Goose droppings plague Moncton fields

Large flocks of Canada geese are gathering on Moncton sports fields, leaving many outdoor enthusiasts frustrated by the mess they make and city officials trying to find a way to avoid the piles of poop.

Local softball and soccer fields are frequently peppered with goose droppings as Canada geese gather there to feed on the grass.

Roger LeBlanc plays softball, usually at a field in central Moncton. LeBlanc has to spend as much time avoiding goose droppings as he does watching for fly balls.

LeBlanc said it'stime to do something about it.

"There was one particular time we showed up, might've been a Sunday afternoon, and we had to physically chase the Canada geese off the field and there must've been a group of 50 of them," he said.

Dan Hicks, the supervisor of parks and grounds for the City of Moncton, said he understands the scope of the problem.

"I haven't actually timed it but, I've heard studies over the years that they leave presents every eight minutes on average," Hicks said.

"So you can imagine the size of the creatures and the flocks they come in. It can be quite a playability issue for people who play on the grass."

Hicks said the city's new ball diamonds will have irrigation systems and they hope sprinkling the birds will send them off.

Other fields troubled by geese

The city-run fields aren'tthe only onesdealing with goose poop.

Staff at Moncton's Royal Oaks golf course spend thousands of dollars a year trying to move gaggles of geese.

Vincent MacDonald, the golf course's manager, said the club is renewing efforts to move the pesky birds.

McDonald said the golf course is also rolling out new methods in the hope of stopping the geese from gathering on the course.

"We're letting our rough grow up a little bit around some of our water bodies, which discourages geese from crossing those lines. They think there may be predators lurking in those shadows," he said.

"And [the course is also using] fox pellets which provide the scent of a predator that may also dissuade them."