I know geese can sometimes be a bit of a nuisance, but come on!  She looks so cozy!

Canada Geese Were once a Rare Sight in Indiana

When the weather warms up, our area sees a TON of Canada geese, so it's hard to believe this wasn't always the case. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there was once a time when Canada geese were a rare sight in our area. Due to unregulated hunting, these geese were once on the brink of extinction.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 established regular hunting seasons, but by 1962 the drainage of wetlands brought them to the brink of extinction in the eastern United States. Efforts by conservationists helped to re-establish Canada goose populations.

Thanks to these efforts, these geese are now a common sight in the warm weather months around here.  Many know these specific geese for their coloring, specific honking noise, and the V-formation they're known to fly in.  

Canada Geese are Federally Protected

Indiana DNR estimates that the population of Canada geese in the Hoosier State is around 120,000... that's a lot of geese!  For the most part, geese stick to areas near water, and typically if you don't bother them, they don't bother you.  However, during nesting season, they can become quite aggressive and are fiercely protective of their nests and goslings, so it's best to steer clear.

Plus, it's a federal crime to disturb a nest.

During breeding season, a registration number from the website of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must be obtained in order to disturb any Canada goose nests. It is important to note that it is considered a federal crime with severe penalties to disturb a goose nest or to break or remove eggs without this registration number. 

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For this reason, if a goose happens to nest somewhere inconvenient, it's sometimes just easier to let nature run its course.  Let the goose do what they need to do, and eventually they'll be on their way.   Evansville's Meijer recently had to do just that.

One Mama Goose Chooses The Garden Section at Meijer to Nest

My friend Terri was shopping at Meijer and stepped outside to browse the garden section.  While looking around, she noticed an area that was taped off with caution tape, and upon further inspection, realized a goose had chosen a stack of mulch as her nesting place.

As someone who loves nothing more than perusing the garden center in the springtime, I honestly can see why this mama goose chose it as her place to nest.  These sections are usually filled with plants, watered regularly, and are warm and cozy in the sunlight.  Sounds like the perfect place to settle down, well, minus all of the people.

How Long Do Geese Nests Last?

If Meijer isn't planning on getting a permit to remove the nest and plans on letting the goose chill in the mulch section, the goose will stick around for a few weeks.

Indiana DNR says that the female will lay eggs about every day and a half, and once the eggs are laid, the incubation will begin, and incubation takes 28 days.  Once those 28 days are up, the eggs will hatch, and the goslings will be led away from the nest within 24 hours.