Author Topic: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute  (Read 27684 times)

BlueMR2

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #50 on: April 25, 2014, 03:59:37 PM »
I view it more as natural selection- if you are a dumb enough goose to build a nest by a road, your genes do not need to be propagated.

Yep.  Eliminate the ones with offensive behaviour, and over time that behaviour will go away since it's detrimental to survival.

Got an aggressive ground hog over by where I work that likes to charge at people that are walking.  Unfortunately it's inside the city limits, so we can't shoot it.

sheepstache

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #51 on: April 25, 2014, 06:50:44 PM »
How loud is your bike that it's warning the goose that something's coming?  Maybe you need to do a tune-up.  Or...maybe you're on gravel or the visual approach is obvious or something else, in which case nevermind.

kaetana

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #52 on: April 25, 2014, 10:08:10 PM »
I had this problem with several dogs on the bike path that I take, and a few of them actually started to chase me. I was freaked out enough that I actually considered violence-- bringing along rocks or some other projectile - but I felt bad because it's not actually the dogs' fault; it's their owners' fault for not leashing their dogs. So I ended up getting an AirZound bike horn: http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Airzound-Bike-Horn-colors/dp/B000ACAMJC . It totally works! Dogs actually jump out of the way and then run in the opposite direction when I use it. And, bonus - their owners tend to jump out of the way too!

Spork

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #53 on: April 26, 2014, 11:31:38 AM »
^ probably best not to place an egg in the nest before harassing the geese then . . .


:P

Do goose eggs taste yummy?  Duck eggs sure do.

I'll let you know tomorrow.  My sister in law just gave me one.

wtjbatman

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #54 on: April 27, 2014, 11:23:51 PM »
Everyone is responding with either a recommendation for either "fight" or "flight." I say, rise above your animal instincts. Surely you can reason with this so-called "goose," and together you can reach an amicable accord that mutually benefits you both.

Does this look like something you can reason with?

deborah

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #55 on: April 28, 2014, 05:15:56 AM »
In Australia, magpies are a threat for part of the year. As someone said earlier, they are known to take bits out of your scalp, and can be extremely aggressive. Magpies are much smaller than geese, but they are very common in our cities. Usually three pairs nest in the small park opposite us.

It is compulsory to wear a bicycle helmet in Australia, but even then, people get viciously attacked. During the season most bicyclists around here wear bicycle helmets with cable ties projecting about 10 inches out from the helmet in all directions. Many also carry a stick (at least 1 yard long strapped to the frame) - maybe this is a walking stick, which they wave about while they are being attacked. I have seen numerous encounters between bicyclists and magpies, and usually, the bicyclist escapes without injury with this equipment.

It is possible that your goose would also be intimidated by these items.

Sonorous Epithet

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #56 on: April 28, 2014, 07:07:40 AM »
Everyone is responding with either a recommendation for either "fight" or "flight." I say, rise above your animal instincts. Surely you can reason with this so-called "goose," and together you can reach an amicable accord that mutually benefits you both.

Does this look like something you can reason with?

Well, not with that attitude.

Rezdent

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #57 on: April 28, 2014, 06:05:26 PM »
Please keep in mind that a grown goose can do serious damage.  I realize that sounds ridiculous and of course we are all somewhat badassity here - but they can leverage those long necks a and deliver a powerful head strike...and those wings can add explosiveness to the strike, enough to break bones if they get you just right.
There will be two of them if there's a nest.  The other one is likely to join the brawl.
I've lived with domestic geese most of my life and have been thrown down on the ground before (very humbling and hard to admit!). Not sure if wild geese only do this seasonally but domestics rarely stop it once they start.  We don't keep them if they start attacking.
I'm surprised animal control wasn't more helpful.  Perhaps you should call them again and let them know about the bike crash?  If it attacks a small child after 2 reports I'm pretty sure the city would be liable.

GuitarStv

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #58 on: April 29, 2014, 07:33:03 AM »
Please keep in mind that a grown goose can do serious damage.  I realize that sounds ridiculous and of course we are all somewhat badassity here - but they can leverage those long necks a and deliver a powerful head strike...and those wings can add explosiveness to the strike, enough to break bones if they get you just right.
There will be two of them if there's a nest.  The other one is likely to join the brawl.
I've lived with domestic geese most of my life and have been thrown down on the ground before (very humbling and hard to admit!). Not sure if wild geese only do this seasonally but domestics rarely stop it once they start.  We don't keep them if they start attacking.
I'm surprised animal control wasn't more helpful.  Perhaps you should call them again and let them know about the bike crash?  If it attacks a small child after 2 reports I'm pretty sure the city would be liable.

Yep.  Geese are dicks.



Dezrah

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #59 on: April 29, 2014, 08:29:03 AM »
Oh man, everyone here is missing the most important thing you need to do: get some hilarious goose-attack pictures or even a video.  You have the potential for internet gold here.

OldDogNewTrick

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #60 on: April 29, 2014, 08:44:12 AM »
I ride nature trails in wilderness areas all the time. Carry Mace. Won't cause lasting damage and they'll remember not to mess with you. My biggest fear is having a Florida panther drop on top of me as I ride under trees. If there is an easy way to avoid the goose nursery do so... otherwise a nice spritz will do the trick. Everyone should carry Mace anyway.... there are some crazy aggressive dogs out there too.

infogoon

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #61 on: April 29, 2014, 09:23:42 AM »
Geese and customs officials -- the only jerks in Canada.


RetiredAt63

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #63 on: May 13, 2014, 07:36:45 AM »
Rural geese - here goose season is in the fall, but Cree from further North come down every spring to hunt geese with permission from local First Nations groups, then go home when their freezers are full.  The goose populations are huge here, but tiny there because of the hydro dams affecting goose habitat.

Saws something "cute in a sad way" the other day - a Canada goose and a Snow goose have mated - obviously this will mean they never have goslings, but they stay close to each other at all times.  So odd seeing one Snow goose in a bunch of Canada Geese, they normally keep in separate groups.


senecando

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #65 on: May 13, 2014, 09:31:17 AM »
Why I love my city: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/ask/catching-up/catching-up-madison-geese-learn-to-respect-the-goosinator-making/article_9c3a35f9-5d4a-5041-b414-a07f0d215d13.html

What is a "nest-egg-oiler" mentioned in the article?

My understanding is that refers to taking eggs out of a nest, covering them in oil to stop development, and returning them to the nest so the goose doesn't start laying again. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose_egg_addling)

bogart

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #66 on: May 13, 2014, 09:57:34 AM »
Saws something "cute in a sad way" the other day - a Canada goose and a Snow goose have mated - obviously this will mean they never have goslings, but they stay close to each other at all times. 

Not sure I'd bet on that, see e.g. http://www.ashtonwaterfowl.net/geese_two.htm .  I can't speak for geese, but I know that at a pond I frequent there are ducks that are the offspring of a runner duck (the mom) and a mallard (the dad).  Hey, love=love.

lazysundays

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #67 on: May 13, 2014, 08:40:19 PM »
A bunch of asses.  Sorry, that animal has a right to be there.  Trying to save some bucks/minutes at the expense of another being. 

GuitarStv

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #68 on: May 14, 2014, 06:07:58 AM »
A bunch of asses.  Sorry, that animal has a right to be there.  Trying to save some bucks/minutes at the expense of another being.

Do you feel the same way about rats and mice, and support populations of them in your home?  They have a right to be there.  It would certainly be hypocritical if you were keeping them out of your house trying to save a few bucks from simple rodent damage.  Also bed bugs.  As living creatures, they deserve respect, food, and a place to raise billions of children.  Unless you're set on saving a few minutes of knocking them out of your bed before sleeping every night . . . who are you to deprive them of the bloodmeal that nature has dictated they eat each night?  Imagine treating anther being so poorly!  I sure hope you aren't that hypocritical . . .

senecando

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #69 on: May 14, 2014, 09:08:27 AM »
Once you start keeping an eye out for interesting anti-Goose inventions, they start popping up everywhere!

This time, from Ottawa: http://modernfarmer.com/2014/05/introducing-goosebuster-protecting-ottawas-beaches-poisonous-poo/
« Last Edit: May 14, 2014, 09:12:12 AM by senecando »

seamer

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Re: Aggressive goose interfering with my bike commute
« Reply #70 on: May 14, 2014, 01:56:22 PM »
Use a laser pointer. Shine it back and forth at their eyes. Cheap, easy-to-carry and harmless to the bird. Learned this from a pest control guy who uses them to get pigeons to fly away from where he's working. Internets seems to indicate that it's effective for geese, too.