It is legal to shoot these guys during hunting season in hunting areas.
There are no legal hunting areas where these birds congregate.
It is now illegal to feed waterfowl in King county Washington. If they were
forced to find their own feed, they would move on. This prohibition is not
enforced or respected because many people feel that feeding the birds is
their "contact with nature". I challenged a friend who manages a county
park and he said "this is as close as some children will ever come to
wildlife."
The birds congregate in parks and other places where there is enough "free
food" and "turnover" in visitors that the birds destruction might be
challenged by someone.
The situation described in the article is rare. The birds only pose a
threat to the very young and the infirm. The real problem is pollution. I
mean poop pollution. They are big and they poop big. To humans the effect
is "swimmers itch". To the rest of the ecosystem (mostly fishy type
swimmers) it's just plain poison. In an natural environment they would face
predators. Here they can poop on anything.
For the last 4 years, the county has had a program to reduce the population
of geese. Because of intervention of animal rights advocates, the birds
cannot be killed. Instead they are transported to Montana. I don't know
what the Montanans do with them (can you guess?).
Most people feed these guys with bread. The primary ingredient of bread is
grain. A grain fed goose or duck can taste pretty good. I say sell permits
to harvest these pests. Fills the coffers and the belly.
Tom
----- Original Message -----
From: <IndyEsox_at_aol.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2003 3:37 PM
Subject: NANFA-- two local goose stories
> <A
HREF="http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/036781-2103-103.html">Pair
> of geese attack disabled man near nest</A>
> http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/036781-2103-103.html
>
>
> A disabled Plainfield man was attacked by two Canada geese outside a
> Northwestside department store in the latest conflict between people and
the
> growing number of the aggressive birds settling in at local ponds.
>
> The geese have become so prolific that the state Department of Natural
> Resources has almost exhausted the 1,300 nest-destruction permits it can
> issue this year.
>
> (see above link for the rest of the story.)
>
> <A HREF="http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/036798-2943-009.html">2
> won't be charged in attack on goose eggs and nests</A>
> http://www.indystar.com/print/articles/3/036798-2943-009.html
>
>
> A woman suspected of destroying goose eggs and nests -- and another woman
who
> was with her -- will not face charges but will receive warnings, a state
> conservation officer said Thursday.
>
> (see above link for the rest of the story).
-- > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes > / Association" > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org /----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org