Canada Geese on Lawns, Ponds and Golf Courses in Western Montana

Why do Canada geese pick mowed grass next to water?

Because it gives them the two things they want side by side: food and a clear view. USDA Wildlife Services' technical guide on geese, ducks and coots describes Canada geese as grazers that have become used to urban settings, feeding on domesticated grasses in parks, golf courses, sports fields and highway rights-of-way. It also notes that their nests are usually in places with a clear view in all directions and permanent water nearby.

The same guide explains why short turf matters. Long grass restricts a goose's line of sight and makes the birds nervous about predators they cannot see. A closely mowed lawn that slopes gently into a pond removes that worry and lets a flock walk straight from the water to the food. Most of what works against geese is some version of taking that arrangement apart.

Are Canada geese protected in Montana?

Yes. The Montana Field Guide lists the Canada goose as a native species covered by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. A goose nest management guide posted on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's resident Canada goose registration site says the species is protected by that Act, by federal regulations and by state laws, and that handling geese or lethal management outside established hunting seasons requires depredation permits.

That guide also describes a federal registration program under which landowners and local governments may deal with resident goose nests and eggs during a set spring window. It adds that registrants must still follow state and local law and should check whether their state takes part. We are not describing that work here and HJ does not perform it. If nests are the problem, the question goes to the Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Our guide to migratory bird depredation permits in Montana covers the permit side.

When are geese on the property, and when can they not fly?

The Montana Field Guide gives Bozeman-area migration periods of February 20 to April 15 and October 15 to January 1. For nesting it cites Flathead Valley records: eggs laid from March 10 to April 25 and hatching from April 15 to May 25. Those are not Missoula or Bitterroot records, but they show how early the season starts.

The federal nest guide describes what follows. After nesting, resident geese gather in open areas with grass and water to molt, lose their flight feathers, and are flightless from about mid-June to early July. Goslings cannot fly then either. A flock on a pond lawn in late June is not being stubborn. It cannot leave, which is why barriers matter more than scaring at that time of year.

What does the guidance say about hazing geese?

The federal nest guide lists harassment as one part of an integrated program, alongside a ban on feeding, habitat modification and control of nesting, and says the best option is to harass geese before they set up a nest. It also notes that adults tending flightless goslings are much less inclined to leave when harassed.

USDA Wildlife Services says trained dogs have become a popular and successful hazing method, with a firm condition: the dog is legally treated as an extension of the handler's hand and must not catch, injure or kill a bird. It tells readers to consult the Fish and Wildlife Service and state and local agencies about authorization and permits for using dogs. Visual devices such as flags, balloons and effigies work for a short period before birds learn they are harmless, and the guide says pyrotechnics should only be fired by trained personnel. Before any hazing on an HOA or commercial property, call FWP and ask what is allowed.

Does feeding really matter?

It is the first item on the federal list. The nest management guide says an integrated approach should include banning the feeding of waterfowl. For a homeowners association or a park that means a written rule and signs at the pond, because a single household handing out bread undoes the rest of the work. A no-feeding rule is the cheapest change on this page and the one that depends entirely on people rather than on hardware.

Which landscaping changes make a shoreline less attractive?

USDA Wildlife Services says habitat modification is better suited to suburban and urban sites such as parks, golf courses and residential areas than to farmland. Its list starts with vertical, sight-limiting components: trees, shrubs or aquatic vegetation such as cattails that break the unobstructed line of sight and discourage geese from walking out of the water to graze. It recommends keeping grass at 8 or more inches and avoiding plantings of the succulent grasses geese prefer.

The guide also covers the bank itself. Straightening a pond bank vertically, up to 30 inches, discourages use, and large boulders or rip-rap along the edge make it more difficult, though not impossible, for geese to get in and out. It notes that federal and state laws govern draining or channelizing wetlands, ponds and lakes, so work at or below the waterline needs checking with the agencies first.

This is the part HJ can help with. An unmowed buffer strip, shrub and tree planting along the shoreline, and boulder edging are ordinary landscaping design work, and on HOA and business properties they fit into a commercial landscaping maintenance plan. A buffer only works if it stays unmowed, so it has to be written into the mowing plan.

Do fences, grid wires and repellents help?

Low barriers can, especially during the molt when geese are walking. USDA Wildlife Services says barrier fences should be at least 30 inches high, made of durable material, with openings no larger than 2 to 3 inches, and it lists woven wire, chain link, pickets, netting and strands of wire as suitable. For small ponds it describes wire grid systems, parallel lines stretched 1 to 2 feet above the water to interfere with landing. A short barrier along a pond edge is within the scope of our custom fencing work.

On repellents, the guide says two compounds are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency as bird repellents and are sold for use on turf. It also says they can be costly because of the quantities needed and must be reapplied after rain and on mowed turf through the growing season. Read and follow the product label if you go that way.

How much mess does a flock leave, and is it a health concern?

USDA Wildlife Services reports that a single Canada goose can defecate every 20 minutes and produce up to 1.5 pounds of feces a day. It says accumulations in reservoirs, parks and golf courses, or anywhere people gather, can present a health risk, and it cites sampling that found significant numbers of fecal coliform bacteria in goose droppings. That is the agency's statement, not a diagnosis. Anyone who becomes ill after contact should see a clinician. For walkways, docks and patios, HJ's bird dropping cleanup uses wet methods and contained disposal.

Who do you call, and where does HJ fit?

For anything involving the birds themselves, including nests, eggs, aggressive geese at an entrance or a request to remove a flock, call Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The Region 2 office in Missoula lists 406-542-5500. The federal nest guide directs people to the USDA Wildlife Services office in their state for state-specific advice. Geese are not a new subject for FWP: one of its biologists described a rapidly expanding resident flock in Great Falls and complaints from parks, golf courses, private landowners and the airport in a 2002 journal abstract.

HJ's part is the ground and the cleanup. We do not handle geese under our bird mitigation service, but we can redesign and maintain the shoreline that keeps inviting them. Property managers may also want our guide to bird control for HOAs and apartment managers, and the rest of the series is in the Montana Bird Control Guide.

Call HJ Property Care & Tree Service at (406) 215-7319 or request a bird assessment and we will identify the species, the access points, and what will actually stop them.

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