Geese make Traxler Park not so enjoyable
The Department of Natural Resources says the population of geese that live and breed in Wisconsin year-round has leaped 27 percent since 2008. The numbers now approach 150,000.
No kidding. Based on the manure in Janesville's Traxler Park, you might think half of them live there.
My 7-year-old granddaughter, Lexie, came to visit "Pappa" during my furlough last week, and we spent a couple of hours fishing in the Traxler Park lagoon. But piles of goose poop were everywhere. You literally had to watch every step you took so you weren't stepping in the droppings. I even had a hard time finding a clean spot to sit down my tackle box. Isn't this a health hazard?
Can't more be done? I've heard that stringing lines about 6 inches off the ground can deter geese, which apparently don't like stepping over the lines.
In 2002, the goose population became quite an issue in Janesville's parks. At one point, city officials agreed to let hunters take shots at the geese. But animal lovers were appalled at that idea, and the guns were put away. In recent years, city crews have tried addling goose eggs so the eggs don't hatch.
It seems to me that border collies also were used to chase away flocks at one point. Apparently, that's no longer the case. The city also passed an ordinance banning feeding of geese and ducks in parks. But I saw a woman with a couple of youngsters doing just that in Traxler.
I also saw several adults without children fishing in the lagoon. One couple apparently caught a nice batch of good-sized bluegills. They, too, were violating a city ordinance that bans fishing in the Traxler lagoon unless you're accompanying children.
Apparently, the city has bigger fish to fry than to worry about what's happening at Traxler.
Greg Peck
Jul 30, 2009 at 10:22 a.m.
Suggest removal
hannah, I have not seen a sign, either, and have often seen people fishing without children. I have yet to see a ticket for someone fishing without a child. Kind of a silly rule.
Jul 29, 2009 at 6:50 p.m.
Suggest removal
We use to do the dog the geese program, but no one from the parks dept ever contacted us this year. It seem to work pretty well. The parks that were on our list had only a couple of geese that stayed (well on the far side of the water) and rarely did we see one even when we weren't on patrol.
*
There are many of us who would volunteer to get the program going again (we had done it for 3 years before they ended it why we don't know) it was great exercise for the dogs and kept the geese safely away from the shoreline. How about parks dept...want free help, bring back dog the geese.
Jul 29, 2009 at 4:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
That's an interesting rule. I saw nothing in the DNR handbook or anything in the ordinances on-line.
Perhaps I missed something about fishing in the lagoon (like anyone really would want to).
Jul 29, 2009 at 4:30 p.m.
Suggest removal
Have you been in Monterey Park recently? They have the string up along the river there. The geese are still in the park, they fly in. Then they walk over to the river (which has the bike trail along it). You still have poo, not as much, but its still around. I too have seen people, with their kiddies, feeding the geese and ducks in that park and Monterey.
-
Have they ever discussed putting some the female geese to sleep as opposed to shotting them? Would that be more humane to those who don't like the shotting thing?
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.