CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After years of damage, disgust and failed attempts to get the birds under control, the City of Clarksville has had enough with the Canada geese at Liberty Park. It’s time to bring out the big guns.
A controlled goose hunt will be led at the park by officers from Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency on Dec. 15 and 22, according to a city news release.
As previously reported by Clarksville Now, about 250 Canada geese have made Liberty Park their year-round home, egged on by well-meaning park visitors feeding them bread.
But that feeding has added to the problem: Ducks and geese produce even more waste when they eat low-nutrition products like bread and crackers.
“Each goose produces 1 pound of waste per day, and up to 4 pounds if they are hand-fed,” said Ryan Sample with Clarksville Parks and Recreation.
That’s adds up to 250 to 1,000 pounds of bird excrement being dumped on the park every day.
“The waste is damaging the park turf, causing slip hazards on walkways, posing health concerns, and damaging the protected wetlands. All resulting in a growing burden to our taxpayers,” Sample said.
The resident geese also reproduce in large numbers, with a single goose capable of hatching five goslings in an average mating season, according to the news release.
Nonlethal attempts – such as plastic wolf, alligator and owl decoys in the grasses around the pond – haven’t been effective at scaring away the birds.
“Liberty Park is a great place for recreation and to enjoy nature,” Clarksville Parks & Recreation Director Jennifer Letourneau said in the release. “But, the geese that typically migrate in and out of the area are making the park their full-time home and causing problems for park patrons and maintenance crews.”
The goose hunt
The hunt will be conducted Dec. 15 and 22 by TWRA officers and select wounded veterans, the release said. Harvested waterfowl will be processed by Clarksville’s Hunters Harvest and distributed to local food banks.
During the hunts, the park and boat ramp will be closed to the public in the morning hours, reopening on each date by noon. Nearby residents may hear gunfire in the early morning hours.
Successful controlled Canada goose hunts are regularly held in similar situations where waterfowl populations have swelled due to the lack of natural predators. In most cases, these hunts are not publicized unless they occur in a public park, the release said.
For more information, visit the TWRA website, TN.gov/TWRA.