City Implements Canada Goose Control Program

The Department of Public Works Parks and Greenery Group plans to implement a program to control the impact Canada Geese are having at Four Tree Island, Prescott Park, and the new Gateway park on Market Street. They will commence a controlled operation to frighten the geese away with hunting dogs and shooting blanks from a blanks pistol on Monday, August 24 at 8 am. The dogs are owned and supervised by Charles Baxter, Arborist Foreman. He and Corin Hallowell, City Parks and Greenery Foreman will both be present for the control.

As Hallowell explains the problem, “We are inundated with Canada Geese in these three City park locations. The geese look for large open grassy areas to feed which results in a large amount of waste that is left behind and is both unhealthful and difficult to clean. We are going to use hunting dogs to chase them and create a predator situation while shooting blanks from a blanks pistol to excite the dogs and scare the geese. The dogs don’t attack or touch the geese, they just chase them.”

The Portsmouth Police Department and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard have been informed of the plan, should they receive calls about the sound of the shots.