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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. MAY 5. 2022
Problem geese can’t be killed but can be harassed
From Ga. DNR
The Canada goose is an
adaptable bird that can thrive
everywhere from open farm
land and rural reservoirs to
suburban neighborhood
ponds, office complexes,
parks and other developed
areas.
This adaptability some
times puts them near human
populations which could lead
to an increase in human-
wildlife conflicts, according
to the Georgia Department of
Natural Resources’ (DNR)
Wildlife Resources Division.
“Geese that have become
habituated to people, either
because they are being fed or
because they are around hu
mans on a daily basis, can be
come aggressive,” says Kara
Nitschke, Wildlife Biologist
with the Game Management
Section of the Georgia DNR
Wildlife Resources Division.
“Geese will defend their nest
sites against all perceived
threats, and when they nest
near developed areas like of
fice complexes or apartment
buildings, that may include
chasing or charging at peo
ple.”
The nesting season for
geese is just getting under
way, and landowners and
land managers who have
problems with geese (home-
owners, golf course man
agers, city/county managers,
etc.) - especially during the
summer molting season -
may be able to act now and
reduce their nuisance prob
lems later this year.
First, it is important to re
member that Canada geese
are a protected species under
state and federal law. It is il
legal to hunt, kill, sell, pur
chase or possess Canada
geese except according to
Georgia's migratory bird reg
ulations or other federal per
mits. However, there is a
variety of methods for han
dling situations before they
become an issue:
Kensley Essig wins Beta Eta Scholarship
Kensley Essig received
the 2022 Beta Eta Chapter of
Delta Kappa Gamma $1000
scholarship at the April meet
ing.
This scholarship is
awarded to a young woman
graduating high school who
intends to pursue a career in
education.
Ms. Essig’s educational
goal is to teach Elementary
Education and she plans to
attend University of North
Georgia. Her parents are
Clay and Sandy Essig. Beta
Eta is the local chapter of
Delta Kappa Gamma, an in- At the April Beta Eta meeting are Sandy Essig, Kelsey Essig, Kensley Essig, 2022 Beta
ternational honor society of Eta Scholarship winner; Nancy Teague, Beta Eta scholarship committee chairperson;
women educators. Jana Champion, counselor, Pickens High School.
Photo/ Tommy Casey, for Ga. DNR
A Canada Goose
protecting a nest.
Prevention Methods
■ Harassment: Landown
ers who don’t want geese on
their property should first try
a variety of harassment tech
niques, including chemical
repellents, mylar balloons,
wire/string barriers, and
noise makers. These meth
ods are proven to help reduce
goose problems.
However, they do require
consistency from the prop
erty owner and are not al
ways 100% effective. Now
is the best time to act because
geese are just beginning to
select their nesting sites.
Scaring the geese away now
will reduce problems later in
the summer.
• Reduce Goose Repro
duction: The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service issued regu
lations that allow for addi
tional control measures, apart
from harassment techniques
and traditional hunting, to
help address nuisance goose
problems. One of those reg
ulations is a permit for reduc
ing goose reproduction
through nest and egg destruc
tion OR egg addling or oiling
which prevent the eggs from
hatching.
“A permit can be useful in
certain situations - such as a
homeowner that may have
geese nesting close to their
home,” says Nitschke. “Ad
ditionally, it is a way to keep
the number of adult geese on
the property from growing
too large through years of
unchecked reproduction.”
These permits are avail
able at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service’s website
(https://epermits.fws.gov/eR
CGR/geSI.aspx ). The web
site also contains useful in
formation on the methods for
addling or oiling the eggs or
destroying the nests, and
when each method may be
appropriate.
For a brochure on a vari
ety of methods of dealing
with nuisance geese, visit
https://georgiawildlife.eom/p
reventing-wildlife-conflicts ,
scroll to “Common Conflict
Species” and click on
“Canada Geese.”
Jasper Farmers Market vendors offer herbs, plants for summer
By Heather Giambra
A great market day saw many
customers smiling as they walked
around the market. The light breeze
and easy temperatures really made
the morning ideal. There were sev
eral plant vendors selling every
thing from herbs and houseplants to
tomato, pepper, and squash plants.
Geraniums and succulents to peren
nials, grasses, and trees.
Red Bean Harvest has been of
fering hot chocolate and coffee,
while many vendors offered breads
and treats.
Remember, Folks, you can pick up
a business card from several ven
dors to get email addresses or to
find their websites. Many do cus
tom orders which can really make
your purchase special for yourself
or gifting.
This Saturday we are celebrating
Mom with our annual Begonia for
mom event. The first 100 Mothers
at the market will receive a free be
gonia on behalf of the Jasper Farm
ers Market and the PCMG’s.
The Farmers Market is spon
sored by the Pickens County Master
Gardeners. The PCMGs meet at the
county Extension Service office
which is a part of the Chamber of
Commerce building at Lee Newton
Park. The market is held at the
Park-N-Ride parking lot across
from the Veterans Memorial.
The market schedule is Saturday
mornings, 7:30 a.m. - noon until
October 1st which will be the Mar
ble Festival date this year. October
8th thru December 10th market
hours are 9 am until 1 pm. There
will be a Summer market on
Wednesdays starting June 22nd and
will last until August 31 st. Those
hours will be 11am - 2pm. Meet
you at the Jasper Farmers Market.
At Right, Honey Belle Hill
Homestead run by Scott & Christy
Myerscough with their staff,
Naomi, 6, and Isabel, 9, offered
hand crafted pottery, artisan
soups, and herbal salves. They also
had eggs, honey, and teas, plus
their business card says Silver Fox
Rabbits!
HEIRLOOM
& NATIVE
PLANT SALE
Bee happy - don’t miss
out on the 2022 Heirloom and Native Plant Sale!
Support local Master Gardeners and 4-H by buying
native and heirlooms plants. These are plants that
grow well in our environment while supporting birds,
pollinators, and wildlife. See our website below or find
us on Faceboob for a complete plant listing.
Date: May 14 ^
Time: 8 am to Noon
Place: Votorans Memorial parking lot Jaspor, GA
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
™ EXTENSION
Pickens County Master Gardeners ■
Phone: 706-253-8840
E-mail: ugel227@uga.edu or pickensmg@tds.net
http://extension.UHa.edu/county-offices/pickens.html
Appalachian Mountain
Scottish Rite Association
501(c)(3) Charitable Organization
Lake Arrowhead Golf Course
486 Arrowridge
Waleska, GA 30183
Save the Date!
9th Year Charity
Golf Tournament
Benefiting
JL J!
Children’s
Healthcare of Atlanta
Shotgun Start at 9 a.m.
Check-in begins at 7 a.m.
MohaTi/c0 BTsci/dts,
Fru.lt,Juice
Hot TS-u-ffet L-umU
V>oor Prizes
Thursday
August 25, 2022
Team $300
Individual Players $100
Pre-registration is welcome by
Thursday, August 18th!
For more information about
playing and registering, contact
Earl Gaskins at 706-692-6755
or Sheri Crowe at 770-894-2909
or email
scrowe@pickensprogress.com
WAYSIDE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
WELCOMES NEW VETS AND
EXPANDS SERVICES
Dr. Kim Neff
(Rehabilitation)
Dr. Kelly Flanagan
(Large Animal)
• Certified in
Physical Therapy
• Acupuncture
• Chiropractic
• Great
Alternative for
arthritis
• Improve
Mobility for pets
of all ages
• Large Animal
Services
• Farm Calls or In
Office visits
• Works with
horses, cows,
pigs,goats,
alpaca,
llama, and other
farm animals
• Coggins
Call 706-692-2210
www.waysideah.com
Wayside /\nimal
Hospital
Animal Hospital