Keeping geese off ballfield?

Unless...

things have deteriorated more environmentally, Providence's field is full of geese big time! I used to hate scooping all that s*** off the infield everyday before practice or a game. If my memory serves me right they were particularly bad during certain seasons! Oh well....... can t use 12 gauges in downtown Charlotte!

 

It's only illegal if you get caught!

 

remember the thread about how to increase your speed? Get that mean ol' dog, put him on the field and let him chase geese when there ain't no boys to train. Don't feed the dog... if he wants to eat, he has to catch a goose... don't let PETA know, they'll throw a hissy fit! Now you'll have a field with few, if any geese and a team with some speed. That's what I call multi-tasking!
It will also eliminate those A-holes who like to bring their pooches out to crap in your outfield on the weekends... get'em bad dog, get'em!

 

My 2 cents on Geese.

I borrowed this off the net. So my 2 cents aint worth much but:

Pests need a food and water source. The also need to feel safe. Take away these and you can control them. A field dog would be nice. Rhodesian Ridgeback or other type would be good IMO. Lock up field and dog owns field. No more geese for awhile then rotate to some other control measure. Then on and on.


SCARE TACTICS - Geese learn that familiar things are safe. When there is change, geese aren’t sure if it is safe any longer. Putting out flags, tying aluminum pie plates along lines or using scarecrows may keep geese away from an area until they learn these objects pose no threat. Full-bodied swan decoys sometimes work for a while because geese perceive swans as threats. However, as the decoys sit and do nothing, the geese will learn to ignore them. When passive scaring devices don’t work, try slowly approaching the birds then flapping a tablecloth. Some people report success by allowing their dogs to run at the geese. Loud noises may also work, but geese can adapt to noise too. If geese have to spend too much energy avoiding harassment to eat and rest properly, they will go elsewhere.
BARRIERS – Geese tend to walk to their feeding site from the water, and rarely fly up over a fence, especially during the “moulting” period when their flight feathers are growing. A 3-foot chicken wire fence is an effective barrier. Geese like to be able to see around them, which is why you don’t see them in the woods of tall grass fields. Therefore, planting a hedge or leaving a wide swatch of uncut weeds between the water and mowed grass creates a natural, low-maintenance barrier.
HUNTING – Even when the geese are discouraged by the above tactics, they still move elsewhere, bringing the problem to that area. To achieve a reasonable comfort level for both geese and people, the number of geese must be reduced. Geese have been hunted in New England for centuries and their tasty meat is prized by many. All migratory birds, including Canada Geese, are protected by an international migratory bird treaty. Hunting migratory birds is allowed, but timing of the season, its length, the number of birds which can be taken, and the hunting methods are strictly regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. States may add restrictions and town sometimes impose additional bylaws. When local ordinances become so restrictive that they effectively prohibit hunting, towns inadvertently create “sanctuaries” for geese, and the buildup of flocks can cause problems. In 1995, the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board instituted special “early” and “late” goose seasons designed to reduce the resident goose population. Data suggested that 25% of the resident goose population was harvested, but recent studies indicate that for populations to be controlled, at least 30-35% need to be harvested annually.

 

Coyote decoys, you need at least two. You'll have to move them around from time to time but they don't eat as much as a live dog.

 

Use sluggs. Be sure to use high brass shell.

 

Sluggs?

Sluggs are a bit slimey and just do not hold their own when launched from a shotgun. Ive tried them but the slimey little criters just get vaporized. Not sure why anyone would try them. I did and splat. Im still cleaning that gun.

Now why use sluggs?

 

After using the PD translators, I believe PD was referring to the hard shells of "snails"...not slugs. Sorry about your shotgun GloveSide, but you should have invested in a translator. PD has them on discount.

 

Ooohhh Nooooo!

"Snail gun?"

Platedad! How much are those translators?

 

Second the Border Collies

I have an old high school classmate who trains border collies to take care of infestations of geese on runways, etc...

and the border collies love to have a job and do it well, much like some of the best prep baseball players.