I hate geeses to pieces

[smoothmove]

Sorry to have to have to lower the discusion level here, but I'd like to engage the braintrust on a problem I have with some of nature's finest. I'm talking about waterfoulers. That is all those miserable ducks and geese that gave up their honest living, flying north to canada and south to Mexico and now spend their time panhandling around marinas and loitering on swim platforms.

I remember as a teenager spending hours setting decoys and building blinds just hoping to get a shot within 50 yards of those Canadians. They seemed unusually wary and cagey. Now I wonder if I should have thrown a nicely varnished swim platform out there in the middle of the decoys as it seems to be irresistable to them. This breed of duck or goose seems like a new species. They seem to know they're "PROTECTED".

Just last weekend, after arriving at the boat, I spent 10 minutes scrubbing off the 2 day accumulation of droppings. In the time it took to coil the hose, go grab a beer and a book and return to the back of the boat one of the ringleaders of this gang of hooligans had already left me a little surprise.

I've tried the usual stuff, Owls, snakes and such. They don't seem to work for me. I did have some luck with a sound activated spider one time, but it did not hold up to the elements. So anyone got any suggestions. And if anyone asks, no we do not feed them.

 

[Paul45c]

I've tried the usual stuff, Owls, snakes and such. They don't seem to work for me. I did have some luck with a sound activated spider one time, but it did not hold up to the elements. So anyone got any suggestions. And if anyone asks, no we do not feed them.

Personally, I've always felt it would send a message to gulls & cormorants that they couldn't miss if you shot one or two with a pellet gun & hung them out on the yardarm for awhile...

But, looking at LEGAL options, I was told by more than one dockmaster of mooring fields that any kind of fishing line, leader or nylon string really seems to scare these birds. It's small enough that they can't perch on it, and loose enough that they fear getting entangled. Seemed to make sense, though it's been years since I had a boat on a mooring. I never had the chance to test the theory, but it seemed to make some sense to me.

 

[Nonchalant1]

I live on a river and string nylon mono fishing line about 1 ft. high like a fence along the river. It stops them. You'd have to put fishing line at various places around your swim platform where they usually hop up. Problem is....now you've always got monofiliment fishing line on your swim platform.

Doug

 

[Genesis]

You know, this brings back some stories....

During the time I owned Gigabite, I never had a significant problem with waterfoul "fouling" my boat. I don't know why - the boat NEXT TO MINE at one of the marinas I was at used to get "visited" - it seemed - hourly!

I mean, his platform would be COVERED, while mine had not one dropping on it.

The difference? I couldn't tell you. I had my stern lines crossed like everyone else, but for some reason - my boat didn't "attract" the birds.

Perhaps they knew that its owner - legal or not - would wring their necks and cook 'em for supper....... I dunno....

I have heard the fishing line thing works, but have never had the need to try it. The wierd thing is that my dock out back has never been a "target" either - while the neighbors get dive-bombed!

Go figure....

 

[SKYCHENEY]

Here in Michigan, we have several hunting seasons for geese. In fact, one of them just started on Sept 1. My neighbor just bought a new goose call, so we'll have to get out there and try it out. Don't blame us up here for your problem. We still know the importance of hunting.

 

[Mike36c]

They pelicans here in Florida love my boat too. I have also tried the big inflatable snake and the owl, the pelicans crapped on the snake and made friends with the owl in just one day. What has worked is 300lb mono leader pulled tight from the bridge to the pulpit. They hate having the line just above their heads, I'm guessing the birds think the line might inhibit their escape if a predator approaches(my dog TRAINED to chase off birds ). Give it a try.

 

[luckydave215]

I have my extra 220V dock cord pig tailed into my swim step brackets. I get a bit of electrolysis, but no (live) birds. I works pretty well on the dock drunk too.

 

[luckydave215]

To be serious, the only place the gulls seem to like to sit (and) on my boat is the satellite dome, which is on the top of the tower where I can't reach it to wash it.

It figures.

 

[smoothmove]

I'm guessing the birds think the line might inhibit their escape if a predator approaches(my dog TRAINED to chase off birds ). Give it a try.

I think I will give it a try - When is your dog available?

Seriously though, I cobbled together a couple of wood brackets with monofiliment strings between. Heading down for the big test run.

 

[67hat34c]

I have a coy pond at home and have trouble with Herrons. pond suppliers sell a motion detector activated scare crow. it is a water jet that turns on when the motion detector is activated. this may help, not real expensive so give it a try. of course if you happen to hook the water hose to your hot water heater this could possibly drive the point home a litter harder.

 

[smoothmove]

pond suppliers sell a motion detector activated scare crow. it is a water jet that turns on when the motion detector is activated. this may help, not real expensive so give it a try. of course if you happen to hook the water hose to your hot water heater this could possibly drive the point home a litter harder.

It would be a real shame if some high performance surfactants got into that water jet. Might REALLY keep the platform clean if you know what I mean. First I'll try the low tech (string) approach. It that doesn't work, I'll escalate into an electronic WAR.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

 

[thoward]

On the Florida East coast many of the hotels use the mono thing to keep the birds away from the pools, it seems to work.

 

[DickB]

Mono does work. We used to string it on 1' dowels the length of our Lake Washington property. The neighbors would have goose poop all over their lawns, ours was clean. The other thing that seems to work as well is Holograhic Scare Tape, avail at garden stores. Incidentally, I've heard a goose can poop up to three pounds daily. It can be a big mess!

Dick

 

[mstailey]

SmoothMove,
Wave a 7 iron at them...

 

[smoothmove]

Sometimes simple is best

Thought I'd report the results. It's day 3 and the swim platform is unsullied. Just clamped a 2x4 at each end of the swim platform projecting out about 6 inches and ran a couple of monofilament lines between. Takes a few seconds to remove or install. I'm kicking myself for not trying this sooner. Forgot to mention the fact that it's better sleeping without the ducks milling around a few feet away. (aft cabin) Thanks again everyone for the suggestions and the good nights sleep. It really seems that this forum can propose a valid solution to any problem.

 

[Kate]

Speaking of geese. When my niece who is 4 years old boarded my boat she immediately commented on the "cigar butts" all over the swim platform.........I didnt want to tell her what it really was.

 

[Freebird]

I too used to get up at 4AM and set out dozens of decoys just to have a small chance of bagging the limit of 2 Canada geese.

Some 20 years later, I bought a big white speckled brick house on the Tennessee River. Turned out to be the best duck blind I ever had, big screen TV, refrigerator, microwave, and a big ole leather seat to shoot from! Those big Canadas just loved to walk up the concrete steps from the lake to crap in my yard, but many paid the ultimate price for that poor choice of bathroom facilities! Those steps were within 40 yards of my sunroom with quick release windows!

I always shot them in season though, and ate them for dinner on a regular basis. I even gave them a fighting chance as I hollered to get them airborne before zapping them with my Ithaca Mag 10! After the first year, they didn't show up as often as before. I supposed the few that got away spread the word.