Coyote Decoy- Keep geese away

[dgkasper58]

Anybody have any luck with decoys to keep the geese away?  If so, post away!

[TnRiver46]

I’ve seen some docks use them, I think it works on occasion but not for too long unless you keep moving it around. There are other solutions that work far better depending on situation. The best? 12 gauge and goose pastrami (waterfowl is open all across the US as of right now). I’ve also seen trained dogs chase them away on a regular basis. We’ve had pretty good luck with pyrotechnics, they sell little plastic toy guns and rounds called bangers and screamers that scare the heck out of them and can be quite fun. You have to be diligent though. My buddy that works for Uncle Sam does big round ups in June when the birds are molting and can’t fly. They just run around and grab hundreds at large dams and other govt facilities. The best thing I have seen for ponds is to let the vegetation (like willows) grow up around the edges. Geese won’t sit on a pond with trees/bushes impeding their runway  for takeoff and landing. Behavior modification approaches to wildlife management are typically not the best solution but they have their place. There’s a company in Knoxville that manufacturers fake owls that people hang up everywhere. These things are beyond useless, but guess what. They sell like hotcakes. I swear 90% of our customers purchased one and tried it (Failure) before they ever called us. They use them for anything (Like mothballs) yet I don’t think it has ever helped or worked one single time that I have personally witnessed. Everyone will spend a small amount on anything, whether it actually works or not. A lot of wildlife problems can be solved very simply: got a problem with a squirrel in your attic? Get rid of the squirrel. It’s funny because that’s usually the last thing anyone will think of. They usually start squirting peppermint oil into the attic and walls, then moth balls, then a super sonic electronic sound machine to scare them away, then a fake owl......... then they call me. And when I say I’m going to trap the squirrel and patch the hole it completely blows their mind......

[dgkasper58]

Dealing with this the past 20 years and rigging up countless things in their way and watching the geese walk around the neighbors yard to get to our mulberry tree we have reached the last straw and the tree is going to go next.  We wanted to try some decent decoys (we would move around).  Dog works when we are there, screaming bottle rockets, and the golf cart work the best as of now.

 

We get about 100 geese every day coming in for their food during spring/summer.  This equates to a lot of poop for my little ones to see and make them not want to run around in the yard.

[TnRiver46]

Well a decoy couldn’t hurt but it doesn’t take the birds long to realize it’s not a threat. A robotic one would be cool! Haha. Another thing I’ve seen is propane cannons in corn fields but the farmers told me they had to constantly change the time intervals or they would become accustomed to the timing and no longer be scared 

[N Florida Mike]

This looks like fun!

[BigAngus752]

If is doesn't make a loud noise it won't work for very long.  Toss a firecracker.  Notice I didn't say "at them" because in your state it's illegal to harass geese, but if you happen to be enjoying some firecrackers (which are also illegal in your state) it's just too bad that the geese are nearby.  Even the canister air horn from your boat should work.  It's like protecting your house from burglars or outrunning a bear.  Make your house less appealing than your neighbor's house.  And do I have to outrun the bear or do I just have to outrun YOU?  Annoy the geese until they would rather be somewhere else.  The downside?  There are plenty of OTHER geese that will probably show up once your current flock is gone.  Ask me how I know. 

 

And we will all pretend we didn't see your comment about the dog being useful since you live in a state where it's an arrestable offense to allow your dog to harass geese.  Just say "good boy" quietly and slip him a treat on the down low.   

[TnRiver46]

7 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

If is doesn't make a loud noise it won't work for very long.  Toss a firecracker.  Notice I didn't say "at them" because in your state it's illegal to harass geese, but if you happen to be enjoying some firecrackers (which are also illegal in your state) it's just too bad that the geese are nearby.  Even the canister air horn from your boat should work.  It's like protecting your house from burglars or outrunning a bear.  Make your house less appealing than your neighbor's house.  And do I have to outrun the bear or do I just have to outrun YOU?  Annoy the geese until they would rather be somewhere else.  The downside?  There are plenty of OTHER geese that will probably show up once your current flock is gone.  Ask me how I know. 

 

And we will all pretend we didn't see your comment about the dog being useful since you live in a state where it's an arrestable offense to allow your dog to harass geese.  Just say "good boy" quietly and slip him a treat on the down low.   

So does the OP live in California or Minnesota? 

[dgkasper58]

This is for MI- 

 

But yes I would never want to harass them...

[TnRiver46]

17 minutes ago, dgkasper58 said:

This is for MI- 

 

But yes I would never want to harass them...

Well unfortunately that’s about the only way you can modify their behavior without eating them. Is there any way you could modify the habitat? Is it a backyard on a lake ? 

[BigAngus752]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

So does the OP live in California or Minnesota? 

Ok, California wins.  But Illinois is a solid contender.  

[dgkasper58]

27 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Well unfortunately that’s about the only way you can modify their behavior without eating them. Is there any way you could modify the habitat? Is it a backyard on a lake ? 

It is the backyard on the lake.  Not going to do anything to the shoreline- Have a few docks, ramps, small beach area and everywhere they love to do their business.   Talking over well over 1000 piles when we clean (no lie).

 

The other annoyance is it is getting time to replace the wood on the seawalls/docks and since they eat all the mullberries it stains if left on for a while.

 

Probably going to go with the coyotes since we have quite a few up there.  

 

Hopefully it will help- Goosinator is next

[TnRiver46]

we Have excellent success at deterring woodpeckers from wooden and stucco houses with a properly placed windsock that is bright, colorful, and has several tentacles that flap in the wind. But you have to hang them right where the bird is pecking. Once it’s up there, they won’t come anywhere near it. The problem is always getting them installed on a chimney chase that comes directly up through the middle of a steep roof........ but anyway what I was getting at is that maybe you could get some installed on short poles along the sea wall and maybe a few out in the yard. Something that MOVES is always better than something that doesn’t when you are trying to scare birds. I’ve done wildlife management for over a decade and learned from two guys that have done it for over 3 decades. Fair warning, most of what you read about wildlife management on the internet is COMPLETELY wrong, not sure how it spreads like it does. Luckily, bass Resource is way cooler than the rest of the internet and you found someone that has experience actually dealing with the problem you are having. If the coyote is cheap maybe try it but I’ve seen them fail many many times. Maybe call the local DNR and ask them what your options are, although depending on who answers the phone that might be about as useful as a fake dog 

[N Florida Mike]

On 11/28/2019 at 6:02 PM, TnRiver46 said:

And we will all pretend we didn't see your comment about the dog being useful since you live in a state where it's an arrestable offense to allow your dog to harass geese.  Just say "good boy" quietly and slip him a treat on the down low.

Are you serious? I wouldn’t want to live in that state!

And I currently don’t even have a dog!

[Scott F]

12 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

Are you serious? I wouldn’t want to live in that state!

And I currently don’t even have a dog!

I believe that harassment of migratory birds is a federal law. So you can’t mess with geese even in your state.

[N Florida Mike]

I get following game laws and not being cruel to animals but not harassing them ? There are so many of them they are in the way. Not to mention the poop.How else would you get them to move if you don’t “ harass “ them ?  

Now Im going to check into this. There must be a ( legal ) way  to deal with the problem.

[TnRiver46]

5 hours ago, Scott F said:

I believe that harassment of migratory birds is a federal law. So you can’t mess with geese even in your state.

Can too!!! You can kill and eat them as well. We have like 6 separate goose seasons, the longest of which opened yesterday. One of my buddies got two already 

You can get a permit to stomp their eggs if harassment fails