Flocks of Canada geese will be caught and stuffed into chambers to be gassed to death by carbon dioxide this years to eliminate the flocks landing on golf courses, parks and lake venues through a Michigan nuisance program.
According to the Michigan Government Wildlife website;
“Beginning in 2025, nest and egg destruction permits will be available statewide and will no longer have geographic restrictions.
Beginning in 2025, Canada goose round up and relocation will no longer be allowed. All birds permitted for capture will be euthanized. 2025 will be a pilot year for the program with very limited capture and euthanasia permits allowed. This is to allow time to assess logistics, costs, capacity, and interest in the program.
USDA-APHIS Wildlife Services will be conducting all Canada goose capture, transport, and euthanasia. Canada Goose Contractors can still respond to incidents of aggressive pairs of nesting geese and conduct nest and egg destruction.”
Although humane organizations have come out against what they deem as an ineffective and cruel solution, state officials have no intentions of halting the lethal roundup planned to begin in June. According to local residents, the only people who want the geese killed are the golfers and those living on a lake.
Biologists with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources stated the capture and gassing of the geese will only be allowed under limited circumstances insisting all other options have been exhausted.
There have been less than 10 private homeowners who have applied to have geese removed with portable airtight gas chambers. Other methods to remove the birds must first be utilized; as with laser pointers and/or specially trained dogs. Sites will also have to participate in goose nest and egg destruction with a minimum of 100 birds where the application is requested and then verified by a DNR inspection.
As to the gassing chambers, the American Veterinary Medical Association approves killing geese this way, scientists state that geese can hold their breaths for extended periods of time while feeding underwater. So how humane are the gas chambers and how long do the geese have to suffer before dying?
And it’s not like Michigan doesn’t allow hunting geese. Hunters are allowed to kill up to five birds a day during an extended season.
Advocates urge property owners to combine “addling” eggs with oil to prevent them from hatching, tactics to scare the birds away and ways to modify the habitat so it isn’t attractive to the geese including a grass seed mix the birds don’t like.
Humane organizations say geese are being blamed with misleading claims while the real problems involve agricultural runoff, septic failures and pollution. As usual the animals suffer.
Make Calls. Call your local officials to oppose mass-killing permits and to demand humane, science-based solutions.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer
Phone: (517) 335-7858
Michigan DNR Director, Scott Bowen
Phone: (517) 284-6367
Michigan Natural Resources Committee
Phone: (517) 373-2426 / (855) 347-8014
DNR Wildlife Division – Sarah Thompson
Phone: (517) 284-9453
Local USDA Office
Phone: (517) 318-3471
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