Canada Goose Crop Damage Abatement in South Dakota

Abstract

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) can cause considerable damage to crops during summer when geese are flightless. We evaluated the effectiveness of a program designed to alleviate crop damage on soybeans by Canada geese in South Dakota, USA. The applications of electric fences, feeding stations, and propane cannons reduced the area of crop damage by 90% in 2006 and 80% in 2007, but the timing was important. Fields where abatement practices were applied early in the growing season had less damage than fields where they were applied later. Abatement practices that were properly applied as soon as damage started and that were maintained throughout the growing season were effective at reducing damage to soybeans by Canada geese.

Keywords

• abatement
• branta canadensis
• canada goose
• crop damage
• electric fence
• human–wildlife conflicts
• south dakota
• molt
• soybean