MONTGOMERY-The unmistakable honking of the Canada goose is a familiar sound to many Alabama residents. Not long ago, the sight and sounds of Canada geese were rare and could only be experienced in a few isolated locations during the winter when migrating Canada geese spent the colder months visiting the South. After the successful establishment of giant Canada geese (also referred to as “resident” Canada geese because they do not migrate) across the state, many Alabamians experience Canada geese honking on a regular basis.
Once believed to be extinct, a remnant population of these “giants” was discovered in 1962 in Rochester, Minnesota. Through restoration efforts, including the first Alabama establishment in Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge, the population has grown and spread to an estimated 55,000 birds statewide in 2014. While the echoing honks are a joy to many waterfowl hunters and wildlife enthusiasts, they signal annoyance and nuisance to others.
Hunting has been the best tool for controlling the growth rate of the population. A special early Canada goose season takes place annually the first 15 days in September. This season allows the harvest of five Canada geese per hunter, per day. With this liberal limit, the opportunity to experience exciting hunting as well as tasty table fare is available to many Alabama hunters.
Unfortunately, many flocks of these geese reside in areas where hunting is not allowed, such as industrial parks and inside city limits. Because of their need for grazing on short grasses, water adjacent to maintained lawns is ideal habitat for these geese. Golf courses, residential areas, lakes, ponds, agriculture fields, city parks, airport grounds and industrial parks are all popular sites for Canada geese. Flocks of geese produce an abundance of feathers, droppings, noise and landscape damage. In high densities, geese can transmit diseases to other animals, and their droppings can cause nutrient issues in ponds and lakes.
During the spring nesting season, Canada geese that have become accustomed to close contact with humans frequently display aggressive behavior. Geese can present safety issues near 
airports where they have been known to cause airstrikes when planes are taking off or landing.
Land managers must turn to more costly and labor-intensive methods of control such as trapping and removal, noise disturbance or other harassing techniques. Any of these activities conducted outside of hunting seasons require a special permit, which is only available from April through August and may be obtained through an Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries District Office.
Whether you enjoy them for hunting, viewing or you tolerate them as a nuisance, the once nearly extinct resident Canada geese appear to be here to stay.
Alabama Nuisance Animal Control
Solutions to Human Conflicts with Canada Geese
MEDIA RELEASE/ Jud Easterwood, Wildlife Biologist, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
