[EBB Sightings] Canada Goose Management

	<863BF1C07BB79B42A43D2ED96205A521CF007B at exchsac1.jsanet.com>

Canada Goose wrote:

>  Hi folks,
>  
> Jones & Stokes and the City of Oakland are researching management
> techniques for Lake Merritt's Canada Goose population. This list was
> recommended as a good source of local knowledge for non-lethal
> population management. 
>  
> Suggestions? Recommendations? Local examples, vendors, rangers?

What? No comments at all? I had a nice chat with Rosalyn the other day - 
voicing my strong opinions:

a. Relatively few geese live at the lake year round, and the breeding 
season isn't all that successful. Lots and lots of critters eat 
goslings. The big bump in population comes from the molt migration, 
where every third goose in Northern California flaps down to Lake 
Merritt for a nice rest while replacing flight feathers in relative peace.

b. The geese are a resource, not a problem. The molt migration generates 
two months' worth of free fertilizer and lawn-mowing. They'd be more of 
a resource (and less numerous) if the city were to issue goose-fishing 
licenses.... (I explained how to fish for geese.)

c. Feeding the geese or not feeding them makes no difference - they get 
everything they need from the grass.

d. The only way to get rid of the geese would be to pave the lawns. And 
you'd probably still have to electrify the new parking lots, or turn 
them into dog runs.

Arguments?

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