Parks Division spokeswoman Laura Whitmore notes that the city is soliciting public input on goose management, after the brouhaha at Warner. (The eradication plan there is on hold pending further review.) One public hearing has already been held, on geese and golf courses, and another is planned, on goose management in general parklands.I'm sure the people who want to spare the geese will honk loudest, so I hope those of you who, like me, think the geese should be treated the way we treat rats will speak up too.
"We want everyone's opinion," she says, "not just a few."
November 28, 2010
Madison needs to deal with its vermin - the geese.
At the Isthmus, Bill Lueders — remember him from last week? — seems disturbed by the proposal to kill the geese that are ruining our beautiful public lands.
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They're a real nuisance here too. Stinky poop!
Isn't killing Geese unconstitutional? What about life in Prison.
And they aren't even those awful American Geese = fat and insular. That should count for something.
We should give them citizenship.
You should contact Ms. Whitmore, directly an honk loudly.
Well I hope that at lease Meade can still give you your Christmas goose.
Get border collies.
If Mort were awake he would tell you that you should treat the honkers just like you would treat the honkies. So to speak.
I think he means they should pay more taxes but I don't really know.
A sign and a bullhorn is all that is needed to raise awareness.
I don't know how vermin got a bad name.
Geese taste better than rats.
"... so I hope those of you who, like me, think the geese should be treated the way we treat rats will speak up too. "
Huh?
Rats are vermin. Would you eat a rat with an orange glazed sauce?
Geese are food, lady.
There are several thousand less fortunate people surrounding you in Madison who depend on food banks to keep from starving.
Why should these geese not be harvested for those people?
When I was a grad student I never went hungry thanks to the flock in Vilas Park. I would suggest the food pantries consider another good source of protein.
"... so I hope those of you who, like me, think the geese should be treated the way we treat rats will speak up too. "
What....you want us to vote for them?
First They Came for the geese in Vilas Park...
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a goose in Vilas Park...
I was driving out on Mineral Point today and the soccer fields that flood between Gammon and Grand Canyon were covered with geese. Must've been 100s of them. What a source of food! Food pantries take venison, why not goose?
They're a real nuisance here too. Stinky poop!
Not that human grogans are an olfactory delight ...
Peter
Teach the silly goose to use condoms!
If Mort was awake he would tell you that the professor was just being racists because the most important gang in Madison is the
Black Goose Mafia DMZ.
I suggest trial by a Goose Tribunal. Is the latest bumper sticker seen in Madison "Honk If You Love Ganders"
Would you eat a rat with an orange glazed sauce?
Of course not, the very idea is repulsive.
Rats should always be consumed with a savory sauce.
Peter
This is obviously a mandate from the Obama administration because the behavior of these geese is just against his religion.
I was shocked at the deterioration of the monuments in Italy the second time I went there--the leaded gasoline and industrial strength pigeon poop has permanently marred buildings, statues, etc. The Greens will not allow any change, including birth control for the rats...er, birds.
A cautionary tale. Western civilization destroyed by excrement.
Canadian geese aren't good to eat.
But a good, farm-raised goose is delicious, far better than any turkey, and after you cook your goose you have a jar of fat left over with which to make the most delicious roasted or french fried potatoes and other things. Spread on good bread with a bit of sea salt it's heavenly.
Back in the '80s I visited a large consumer audio company outside of Boston. I approached the entrance to their headquarters across a vast expanse of lawn. The large numbers of ducks, geese, and squirrels who were out and about frolicking in the sunshine were notable. But what happened next was even more so.
As I opened the door to enter the facility's lobby, a grey squirrel dashed passed me and took off down the hallway. The receptionist screamed, "Close the door before more come in!" I did, and then followed her to the kitchen down the hall, where I helped her herd the squirrel back out the front door. "This happens all the time," she explained. "The squirrels come in here and try to grab food out of the kitchens, and the geese on the front lawn are so hostile that we have to be careful as we enter and leave."
I laughed, and said, "This doesn't happen where I'm from." "Why not?" she asked. "Because where I'm from, in south Louisiana, we HUNT and EAT all of these critters, and after a day or so of being shot the survivors get the message."
Althouse, you want to solve the geese problem? Liberalize the hunting seasons and regulations.
Canadian geese aren't good to eat.
Depends on how hungry you are. Better protein source than the fish from Madison's lakes.
shotgun and box of shells
Geese should not be treated like rats. They should be respected. Killed first, then respected as a wonderful potential meal.
Roasted to perfection with chestnut stuffing, a side dish of Belgian endive, rosemary, apples and grapes, and roasted root vegetables and taters. Washed down with a nice wine.
Canadian geese are good to eat if cooked properly. There are plenty of great game recipes.
"I hope those of you who, like me, think the geese should be treated the way we treat rats will speak up too."
... but don't you know that some vermin are more equal than other
I suggested geese as food in an earlier post, and a lot of people told me it's hard to turn geese into edible food for human beings.
Invite a couple of dozen Cajun's up to your community and tell them they can shoot all they'd like.
I'm not sure how goose tastes in a jambalaya but I bet I could make it work.
Palladian is right as far as I'm concerned. Canada goose are the Flying Carp of waterfowl. Just greasy and gross. Now Sandhill Cranes on the other hand......those are Flying Ribeyes.
There is only one man who could possibly rid you of that pesky goose.
Cliff Johnson.
I agree with the eat'em crowd. Don't treat them like rats. Treat them like chickens.
Well but I am sure you could get goosed in Vials Park-just saying.
Maybe the Public Health nannies will duel it out with the Hug a Goose nannies!
Someone bring popcorn.
Feed them.
Feed them geese food which is laced with avian contraceptives.
That's a start.
Give them a year or two of that ...
And add some coyotes to the mix. Madison needs more coyotes. (For Meade to protect the Professor from.)
"Goose management" ..sheesh they don't even have the balls to use the more accurate program name which is "goose kill" or "get the crap out of here".
"... a lot of people told me it's hard to turn geese into edible food for human beings."
And you graduated college?
It's kind of hard to turn a cow into edible food for human beings too, but somehow we're never short hamburgers.
http://www.google.com/images?q=roast+goose&hl=en&prmd=iv&source=lnms&tbs=isch:1&ei=bhDzTJnIPIbCsAP9-uGmCw&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&sqi=2&ved=0CA8Q_AU&biw=1278&bih=878
""Goose management" ..sheesh they don't even have the balls to use the more accurate program name which is "goose kill" or "get the crap out of here"."
We were out walking around in the Arb yesterday, and there were these signs about staying on the trail because of the "deer control." I had no idea the issue was shooting the deer until Meade talked about it.
"I had no idea the issue was shooting the deer until Meade talked about it." - A. Althouse
They usually select from 2 modes:
-- "sharpshooters" from a control outfit, who use silenced .308s with subsonic slugs, generally with nightvision equipment. These guys are very costly.
-- urban bowhunters, who generally have to pass a proficiency test. They are silent, but there's a limit on how much venison you can eat.
Both varieties specialize in discrete assassination, ie, they remove a lot of deer without the AR Loons cottoning to the operation.
I've often thought that a Precharged Pneumatic scoped air rifle and a van would be all and more than you'd need for geese. Utterly silent, 0.5" at 50 yards accuracy, sufficient power for headshots. Take out the watch geese with the first 2 shots, get a stand going, and clean out the rest. Passersby will see the beautiful creatures resting amid their usual welter of green cheetos. The carcasses can be bagged up after dark.
It is with diffidence that I disagree with Mr. Mahal, but I'd much rather eat teriyaki goose jerky than anything you can do with sandhill crane. In fact, sandhill crane was the only meal where my children glared at me, formed a silent procession, filed into the kitchen, and scraped the mephitic strands into the garbage.
This time of year in the South equestrians are advised to wear orange vests and bells when trail riding because of "deer control."
Here it's called "hunting season."
The left has thoroughly frightened the average citizen, making a magical totem of weapons, as if they have supernatural powers.
My siblings recently freaked out when they heard I owned not one but two guns, even thought they all remember our father having shotguns in the house.
It's like they heard I had changed my name to Mohammed.
Garage Mahal said: Canada goose are the Flying Carp of waterfowl. Just greasy and gross.
Sounds like potential biodiesel.
First, its Canada Goose or Canada Geese not Canadian Geese. Second, if you think they don't taste good then you are a poor cook.
Live trap them and butcher them for the food pantries. Or allow hunting in the parks. Janesville had a lot of success with hunting in the parks 7 or 8 years ago. Not sure if they are still doing it.
Is the problem the geese, or is the problem where they congregate? Here in the Washington area there are folks who use border collies to scare off the geese from places where they are unwelcome. I've seen collies in action, and they are quite effective at convincing the geese to nest and eat elsewhere.
There is an episode in Jon Katz' book A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me that describes how Katz used his border collie to keep geese off the Minneapolis soccer fields while at the University of Minnesota as a visiting lecturer.
Coyotes!
As the former head lifeguard for Tenney Park Beach in Madison some 25 years ago, I can't even begin to describe the lengths we went to in order to keep the beaches and shallow areas free from goose feces. Hours and hours of raking and shoveling every day, and the water would still be fouled the next morning.
In late spring, when the water would boil with the mating carp, and lengths upon lengths of slimy carp egg ropes were added to the geese droppings? We would sometimes close the beach on hot, sunny days due to fears of bacteria and contamination.
The geese feces are a public menace in those areas, and need to be controlled.
I'm not sure I'd eat them, but rather than go to waste, I'm sure they could made edible in some fashion.
I don't know how difficult the process is but there are certainly butchers in the area that will convert canada goose into tasty "goose sticks". Your choice, spicy or mild. However, these usually do need to be mixed with some pork for the best flavor.
@ Chickelit: It's already biodiesel for Palladian ;)
Never had goose, maybe this Chrismas I'll be Scrooge.
In my home town there is a park a couple blocks from my parents' house. It has a nice rubberized walking track that is inconveniently dotted with goose droppings. It's totally gross. They are a nuisance and a potential health hazard. They should be humanely exterminated, and if the regulatory standards are not too expensive to deal with, donated to food banks. I would guess that eating geese who have fed where dogs have been walked would negate the possiblity.
"Never had goose, maybe this Chrismas I'll be Scrooge."
Hey, that made me notice something: You can't say "Scrooge" without also kind of saying "goose." Plus "RC."
Here, have a big helping of parasite-ridden goose meat. What - a little dry and gamey, you say? Well then wash it down with this RC cola. Merry Christmas, homeless person!
Jumble!
I've always said "We're just one really good recipe away from solving the goose problem". Out of my home window over the last 2 years I've seen 6 geese raise over 50 offspring. Radio control cars are a fun way to chase them out of the yard.
Thanks, d! I love JUMBLE. Scored 470 on todays!
y/w, m. ;)
Braised Canadian goose breast with vegetables over wild rice in a Cumberland sauce.
20+ years of goose hunting experience here.
It depends on the goose. If you kill the lead bird in the flock, you will have to stew him in wine as he will be tough and gamey. But if you get one of the young ones near the back of the formation, you will have a succulent meal.
It will have less fat that a barn goose and not be greasy at all.
It seems people have forgotten how to cook wild game.
Canada geese makes a very tasty meal with the right handling and recipe.
Eat the offenders. Geese are creatures of habit, like rats. They will generally be much less of a problem a generation later.
You would NEVER treat a goose the way you would treat a rat, for the simple reason that Christmas dinner has NEVER featured roast rat. Roast GOOSE, on the other hand, is a tradition for some families.
Want to cull the goose population? Serve them for dinner!
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