Branta Canadensis is such a happy sound. It
This was not going to be a Saturday
signals the beginning of a new season, new
morning for lollygagging.
life, hope, fresh starts and garden
First, there was the sound of gun shots
preparation. Hear the geese and you know
piercing the crisp fall morning air.
any day now you should be getting back to
Somewhere out there, well-camouflaged
thatvitalhomeimprovementchorethathad
hunterswerefiringawayataflockofCanada
been abandoned back in the fall, when that
geese. There were at a safe distance, for
perfect Saturday morning was ruined.
other humans but it sounded like artillery
was being unleashed in the kitchen.
72 out of 180
It was going to get worse.
The big, bold and beautiful
Geese began plummeting, falling onto a
The town of Hawkesbury dropped a
nearby field, their ivory bellies shining in
few notches in the annual “Best Places to
Destruction of CanadaGeese – yes, there is a
the bright sun.
remain single if a mate dies.
LiveInCanada”evaluationconductedby
group for everyone – website, there is a
You have seen dead people and dead
Matedpairsraiseandprotecttheiryoung
MoneySense magazine. Placing 66th
plethoraofnon-lethalwaysofkeepinggeese
animals.Youliveinthecountry.Youexpect
together, but also look out for one another
overall among 179 towns in, Hawkesbury
at bay. On the web page, there are links
to encounter hunters, but you do not
over the course of their lives. One mate will
has slipped to 72 out of 180 in the most
leadingtosolutionssuchasa“humanehatch
anticipate seeing geese being shot a few
stay by the other’s side if injured or dying,
recent rankings. Here are the numbers for
controlcompany,”hand-heldlasers,andfake
hundred feet from your house.
even if the rest of the flock is moving on.
Hawkesbury: Affordable housing 78;
floating gator heads. (Thank goodness the
It was going to get even worse.
They are extremely devoted to one another.
Household income 180; New cars on the
gator heads are fake. Can you imagine if real
Thehuntersmovedintopickupthedead
But can they move on and seek another
road 48; Job prospects 95; Population
gator heads were used? Feathers would be
birds.Andthenthehonkingofthesurvivors
relationship if they suddenly become single
growth44;Accesstohealthcare47;Overall
ruffled,indeed!)Anyway,thesefloaterswork
began. OK, the howls of an unhappy baby
again? Well, evidently, every goose is
crime 143; walk or bike to work 23;
onbirds,smallanimalsandnosyneighbours.
can be heart-wrenching. Next to that on the
different. But we know that since they are
precipitation 50.
Wavingyourarmsandyelling,“Shoo!”is
gut-ripping scale has to be the cry of an
social birds, theywill always have a flock to
a simple and effective technique. It provides
animal in distress. The honks of mourning
hang with.
agoodaerobicworkout,thephysicalbenefits
on this otherwise beautiful morning
While the migration of the huge honkers
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more than compensating for the loss of self-
reverberated across the brightly coloured
is a rite of spring, we are still stirred by the
dignity. But flapping is not much fun as
landscape.Thehuntersleftwiththeirbounty.
sightofthemflyinginaniconicVformation,
spending money on some contraption.
Some of the surviving geese hung around
asifwehave justseenthemforthefirsttime.
The debate rages on over the species that
formostoftheday,stagingawildlifeversion
They become familiar soon enough. As
is synonymous with our land. Interestingly,
of a wake for their dead mates. Sure, they
the days growwarmer and longer, the wild
another animal that is associated with
are just animals, but during this requiem,
birds tend to lose their fear of humans.
Pain croûté Cretons
Patates rôties Fèves au lard Oeufs Omelette Soupe aux pois Saucisses Jambon Ragoût de boulettes Grillades (oreilles de crisse)
Canada,thebeaver,canalsobeadestructive
one poor bird was particularly pathetic,
They soar low, showing off their
Crêpes au sirop d’érable Tarte au sucre d’érable Ketchup et marinades maison Thé, café, chocolat chaud, lait Tire sur la neige
little beast.
emitting a sad refrain that echoed in the
underbellies and massive wings.
MotherNature.Gofigure.Sheiscomplex,
woods and rolled over the countryside.
Apparently, you can get too much of a
and you never want to tamper with her.
On a decibel level, the lament of a goose
goodthing.Inthecountry,thehungrybirds
We are fortunate in this part of the world
is as high as the sound of a shotgun blast,
can do big damage to fields.
because this region is part of a flyway for the
and lasts much longer.Anyway, the pall
In many cities, they have become huge
nomadic geese. They are hard to miss.
lifted, the flock moved on, life went on,
nuisances. They take over parks, they
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Geese can be heard night and day as they
seasons changed, etc., etc. Now, of course,
dominate golf courses.
wing it along their migratory paths.
geese have returned, signalling spring as
“Resident” geese, the ones that never
ThecharmcanwearoffinJuly,whenthey
they touch down in the same spot that a few
migrate, really get people squawking.
are still hanging around, munching and
months was a killing field.
Allsortsofanti-geesemeasureshavebeen
pooping.
But, what about that sad goose that was
tried – cannons, swans, dogs, noisemakers,
Fortunately, the invasions are relatively
crying so loudly last fall?
flags,balloons,electrifiedfences,fireworks,
brief, most of the flocks move on after the
Good question.
strings, scarecrows, vegetation barriers,
northern bodies of water have thawed.
Weknowthatgeese,likeswans,matefor
decoys, sprinklers, remote control boats.
Atthistimeofyear,thehonkofthegraceful
life but it is not clear whether they will
AccordingtotheCoalitiontoPreventthe
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