My regular route goes by a pond that is inhabited by a flock of geese. These geese are mean and sometimes will stand directly in my path, put their head down, and hiss at me. Occasionally one of them has run after me. Currently my approach in dealing with them is to stop and CAREFULLY circle around them while they hiss. But I was wondering - is there something that I can do to scare them off? I really don't want to get pecked, but I feel kinda stupid about having to sneak around them like that.
Upcoming:
July 27 - San Francisco marathon
Not sure how to carry it though.
Village people
Carry a stick. Geese are nasty and will attack you.
We have a pair at our park that are really nasty. If you're wearing a hat, take it off and swing it at them. Then run .. fast.. before they chase you. No really, the hat trick works.
never runs the tangents
There are some at the parking lot of my train station. They're huge and not just scary with the hissing and all but they crap everywhere. I'm sure I look like a moron doing this hop scotch sort of thing to get through the parking lot but I don't want that crap on my work shoes and/or tracked into my car. Nasty creatures
“Do what I do. Hold tight and pretend it’s a plan!” Doctor Who
sugnim
Bring bread or cracked corn in your pocket & throw it when you come to the geese. They will go after the food instead of you. And they might even learn to associate your approach with getting treats. Or, you could try LRB's solution.
Bring bread or cracked corn in your pocket & throw it when you come to the geese. They will go after the food instead of you. And they might even learn to associate your approach with getting treats....
Winning!
A park near my house is loaded with geese and ducks because it is near the river, and a couple of ponds, but mainly because people feed them. A couple of years ago I took the dog down there for a walk. All the local fowl waddled over to my truck expecting some sort of expected handouts. The sound of wings flapping was deafening when my huskie jumped from the front seat into the parking lot. I didn't stop laughing for a long time as the old people sitting around on benches giving me the stinkeye and wondered what to do with their loaves of day old bread. It didn't take them long to associate me, my truck and my dog with bad things. I think some of them even got off the welfare loaf and found their own food.
Resident Historian
Yep, bring a large dog once or twice...
DON'T feed them
Neil
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------“Some people will tell you that slow is good – but I'm here to tell you that fast is better. I've always believed this, in spite of the trouble it's caused me. - Hunter S. Thompson
Shakedown Street
benelli M4 is what I use on geese.
Started-5/12, RWOL refugee,5k-24:23 (1/12/13),10K-55:37(9/15/12),HM-1:52:59(3/24/13)
levitation specialist
I have had to yell and make really crazy wild gestures with my arms a time or two with the geese at the ponds at the end of our street(ponds here & there for about .50 mile).
They are bugging you because they see that you are scared/avoiding them. They are basically bulling you into staying away from their space. If you are aggressive with them, whistle at them, yell at them, act like a loon, they will avoid you like the plague. You became the bully. Or at least showed them you can't be bullied anymore.
Feeding them sounds like a great idea, until you have no food sometime. They they will eat you instead JK.....but I wouldn't go that route.
I have had to yell and make really crazy wild gestures with my arms a time or two with the geese at the ponds at the end of our street(ponds here & there for about .50 mile). They are bugging you because they see that you are scared/avoiding them. They are basically bulling you into staying away from their space. If you are aggressive with them, whistle at them, yell at them, act like a loon, they will avoid you like the plague. You became the bully. Or at least showed them you can't be bullied anymore. Feeding them sounds like a great idea, until you have no food sometime. They they will eat you instead JK.....but I wouldn't go that route.
They totally are bullying me though! I am afraid that if I go towards them, they will attack me.
Sloooow.
I've only dealt with a bunch of vultures, but by running straight at them with my arms spread, they moved pretty sharpish. Then I just had to circle around the dead dillo they were munching on.
Are we there, yet?
Squat down, flap your arms and hiss. You're much bigger than them. Intimidate them.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
I run by geese all the time on one of my regular routes. The most annoying part is trying to dodge all the piles of green poop they leave behind. They seem harmless enough, but I'm always frightened something like this will happen:
I saw a guy feeding a raccoon on my run today. In fact, I see foreigners doing this all the time in the summer - I guess because they look so cute and furry.