Managing Resident Canada Goose Conflicts with People in Urban
Areas Since before recorded history, Oklahoma has hosted several
sub-species of Canada geese during their annual fall and spring
migrations and has also served as a principal wintering area for
migrant Canada geese. Resident Canada geese (Branta canadensis
maxima) on the other hand, are largely non-migratory, and reside
year around throughout Oklahoma. Although resident Canada geese
are a wildlife resource that are highly valued by hunters and
many non-hunters alike, in urban areas, local concentrations of
geese can lead to conflicts with people. In general, resident
Canada geese have benefited from the way humans have altered the
landscape. Resident Canada geese are attracted to areas that
provide food, water, and protection, and urban areas provide all
of these resources. In addition, in most urban situations where
resident Canada geese have become a nuisance, feeding by humans
is invariably at the root of what usually becomes an escalating
probl