Month: July 2019

We have had quite a few Border Collies since we bought our first pup, a male called Merck, back over 25 years ago. At first Merck and then Will and Faith worked on the museum farm with me. We had no farm animals of our own. The Border Collies herded sheep, poultry, cattle, and pigs. Faith especially loved the oxen that were used at the last museum farm I worked. We would always find her lying out in the field with them and trot along with us as we used the oxen to pull logs, wagons and even hay mowers. All the Border Collies have their distinct personalities and their own “take” on their herding instincts which are so firmly bred into the working lines of the Border Collies. In fact, it is knowledgable breeders who preserve and maintain healthy breeds. Herding breeds like Border Collies, Kelpies and Aussies look back to centuries of predecessors that have helped farmers with the farm work.

UK farmers swear by their working stock dogs. In America, western farmers seem to have dogs about to get the job done of taking care of farm animals more easily. The new local based farms that are run by young folk with a lot of knowledge and drive but do not seem often to be interested in herding dog breeds to assist them. But I feel the relationship we have with these dogs is reason enough to live and work with them. And raising our farm animals we now have, including sheep is made so much easier with our partnership with our dogs. And of course, goose control is not the same, less effective, without them.

As I write this, Tara lies on the living room rug, resting from a  morning of goose control,daily chores and herding training this afternoon. She works goose control jobs this summer which she is very good at. As a young dog, two and a half, Tara is growing in confidence. We always knew she had the talent to be a very good working dog but talent and learning are two different things. But the thing that seems to stand out about Tara is just how sweet she is. In fact, I have never met a sweeter dog. Oh, she plays rough with our pup Moses, but she seems to be in this world as to care deeply about everything she does and everyone she meets. She is a unique work partner even among Border Collies and if I let her, she will wiggle over to everyone we meet to say hi. When people do greet her she will sit there quietly and let anyone quietly pet and talk to her. In fact, she is a very calm and collected individual.

It is so interesting to have different personalities in your life. And indeed  Border Collie personalities are all over the map. We have had high strung, high energy dogs and quieter ones, but non like Tara. Oh, she can get amped up, say when something seems to be lurking at night around the hen house, but the lady who inspects the boats were we work  for goose control says Tara is her favorite…and I can not argue with her. I actually work at not having favorites, we have six dogs after all. The Border Collies our mix breed, Nash  would not be happy at all if we did play favorites. But on these summer mornings, I am so glad to have this quiet determined little dog with me in the kayak and on land carefully herd-chasing geese families from camps and other properties. And if anyone we meet is grumpy because they do not approve of what we do, they can’t stay mad too long with Tara around. It’s a wonderful thing that this little sweet Border Collie  came to us from her Breeder at Taravale Farm in Esperance Ny on that very cold and windy day. She is here enjoying our farm life and with our other dogs helping to solve peoples wild goose issues. Oh, and a few weeks ago she won her class in a Sheep Dog Trial. How cool is that!

We have worked with hundreds of geese with our Border Collies and gotten them to leave properties. So the number of geese is not the difficulty factor, the situation is what matters. Border Collies and other herding breeds like Kelpies can work with large groups of sheep, in the hundreds, cattle, poultry and the same goes for geese. However working with just a few pair of geese which want to nest on a property can be more complicated than hazing flocks of geese, large or small.

The real question is how many geese are too many for the property owner. Wild Geese, like deer, can get used to human activity and development. Actually more and more species of wildlife are getting used to the growing human population. We are seeing Loons up close on lakes, ponds, and rivers these days. Loons have been a very reclusive bird most often heard not seen, but that seems to be changing. Bear and Coyote are now part of suburban and urban life these days as well. Recent studies have shown that a good part of urban Cyotee diet is indeed peoples’ pets. This said it is crucial to make wise choices on how we live with wildlife. Coyotes now play an essential role here in the East in Nature but ask any farmer who has lost sheep, chickens, and lambs to predators, including bear, yes, bear and so living with wildlife becomes more complicated

How many geese are too many depends on the property owners’ perseption. And do you hunt, haze or leave wildlife alone that may be impacting a property in numbers eating plantings or encroaching on buildings, bird feeders, garbage or even entering buildings. We have helped two commercial properties were geese where nesting right at doorways of buildings. The nesting geese were not allowing people to enter or exit the building once their nests were established. We also work with one commercial client were geese had nested in the parking lot and chased people as they walked to their offices, actually causing horrible injury to one person.

Property owners and or their managers have a vast difference of opinion of how many wild geese is too much. Golf courses do not want any geese if it can be helped, parks may have more of a tolerance. However, when geese poo covers basketball courts, the running track and fields, and playgrounds, schools may well have seen a red line crossed. It seems that sometimes not understanding that there is a solution is actually the problem, for goose overpopulation. Of course, the human-made controversy impeeds action sometimes.

Hunting or netting the geese, of course, is an issue with many people. Decoys of dogs and coyotes and fences can be used, but their effectiveness is limited. Hazing the wild geese with Border Collies is very effective. Some breeds of dogs really cannot make an impression, let alone have the discipline to work safely. Border Collies and other herding breeds can be an issue if not handled by a practiced and knowledgable hander.

In the end, it is individual decisions that decide, guided by government regulation and at times, tempered by social perspective. I hope that a wise decision will be concluded in each situation.  We are also ready to advise along with offering our services. Hazing wildlife can lead to very good results if done with proper knowledge behind it. Wild Goose Control with Border Collies is a great way to solve this issue. Our Border Collies, Skye, Jim, Blade, Tara, Moses and mix breed Nash, would love to help you.