Iowa DNR says to stay away from goose nests

Yahoo

01-05-2025

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – With warmer temperatures ahead, many Siouxlanders will be spending their time outdoors at places like parks. Be careful where you step, though, because you might anger a goose.
If you've been out to a park lately, you've likely seen a couple of geese. Wildlife experts are reminding people to avoid getting too close.
'We're getting several calls a day on the geese because they're nesting right now, so they're being seen more and they're being seen more in the same spot,' said Amanda Hase with Forever Wildlife Lodge & Clinic.
When geese start nesting, the soon-to-be parents look for the most ideal spot.
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'Geese like short grass, and they love eating the fresh green shoots,' said Stacey Bragg with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 'So if you want geese around, keep mowing your grass because that's where they're going to go.'
However, some geese aren't too picky about where they call home.
'I've actually seen them on the interstate by Dakota Dunes, the playground down by the river front there,' Hase said. 'Some of them are doing it in parking lots and they just have nests in strange places.'
Wildlife experts want to emphasize that you should avoid messing with or getting too close to a goose nest. If you do, these geese will get honking mad!
'If you approach geese and they have a nest nearby, they probably will attack and, you know, fight back because they're protecting their babies and that's what their instincts are to do,' Hase said.
'Think about the geese as being protective parents instead of aggressive, that would probably help a little bit,' Bragg said. 'That's all they're doing, is protecting their nests.'
If you find yourself in the crosshairs of an angry fowl, remember that they are federally protected, so harming them is out of the question.
'Probably the best thing to do if you come across a very, very aggressive goose is just to keep eye contact with it and just back off and let it calm down,' Bragg said. 'Trying to scare it away is just going to aggravate it even further.'
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While it can take roughly a month for goose eggs to hatch, after a week, they'll leave the nest, giving homeowners and businesses enough time to goose-proof their property.
'Maybe not cut the grass so low, maybe keep some taller native grasses, as, you know, landscaping around your business,' Bragg said. 'Fence it off a little bit, maybe a little snow fence, chicken wire, something that'll put a little cover between maybe a sidewalk entrance to a business and the actual nest. Mylar, pinwheels, balloons, things like that might help the loud noises before they get a nest going. Those are things to think about.'
On top of leaving geese alone, the Iowa DNR asks residents to leave other baby animals alone if they find them and don't pick them. Wait 24 hours to see if the mother returns and contact experts if you have questions.
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