comet would be ours if we still wanted him!  He was being fostered about 4 hours away from us in Wisconsin so this meant a family road trip was in order.  My wife Lisa and daughters Christina and  Brianna accompanied us on the trip.  I remember it being a nice summer day, not too hot and not to humid.  It was an easy trip and the 4 hours went by fast.   An older couple that had 2 Aussies were fostering him and they were kind enough to send me almost daily updates about Comet; his personality, habits and attitude. Everything, seemingly, was great with him.
    Upon arrival at the foster home we were greeted and welcomed in. Comet was in the yard playing. Actually he was chasing flying insects and not paying any attention to us.  The other two Aussies greeted us kindly and allowed us to pet them.  We called Comet to greet him but he seemed intent on catching whatever was flying around the yard.  Brianna, our youngest daughter, who was six at the time tried catching him but he did not show any interest in her.  We discussed Comet with the foster parents trying to gain as much information as possible.   After being reassured that he was OK with kids based on their experience, we proceeded back into the home to finish up the rescue paper work, pay the rescue and get his veterinary records.  It was about this point that Bri bent to give  him a treat and he lunged at her.  It startled us all!  The fosters said they had never seen this out of him before and were surprised since he was so good with their grandchildren.
    After quite a bit of thought and discussion with Lisa we decided to adopt Comet based on the assurances of his foster parents that his actions were out of the ordinary.  Possibly due to us being new to him.
    Well needless to say things did not work out well.  It took a few weeks but after getting Comet evaluated by a trained professional dog trainer, he was diagnosed with having fear aggression.  If you have never had a dog with fear aggression I can tell you it is a very nerve racking situation.  You feel out of control and always on the look out for an outburst.  After several training sessions with our dog trainer, I was taught the signs of a nervous and fearful dog and what he looks like prior to an outburst.  Comet and I went to a dog trainer for the better part of a year. ( As a side note and in hindsight I should have done my due diligence on the rescue. After confronting the rescue with Comet's fear aggression issue, they confessed that the fosters were new and he was not properly evaluated.)
   Comet would not allow strangers to approach him at first.  But after about 6 months he accepted treats from strangers.  We were buddies though. He only trusted me. No one else could sit by me when he did.  If Bri would come to sit by me he would growl at her.  Kids could not run in Comet's presence. He would go crazy and try to bite them.  He had some talent. He could run down a frisbee and jump and catch it from almost any angle. He could stand at the base of our 4' deck to our pool and jump up on it in a flash. He would do it to try and catch Bri before she jumped in.  She would tease him in this manner and it was only a matter of time before he caught her in the butt with a nip.
   Comet had come along way.  However, we never felt comfortable ever leaving him alone with Brianna or other children.  It did create tension in our home.  If guests came over I would have to keep him leashed and lead him around the house for fear of an attack.  My brother-in-law is an animated guy. He is friendly and outgoing.  This bothered Comet and he would often lash out at him and others with barking. lunging and gritted teeth.
     Lisa and I discussed at length our ability to keep Comet and decided we had to return him to the rescue.  He was not a good fit and may do better in a home without kids.  It was tough. I had spent the better part of a year training him, learning his fears, behaviors and tendencies.  I knew though that there had to be somewhere or someone better that could handle him.
   The next day I made the call to the rescue.  I explained the situation and the outcome.  I had been keeping the rescue up to date on all our training and his progress.  They were willing to take him back and said they had someone in mind.  So it was with a heavy heart we returned Comet.  In a kind gesture the rescue said they would allow me to adopt another dog based on my experience and training.   I told them thanks but it may take some time.
    Well time heals all wounds and it would be the following January we would adopt our second Aussie, Cosmo.