Vernon, B.C. pursuing ‘kill-to-scare’ program for nuisance geese

While the city has pursued a cull or kill-to-scare program in the past it's never actually implemented either lethal method of goose control before.

Vernon, B.C. is pursuing a lethal method of goose control to address the population of nuisance geese in some of the city’s most popular parks.

Earlier this month, the city put out a request for expression of interest to try to find a contractor to run a geese kill-to-scare program.

While the city has pursued a cull or kill-to-scare program in the past, it’s never actually implemented either lethal method of goose control before.

Many see the birds as a nuisance as their droppings can foul the water and land at public beaches and parks.

A consultants report, done for the city two years ago, said there are also concerns the birds can act aggressively with park users and that “aggressive territorial behaviour…prevents smaller, native waterfowl from nesting.”

The city already spends a considerable amount of money and effort trying to manage the geese: it’s part of an addling program to decrease the number of new goslings hatching, contracting someone to haze the birds away from beach areas daily during the spring and summer.

The city has done some habitat modification to discourage geese in certain areas. It also sweeps park grass for droppings multiple times a week and is using solar lights to make beaches less hospitable to the birds at night.

City of Vernon manager of parks and public spaces Kendra Kryszak said the lights make it harder for the birds to sleep in the area and they end up moving along after a few nights.