Effective September 2006, federal rules changed to allow landowners properly registered at the following site to complete Canada goose egg and nest destruction on their property: www.fws.gov/permits/mbpermits/ gooseeggregistration.html

Registrants must provide an online summary report of their Canada goose control activities to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by Oct. 31, using this address: www.fws.gov/permits/mbper mits/gooseeggregistration/report.html

Failure to report can result in privileges being revoked for the forthcoming year (please note the federal government has not yet created the “report” site).

Before the change, landowners had to receive a special permit from their district biologist to legally do the procedure. Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources (IDNR) biologists no longer issue permits for egg and nest destruction.

The population of such urban geese, which are protected under the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, has skyrocketed across the entire Mississippi flyway in the past few years. Population counts are at 1.5 million, and growing at six percent per year.

Droppings from the waterfowl have rendered some people’s yards, beaches and patios unfit for human use. Not only do the droppings often contain viruses and bacteria that can infect humans, some have been found to contain human pathogens such as E. coli, salmonella, Listeria and campylobacter. Geese also become aggressive during the nesting season, sometimes attacking people who walk nearby.

Destroying eggs and nests, which can be vital