Summersville considers mitigating its Canada geese, may pay feds for legal removal, euthanasia

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
August 15, 2025

The town of Summersville is considering hiring a federal agency to mitigate its Canada geese population after some residents complained that the birds have become a nuisance. 

Canada geese are a protected species under federal law. State code also prevents private companies from eliminating geese on personal properties. 

Summersville Mayor Robert Shafer said that around 60 geese in the area have caused issues for residents, prompting area leaders to explore legal options for removal. 

“It’s amazing, the messes they make and they just go through driveways and sidewalks and through traffic,” Shafer said. “We reached out just to find out what we could do to legally mitigate the situation.”

The town is considering contracting with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which offers a Congressonally-approved geese mitigation program. It assists communities with managing wildlife that threaten public property or health.

Tom Elliott, district supervisor with USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, presented a legal mitigation plan Aug. 18 to city council members and officials, saying it would be a year-long process that could ultimately end in capturing and euthanizing Canada geese that remained in the area. 

“As long as you have some short grass and a little bit of water in there, you’re always going to have Canada geese,” Elliott said, explaining that program’s goal is to make the geese relocate to another area. 

The program, according to Elliott, would use an “integrated approach” of lethal and non-lethal means of eliminating Canada geese in the area. The 12-month cycle would begin with oiling the goose eggs in nests, which suffocates the embryo. 

Between nesting and molting season, the process moves to “harassment measures,” where Elliott said they use pyrotechnics, lasers, remote control cars and more to aggravate the geese and prompt them to permanently move from residents’ yards, ponds and more. 

“It’s all things that we try to do to make the geese feel unsure [and] insecure there, so they’re going to want to leave and move out,” Elliott explained.

“Don’t try to just eradicate them overnight, because they’re going to come right back in,” he added.

At the end of the year-long process, remaining geese could be euthanized.

“In most cases we usually have to round up some geese,” Elliott said. “And usually we’re averaging about nine to 10% for the geese that we’re dealing with is all that’s left to round up.”

Local land owners would have to opt into the program for geese removal. 

“We try to get as many signed up as we can because [the geese] will also start figuring out where home base is and you know where they’re safe,” Elliott explained. “I’m sure there will be somebody who will be sympathetic for the geese, and then there’ll be several people who will not be sympathetic for geese.” 

The mitigation process is expected to cost $8,500, Shafer said, adding that he and council members haven’t made a final decision. They’re also considering partnering with a private geese mitigation company based in Michigan. 

“We’ve not made any decisions that we’re moving forward with anything, but obviously we’ve got neighborhoods that are aggravated with the size of the flock that we have,” Shafer said. “We’ve got to do something, because if you don’t, they just keep multiplying.”

Elliott said there is always a chance that the Canada geese could return after the mitigation efforts. 

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West Virginia Watch is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. West Virginia Watch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Leann Ray for questions: info@westvirginiawatch.com.