‘Gruesome’ goose killing shocking
Leaving the cut-off heads of Canada goose on a field to scare away other birds is an acceptable form of wildlife management, federal officials say.
Such tactics, which one Kelowna woman says she was appalled to see in practice, are permitted by the Canadian Wildlife Service.
“In some cases it may be permitted to leave behind carcasses to act as a deterrent to other birds, but that will depend on the specific situation for which the permit was issued,” Christelle Chartrand of Environment and Climate Change Canada, wrote last week in an email.
The killing of Canada geese can be authorized by permit if it's deemed the birds “are causing or are likely to cause serious damage to property, or where the birds constitute a risk to the safety of the public,” Chartrand wrote.
In the past, the City of Kelowna has applied for and received permits for the killing of Canada geese, with the job done by a city contractor. Other control methods include scaring the geese with noisemakers, laser pointers, dogs, falcons, and addling eggs before they hatch.
Canada geese can produce almost a kilogram of excrement a day, fouling fields and parks and causing public health concerns that trigger beach closures.
Private landowners can also obtain permits to cull Canada geese. Provincial right-to-farm legislation also allows owners of agricultural properties to use firearms to protect their crops or livestock.
Nevertheless, Diana Bertucci said last week she was appalled to see a man shooting, then decapitating Canada geese in a field along Gellatly Road in West Kelowna. The geese were being shot in the late afternoon, Bertucci said, and she had concerns a stray bullet might injure someone.
The man said he had a permit to cull geese, Bertucci said. Bertucci said she called Kelowna RCMP, who confirmed this was in fact the case.
“I was shocked that this kind of thing can take place in the middle of the afternoon,” Bertucci said. “And then he went up to the dead birds and just pulled their heads off with his hands, and left them there. It was pretty gruesome.”