PORTSMOUTH After attempts to shoo away Canada geese from public parks using everything from hunting dogs to fireworks, the city plans to try disturbing them with a green laser this year in hopes they will fly off and find someplace else to hang out. The geese and the waste they leave behind have been an ongoing problem in popular gathering spots like Four Tree Island and Prescott Park. Efforts to roust them in recent years have failed to discourage the birds from returning to their favorite locations along the water.
The city implemented a control program in 2020 and tried to frighten the geese with hunting dogs and blank rounds fired from a pistol. The following year, officials used small-scale fireworks, including Roman candles and firecrackers. Last year, they began using a green laser pointer that’s supposed to agitate the geese.
They plan to try that again this year. But officials admit there’s no easy solution. “They’re very difficult to deal with.
It’s a constant maintenance issue. All of the techniques we’ve tried are good for a short time, but they come back,” said Portsmouth Public Works Director Peter Rice, who described the geese as “disruptive” and “unsanitary.” The city is not alone in its effort to manage Canada geese.
This coming week, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department will perform their annual banding of the wild birds to monitor their movements. Fish and Game will spend the week searching for groups of geese to tag as the state.
