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Location
Hot Springs, AR
Start Date
6-4-2003 12:00 AM
Description
Burgeoning resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations have led to increased goose/human conflicts. Playback of recorded goose alarm/alert calls coupled with human harassment was used to attempt removal of resident geese from a 24.2 ha business park, Dayton, Ohio, 26 February-15 August 2002. Many geese present were reusing nest territories of previous years. Removal efforts began following territorial establishment. Call playback used 3 "Goosebuster" units (Bird-X Corp. Inc., 300 N. Elizabeth, Chicago IL 60607). Goose use of the property dropped from an estimated 1600-1800 goose hrs/day before testing to fewer than 150 goose hrs/day by week three and to 0 hours by May. Reports of goose aggression or injury to employees fell from 32 and 2 cases in 2001 , respectively, to 0 for both in 2002. Harassment effort declined from a maximum of 3-4 hrs/day to under 15 min/day by week 5. Goose droppings counted per 100 m of walks fell significantly F 3, 24 = 30.048, P< 0.0001, from a mean of 195.7 on 26 February to 3.28 on 24 March 2002, a 97.88 % reduction, and remained low. Continued alarm call playback at random 10-20 min settings appeared to help prevent return/recolonization of the property by geese.
Recommended Citation
Whitford, P. C. (2003). Use of alarm/alert call playback and human harassment to end Canada goose problems at an Ohio business park. In Fagerstone, K.A. & Witmer, G.W. (Eds.), The Tenth Wildlife Damage Management Conference (245-255). Hot Springs, AR: National Wildlife Research Center.
Included in
Use of Alarm/Alert Call Playback and Human Harassment to End Canada Goose Problems at an Ohio Business Park
Hot Springs, AR
Burgeoning resident Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations have led to increased goose/human conflicts. Playback of recorded goose alarm/alert calls coupled with human harassment was used to attempt removal of resident geese from a 24.2 ha business park, Dayton, Ohio, 26 February-15 August 2002. Many geese present were reusing nest territories of previous years. Removal efforts began following territorial establishment. Call playback used 3 "Goosebuster" units (Bird-X Corp. Inc., 300 N. Elizabeth, Chicago IL 60607). Goose use of the property dropped from an estimated 1600-1800 goose hrs/day before testing to fewer than 150 goose hrs/day by week three and to 0 hours by May. Reports of goose aggression or injury to employees fell from 32 and 2 cases in 2001 , respectively, to 0 for both in 2002. Harassment effort declined from a maximum of 3-4 hrs/day to under 15 min/day by week 5. Goose droppings counted per 100 m of walks fell significantly F 3, 24 = 30.048, P< 0.0001, from a mean of 195.7 on 26 February to 3.28 on 24 March 2002, a 97.88 % reduction, and remained low. Continued alarm call playback at random 10-20 min settings appeared to help prevent return/recolonization of the property by geese.