The new year and goose control season is always a changemaker but non more so than 2021. We continued working for clients from the beginning of the Pandemic until last Winter. We are currently hard at work again. Spring is our busiest time as geese like to set up territories to graze and nest and raise young. As the Pandemic changed human behavior, to say the least, wildlife found their lives impacted. I am all for “rewilding” but in certain situations. I don’t want squirrels in my attic, rats in the basement or rabbits and wild birds eating up the gardens we work so hard on to grow food, here at home.
Last year was the most unusual year to work goose control, as you can imagine. For most of the year travel from client to client was easier, with lighter traffic. Working at golf courses was less of a headache, golf courses don’t like any goose poo on the greens. As time went on golfers started play but no one was riding the carts and it made that part easier. However, it did seem the geese had a little more free reign at all our clients, schools and office parks included. We saw Bald Eagles fighting for a few days for territory deer all over little league fields and in one case wild turkeys looking at their reflections and tapping on office building windows.
Again, if you own a property you might not want it impacted. Our presence kept wildlife at arm’s length but we are and were hired for goose control, though we also keep seagulls from pooping all over and Turkey Vultures from roosting on buildings. The first species can make more of “a mess” than wild geese and Turkey Vultures can be destructive and give peoples the creeps. Not many people want to go to work or school with Turkey Vultures hanging out from on high.
This year has been interesting. Geese seem more bold. I have seen more geese stare down traffic and we have a client who has had nesting pairs, confront employees, as never before. It’s hard to tell parents that you want to be nice to the geese when the kids at recess are being eyed down and playing on goose poop. So that is where Border Collies come in. We have had more time to practice our skills over the last year. We train our Border Collies to herd sheep, most often our own sheep. Then that trained and practiced skill goes into our goose control, in the three states work have clients in, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
I think there should be a place for wildlife. But humans in the “Roaring 20s” may not be of mind about nature. I think what should happen is we should coexist with nature and have a relationship with it with lines drawn if not reexamined from time to time. That is a big social question I am sure. But the least we can do is reduce conflict. That is what a Shepard and “collie dog” ( the overall heading that Border Collies come under) do. Take care and use skill-based judgment and practice. As farming with collie dogs has been a multi-species relationship for thousands of years, it is worthy of us to be so today with our relationships with nature and our property and livelihoods.