TWO DIFFERENT GOOSE PROBLEMS

We have been dealing with two difficult to solve goose problems at Forest Creek this year.  One problem involves migratory waterfowl (Branta Canadensis) while the other involves an invasive weed species (Eleusine Indica). When we opened the South golf course in 1996, neither one could be found on the Forest Creek property. Now we devote a great deal of effort and financial resources to controlling these pests.  The two different goose problems are Canada Geese and goosegrass.


Goosegrass

The Canada goose is a federally protected migratory waterfowl.  We are restricted in our actions to control this bird by federal law. Unfortunately the Canada Geese we have at Forest Creek do not migrate very much.  Joe Fuller is the migratory game coordinator for the North Carolina Wildlife Commission.  He was quoted in the Raleigh News and Observer as saying that the migratory Canada Goose population in North Carolina has dropped from about 200,00 in the 1940's to about 10,000  today. However the non-migratory population of Canada Geese has increased to approximately 100,000.  Over hunting and loss of habitat had caused the Canada Goose population to decline in years past.  To overcome this trend in declining goose population many years ago, a subspecies of Canada Goose was introduced into North Carolina and neighboring states.  Unfortunately this subspecies (Branta Canadensis maxima) was one which tended not to migrate.  Instead of the beauty of birds in flight formation we now deal with an urban pest and its unsanitary droppings. We have 100,00 geese who will not go home to Canada.

In a golf mecca such as ours, with multiple courses and multiple lakes, we have created an environment attractive to geese. They feed on golf course grasses and have virtually no natural predators.  Each golf course tries to make their resident geese feel uncomfortable and unwanted so that they will take flight to another golf course and not come back. This is moderately successful but other golf courses  are using the same strategies and techniques to keep geese off their golf course.

This year our population of geese expanded during  the winter.  We had two nesting pairs who produced five goslings but had populations in excess of fourty geese.  We brought in an individual who trains and manages border collies to attack our problem.  After two weeks and the continued use of multiple dogs all the geese left.  Within two weeks they started coming back.  We acquired our own goose dog, Sandy and he went to work.  We would continue to chase the geese whenever they were found on the golf course. They moved from one course to the other and back. The population numbers would ebb and flow. Canada geese are annoying and stubborn but they are not dumb. They would see Sandy or a menacing golf cart and take to the water for safety.  Finally we purchased a radio controlled model speed boat. The geese despised this tactic intensely.  After a multi front confrontation our goose population took flight and we are presently goose free. Over the years I have learned more goose biology than I wanted to learn.  I know when they nest , the behavior of goslings and when they molt.  This year I learned that they hate radio controlled speed boats.

Sandy ,Chris and the boat

The goose grass problem has cropped up this year as the summer moved from July into August.  Goose grass is similar to crabgrass in its habit of growth and  time of growth.  They are both annual weeds which germinate at the beginning of summer and die out with freezing weather.  Goosegrass germinates several weeks later than crabgrass and is harder to control both pre-emergently and post emergently. The population grows as the seeds are spread somewhat like poa annua.  We must get this outbreak of goosegrass under control now so that we do not continue to spread seeds.  We are applying strong herbicides to try and control this problem as quickly as possible.  We are also physically removing seedlings from the greens and collars.  The strong herbicides will stunt the Bermuda but it should recover.  We are doing sod work in areas of extreme infestations.  We will utilize different timing and strategies on our pre-emergent herbicides applications  next year as circumstances have changed because of the increase in the population of goosegrass  we have experienced. Most of our goose grass problems are limited to holes 1-6 of the South and the practice areas.  We were able to use different herbicides on the North golf course this year because it was not overseeded and the problem was not found there. We regret the "spots" which you are seeing around the greens, but we are taking one step backward so we can take two steps forward.

ULTRA DWARF GREENS

We have opened the new Champion practice green in Section 16.  It is available for both chipping and putting. It can be accessed most conveniently from the North golf course by going through the waste bunker behind 12 green.

The grow-in of the new chipping green continues and is on schedule to open labor day.  We are fine tuning this area with drainage installation, new mowing lines and bunker refurbishment.

August 8,2013, six weeks