Indiana wants late hunting season to combat geese population
by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)ST. JOSEPH COUNTY -- A new experimental Canada goose hunting season began this weekend in Indiana. The state hopes to eventually have a late hunt to help combat the overwhelming geese population in the cities. Residents in one local apartment complex couldn't be happier.
Angela Phegley describes Indian Lakes as a pleasant place to live. But when the warm weather rolls around it's a different story.
"They're everywhere. Even when you're driving your car you have to give them the right of way. And sometimes you're late for work because of that,” said Phegley.
The problem is the overwhelming number of geese popping up in the city.
"There's been a lot them. Always crossing the streets and a lot of droppings on the sidewalk and just trying to dodge all that stuff," said Indian Lakes resident Jon Lies.
To combat the problem, Indiana wants the federal government to grant them a late hunting season for the Giant Canada geese.
"We have to prove to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal government, that if we did that, that the geese that would be killed are overwhelmingly the Giant Canada geese and not the interior Canada goose which is a migratory species," explained park naturalist Tim Cordell.
And experts say February is prime time to hunt them. In the winter geese are moving to rural areas like cornfields to find food.
"Since they spend the regular hunting season in the towns where there's no hunting taking place there's no hunting pressure on them therefore their numbers continue to increase and increase and increase," said Cordell.
Whether a late hunt will actually help cut down the population or not, people like Phegley say they've just learned to deal with it.
"We've been here two years so we're used to it," said Phegley.
Hunters bring the geese to DNR checkpoints across the state. Data is then collected and sent to a lab in Bloomington for further research.
The experiment lasts for two weeks.On Monday, Feb 4 at 3:10 PM MichaelPatrick wrote ...
I hope Phegley has learned to deal with it. The Geese have just as much right to live as she does. Mankind has crapped all over this planet and they are worried about the mess from the geese. Grow up. Another article for the thumb suckers who cannot think for themselves.
On Monday, Feb 4 at 4:09 PM Sharon Pawlak wrote ...
Destined to fail, hunting has never resolved human/goose conflicts and never will. Proven successful, resident Canada goose abatement programs include landscape modification, Border collies, egg addling and OvoControl,an EPA registered hatch control product. For futher information, visit these web sites: www.geesepeace.org - www.innolyticsllc.com - www.canadageese.org Sharon Pawlak Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese
On Monday, Feb 4 at 1:42 AM Anonymous wrote ...
Isn't there some sort of thing they're giving pigeons to keep them from multiplying? Perhaps there's a variation that could be used on geese?