The Dawsonville, Ga., club obtained a permit from the Department of Natural Resources to use firearms to euthanize the nuisance birds, which the superintendent said are the cause of dead spots on the golf course’s turf. Some residents are angered by the decision, arguing that only eight geese occupy the area, including goslings that cannot fly.
Chestatee Golf Club in Dawsonville, Ga., has obtained a permit from the Department of Natural Resources to euthanize nuisance Canada geese by firearm, the Dawsonville (Ga.)-based Dawson News reported.
While not immediately available for comment, golf course Superintendent Andrew Maronge stated in a recent notice to local residents that several geese living on the course have been eating the grass and leaving droppings, which cause dead spots on the turf, the News reported.
“In years past we have worked with authorities and tried various methods of harassment in an attempt to get the geese to leave the area, but all have been unsuccessful. As a last resort, we have obtained a permit from the Department of Natural Resources to euthanize the geese by firearm,” Maronge stated in the notice.
Some residents have been angered by the decision, the News reported.
“It is totally unacceptable. There are eight geese, two of which are goslings who cannot fly, and there are a ton of houses nearby,” said local resident Carroll Polak.
The Canada goose is one of the great successes of wildlife management. Its numbers dipped to near extinction during the early 1900s due to habitat destruction and overhunting. Soon afterward, management and reintroduction programs began, and now Canada geese are found all over the United States, according to the wildlife conservation group Audubon. Their numbers are so great that in some areas they are pests, the News reported.
“In the late 1990s, we had a severe problem with geese. They were a nuisance for golfers and maintenance personnel alike,” said Scott Foote, Superintendent of the Chattahoochee Golf Club in Gainesville, Ga.
“We eventually called DNR, who sent someone out to trap and relocate them. They transported between 60 and 70 geese,” Foote said.
In 2006, the Chattahoochee Golf Club eliminated all water on the course in a renovation. Since then, Foote said, there hasn’t been a significant problem with geese, the News reported.
While the Canada goose is still a protected species under state and federal law, Georgia allows for the hunting of these birds with a permit during specific seasons. However, geese are very adaptable to urban environments and are among leading complaints to the Georgia DNR, the News reported.
Tell Us What You Think!
You must be logged in to post a comment.