Llanerch Golf Course and External Activities

Starting this Friday, I will be introducing a Geese Flusher and her dog on the property to reduce the geese problem. During the January-Febuary months, the dog will be here a few times a week. In March -April, the handler and dog will be her 2-3 a day as we aggressively try to move the geese away. This system is both completely legal and humane. I am hoping this will mark the beginning of a reduction of the geese.

Geese are a real problem at Llanerch. Over the years, we have tried many techniques to move them off property. I think the first step is provide information regarding the geese. I have taken the following description from the Upper Dublin Township website : Canada Goose Biology There are 11 sub-species of the Canada goose. The sub-species causing us concern in Branta Canadensi Maxima, the "Giant Canada goose." This group, the largest of the sub-species, was thought to be extinct until re-discovered in the late 1960's in Minnesota. Great efforts were then made to re-establish the "Giant." The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife agencies and organizations such as Ducks Unlimited started a massive breeding program at state and federal wildlife refuge areas. Pairs of geese had their wings clipped, thereby allowing them to give birth to and raise generations of young in one area. These offspring were then imprin...

As some of you have noticed, the Canadian Geese have "left their mark"  on the golf course over the winter. Over the next few weeks, we will mow and sweep up their "dropping". It has been a long and difficult battle to control them. For decades, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has enforced rules to protect these migratory birds. They set limitations to what we can do to rid them from the property. In order to both follow the law and control the geese, we have hired an outside company that specializes in goose control. We used them in the fall of last year and had some good results. They will be using many different techniques from shooting off fire crackers to running specially trained dogs to harass the geese.  They have all the required and necessary federal and local permits. We are hoping this will help reduce their population.