New Geese Scare Tactic

Stand back, Wyle E.! There’s a new coyote in town and he’s out to rustle up some geese!

The Bedford (MA) Water and Sewer Department has recently employed two coyotes to help scare geese away from their water supply wells and the adjacent Shawsheen River. OK, they’re not real coyotes, but the geese don’t know that. The Department ordered the styrofoam-filled coyotes last year from a hunting magazine for $89.99 apiece. The coyotes have a foot long-spike to keep them positioned, and have been successful when placed strategically behind the fenced area around the wells. The Department has found that periodically moving the coyotes helps to confuse the geese and curious onlookers alike.

The Boston Globe, 07/04/04