The most effective and environmentally sensitive method of controlling nuisance goose populations is to use Border Collies trained for goose control. The dogs herd and haze the geese, but do not hurt them.  Border Collies have been specially bred for generations to move livestock and are unique from other breeds in their use of "eye" - a very instense stare, and the way they crouch, slink and circle just as wolves and coyotes will do when hunting. In their use of eye and stalking behaviour the Border Collies present themselves to the geese as predators.  The dogs do not actually make contact with the geese; there is no need to fear public outcry over the fate of the geese as the geese will not be harmed.  The geese however have no way of knowing that the Border Collie are not a real threat, is is enough that the dogs are perceived as predators.  The geese believe themselves to be in danger and leave the area of their own accord.  Bringing the dogs to the geese on an unpredictable schedule will convince the geese that the area is unsafe for feeding and nesting and they will move on to other areas.  Ideally, the best time to initiate a goose control program is early springtime, just as the geese begin arriving.  With careful monitoring and a deterrent program in place geese may be discouraged from settling and nesting in undesirable areas.

  In addition to harassing the geese in an attempt to encourage them to leave, populations may be controlled through nest depredation.  If some geese do find a secluded area to nest where they feel safe from the dogs, egg oiling or addling will help with population control and permits to oil or addle eggs may be obtained from the Canadian Wildlife Service. Oiling or addling will render the eggs unviable, thus preventing a population explosion. A little about the ecology of the Canada Goose, and an example based on average numbers. Each breeding pair of geese will lay a clutch of between 2-9 eggs, though 5 is an average number.  Starting with just 20 adult geese in the spring, by fall there will be approximately 70 geese.  Considering that geese have few natural predators and that they return to the area where they hatched to raise their own young, the following spring most of those 70 geese will be back.  The adult geese will continue to raise more young each year in the same location and their offspring will return to their natal site and begin to add to the population as they mature.  Juveniles will reach maturity between 1-2 years of age but don't usually breed until age 3.  Geese generally live 10-12 years, though they may have lifespans of up to 25 years in the wild and have been known to live as long as 42 years in captivity.  In a few short years the population explodes and the mess is astounding as each goose will deposit in excess of 1.5 pounds of feces daily.

Schedule of goose activity: February / March - arrival of geese Mid-March to early May - breeding / nesting Early May to late July - rearing / moulting Late July to mid-November - foraging flights Mid-November to December - fall migration

  Using Border Collies for goose control, and controlling goose populations by egg oiling or addling is not only an effective and environmentally friendly way of dealing with nuisance geese, it is a method also advocated by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) as a humane alternative to other methods.

  Costs for a Border Collie goose control program will vary with the season and level of goose activity as well as the size and layout of the area to be patrolled and goose density.  During the intense periods of goose activity in spring and fall, hazing should occur 2-3 times per day on a daily basis.  If most geese can be deterred from nesting in the area the nesting / rearing / moulting times are then relatively quiet, needing only an occasional quick "check-in".