Canada Geese are still out and about at Boise parks

CREATED Dec. 20, 2012

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  • Jennifer Auh reports on dog off leash program moving geese to other parts of Boise. Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com

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Experts hope dogs may be the solution to getting rid of the geese at Ann Morrison Park. They started a pilot program that lets owners take their dogs off leashes to scare the birds away.

So far, Boise Parks and Recreation leaders said there are fewer geese around Ann Morrison Park.
   
However, according to experts, most of the geese are probably still close to where people hang out.

"Canada Geese are grazers, feeding on green grass, golf courses, fields,” said Jeff Knetter, Idaho Fish and Game.

People walking on the greenbelt said they've seen a slight increase of Canada Geese at Julia Davis Park.

In terms of geese traveling to different areas of Boise, park officials said it shouldn’t be a problem, unless there are too many geese in one area.

"If we find out they congregate in other areas too heavily, we may consider doing the dog off-leash in other parks," said Tom Governale, Boise Parks and Recreation.

So far, the program is getting mixed responses from residents. Some said they can enjoy the park with fewer geese, while others think the program is just moving the problem somewhere else.

Experts said it’s still too early to measure the long-term effects of this program. Boise Parks and Recreation leaders said they plan to continue the experiment until the end of February.