BLUEMOMENT

we have an influx of annually increasing numbers of Canadas.

I am all for shooting for the pot, and do so with other avian and mammalian species regularly. However, I am told that Canada geese are a) monogamous b) taste like boiled mains'l covers (I paraphrase)

They are an invasive species, and doing a lot of damage to some fields I want to retain for grazing.


Are there any comments or observations please, before I load the ol' blunderbus in the New Year ?

I believe that in some circumstances landowners can receive payments for leaving set areas of land to grass for the geese to feed on.

At least that is in some parts of Scotland, certainly on Islay

Might be worth a call to the bird huggers.

[Daily Mail Mode]
Send 'em back to Canada, I say.
[/Daily Mail Mode]

Olivepage wrote:I believe that in some circumstances landowners can receive payments for leaving set areas of land to grass for the geese to feed on.

At least that is in some parts of Scotland, certainly on Islay

Might be worth a call to the bird huggers.

Apparently when the geese counter arrives on Islay to assess the numbers and the payments to the landowners, its like a comedy film as the Geese are herded from field to field.....

The goose counter

For anyone mature enough to remember "whats my line" - the little mime at the start would have been hilarious

From the Highland Geese website, its older geese that are tough, get one a year old and they are probably fine, how you tell the age of a goose?? Sorry don't know.

I understand you can legally shoot them from Sept to the end of Jan or February below the HW mark, not sure if that's you or the goose at sea ...
Seriously if they are coming in 'ever increasing numbers' shooting a few is not going to make much difference. You would be better employing a falconer and his trained bird to come and vist every few days, although I'm not sure what sort of raptor you would need to scare a bird as big as a CG, something pretty big & fierce I suspect.

Set a snare? The honking & flapping would keep the others away for a while, I guess. But probably not legal these days.

They are probably prettier than any of us so just leave them alone - farmers are supposed to be custodians of the countryside......

The custodians of the countryside are the ones that get most annoyed by the flocks of geese landing on their land.

I live in a rural area and to see large flocks of geese on an autumn evening is fantastic.

I believe the fat is very good for waterproofing the Dubarries

Shard wrote:I believe the fat is very good for waterproofing the Dubarries

It's good for roastin' ra tatties tomorra as weel!

Rowana wrote:It's good for roastin' ra tatties tomorra as weel!

Tatties!

We're gonnae huv tae eat wir Dooburries ra morra......

Enjoy!

All the best, everyone