Photo courtesy of Goose Masters
Spring is just around the corner, and that means getting outside to enjoy nature. But it’s important to be careful when walking or jogging because this is also the time of year when Canada geese are nesting.
“Spring can be a dangerous time to accidentally run across nesting geese,” said Kent Kuykendall, owner of Goose Masters. “Sometimes you may see a single goose that appears to be ‘patrolling’ an area, which may indicate that a nest is in the area. If that is the case, look out, because not all geese will flee at the sight of a human. Some will actually attack you.”
Signs that a Canada goose may attack while defending a nest include if it is standing erect or spreading its wings, and hissing loudly. Attacking geese will often try to strike their perceived nest predators with their wings and can also bite.
“Wild Canada geese tend to be more afraid of people, but the ones you see in and around cities will attack first because they are used to being around people,” Kuykendall said.
Goose Masters uses highly trained border collies to help remove pesky geese, by gently herding them away from private property.
“The training we give our border collies is approved by the USDA Wildlife Services and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” Kuykendall said. “In addition, the Humane Society and PETA recommend the use of working Border Collies for control of Canada geese. Our goal is to relocate the geese to their natural habitat and make it a win-win situation for everyone.”
Visit http://www.goose-masters.com/ for details.