I hit a goose and now my neighborhood is at war

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Op here.
Yes, this is why I’m hiding out on DCUM instead of even looking at NextDoor or the list serve. Apparently I am being tarred and feathered on both (pun fully intended) and apparently I was now driving recklessly and plowed down the entire flock per an eyewitness.

Thank you to the poster for making me giggle with the thought of me cuddling this giant bird as it died.

I really thought of it like running over a squirrel, and was trying my best to maneuver around them.

OK, I just lost all sympathy for you. Killing this (admittedly annoying) animal, or leaving it to suffer in the middle of the road, isn’t giggle-worthy.

I’m not sure we’re getting the real lowdown from OP. Geese are huge, and if you “nick” one it loses a few feathers and keeps on trucking. And geese don’t “graze” on suburban roads unless you live in Appalachia or somewhere with dirt roads.

Dude, they do! Drive to Gaithersburg and see for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Op here.
Yes, this is why I’m hiding out on DCUM instead of even looking at NextDoor or the list serve. Apparently I am being tarred and feathered on both (pun fully intended) and apparently I was now driving recklessly and plowed down the entire flock per an eyewitness.

Thank you to the poster for making me giggle with the thought of me cuddling this giant bird as it died.

I really thought of it like running over a squirrel, and was trying my best to maneuver around them.

OK, I just lost all sympathy for you. Killing this (admittedly annoying) animal, or leaving it to suffer in the middle of the road, isn’t giggle-worthy.

I’m not sure we’re getting the real lowdown from OP. Geese are huge, and if you “nick” one it loses a few feathers and keeps on trucking. And geese don’t “graze” on suburban roads unless you live in Appalachia or somewhere with dirt roads.

Dude, they do! Drive to Gaithersburg and see for yourself.

So bad that Fairfax has a "Goose Management Program" also to address the overpopulation of resident geese. And it's no where near illegal as it was an accident.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Op here.
Yes, this is why I’m hiding out on DCUM instead of even looking at NextDoor or the list serve. Apparently I am being tarred and feathered on both (pun fully intended) and apparently I was now driving recklessly and plowed down the entire flock per an eyewitness.

Thank you to the poster for making me giggle with the thought of me cuddling this giant bird as it died.

I really thought of it like running over a squirrel, and was trying my best to maneuver around them.

OK, I just lost all sympathy for you. Killing this (admittedly annoying) animal, or leaving it to suffer in the middle of the road, isn’t giggle-worthy.

I’m not sure we’re getting the real lowdown from OP. Geese are huge, and if you “nick” one it loses a few feathers and keeps on trucking. And geese don’t “graze” on suburban roads unless you live in Appalachia or somewhere with dirt roads.

Dude, they do! Drive to Gaithersburg and see for yourself.

Gaithersburg has dirt roads? AND a Ladies’ Ornament Exchange?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you get arrested.

Aholes like you are making our streets dangerous...you’re the type to mow down kids because of impatience/texting.

OP here... this is a good example of the haranguing I’m getting on my neighborhood site.

And they know my name from the description of my car but the moderator apparently took it down. But “everyone” knows my identity as the goose killer

And also the goose leaver. Your neighbors had to deal with your mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Op here.
Yes, this is why I’m hiding out on DCUM instead of even looking at NextDoor or the list serve. Apparently I am being tarred and feathered on both (pun fully intended) and apparently I was now driving recklessly and plowed down the entire flock per an eyewitness.

Thank you to the poster for making me giggle with the thought of me cuddling this giant bird as it died.

I really thought of it like running over a squirrel, and was trying my best to maneuver around them.

OK, I just lost all sympathy for you. Killing this (admittedly annoying) animal, or leaving it to suffer in the middle of the road, isn’t giggle-worthy.

I’m not sure we’re getting the real lowdown from OP. Geese are huge, and if you “nick” one it loses a few feathers and keeps on trucking. And geese don’t “graze” on suburban roads unless you live in Appalachia or somewhere with dirt roads.

Dude, they do! Drive to Gaithersburg and see for yourself.

So bad that Fairfax has a "Goose Management Program" also to address the overpopulation of resident geese. And it's no where near illegal as it was an accident.

Who knew all those new Gaithersburg developments with ponds still haven’t paved their streets? Sounds like the Beverly Hillbillies to me.

[Anonymous]

I'm so confused by some of the responses. Yes, OP was an ass for not waiting. And she absolutely, 100% should have called animal control to clean up the body. But other than that . . . people really think she should have stopped and gotten out of the car to . . .do what? I'm trying to picture myself in that situation, and I would definitely call 311, but am I supposed to stay at the scene until animal control comes or something? I imagine I would call 311 and leave after reporting it, right? I don't have any tool in may car that would enable me to move a large goose, and I'm certainly not touching a wild animal with my bare hands. So, other than calling animal control, what was OP supposed to stop and do? How long should she have waited at the scene?

[Anonymous]

Sorry OP. Your goose is cooked

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you run it over or did you nick it? I think if you bumped a goose and kept going it's not a big deal.

If you left a dead goose in the middle of the road and went home, even goose haters (hi!) will have a problem with that. You can't leave dead animals in the street and be a good neighbor.

Huh? Of course you can leave a dead animal in the road. I'm not getting out of my car to drag some wild animal carcass to the curb. Or what, put it in my car and drive it to the dump? You must be kidding.

--someone who has never run anything over

A Canada goose has a 4 ft wingspan. It's not a squirrel. If you hit an animal that big and are not willing to clean it up yourself, you need to call the city to have it cleaned up. That's common sense. OP's language (saying she was tracked down by license plate) makes me think she did neither. I'd be pissed as a neighbor too, and not because the world is running out of geese.

Oh ffs. A deer is even bigger. You don’t move it off the road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope you get arrested.

Aholes like you are making our streets dangerous...you’re the type to mow down kids because of impatience/texting.

OP here... this is a good example of the haranguing I’m getting on my neighborhood site.

And they know my name from the description of my car but the moderator apparently took it down. But “everyone” knows my identity as the goose killer

No way around it, you’ll just have to move. Pull the kids out of their schools. Leave the furniture and sentimental things behind, not worth saving. And be sure to wear black ski masks when you sneak the family out of your house in the middle of the night.

And maybe next time you’ll know that your new neighbors won’t think it’s as funny as you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you run it over or did you nick it? I think if you bumped a goose and kept going it's not a big deal.

If you left a dead goose in the middle of the road and went home, even goose haters (hi!) will have a problem with that. You can't leave dead animals in the street and be a good neighbor.

Huh? Of course you can leave a dead animal in the road. I'm not getting out of my car to drag some wild animal carcass to the curb. Or what, put it in my car and drive it to the dump? You must be kidding.

--someone who has never run anything over

A Canada goose has a 4 ft wingspan. It's not a squirrel. If you hit an animal that big and are not willing to clean it up yourself, you need to call the city to have it cleaned up. That's common sense. OP's language (saying she was tracked down by license plate) makes me think she did neither. I'd be pissed as a neighbor too, and not because the world is running out of geese.

Oh ffs. A deer is even bigger. You don’t move it off the road.

Hell no. Any reasonable person would call animal control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so confused by some of the responses. Yes, OP was an ass for not waiting. And she absolutely, 100% should have called animal control to clean up the body. But other than that . . . people really think she should have stopped and gotten out of the car to . . .do what? I'm trying to picture myself in that situation, and I would definitely call 311, but am I supposed to stay at the scene until animal control comes or something? I imagine I would call 311 and leave after reporting it, right? I don't have any tool in may car that would enable me to move a large goose, and I'm certainly not touching a wild animal with my bare hands. So, other than calling animal control, what was OP supposed to stop and do? How long should she have waited at the scene?

No, nobody suggested OP wait with the body. But she should have called animal control so her neighbors didn’t have to deal with her mess, in this case apparently burying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Oh, wow! I can't believe they're protected!

Resident geese though...different rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So I actually work at Fish and Wildlife Service. Canada geese are a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (ridiculous in the case of these nuisance birds!) It is illegal to harm or kill these birds. You actually can be arrested. I would definitely lay low, don't admit fault and if confronted say it was an accident. Cry a little.

https://www.fox19.com/story/14531161/man-arrested-for-deliberately-killing-canada-goose/

Oh, wow! I can't believe they're protected!

Resident geese though...different rules.

So you tagged each goose and know which are resident and which are migratory? Yeah, didn’t think so.

[Anonymous]

Anybody else starting to think this goose was still alive and in pain, and that’s why the neighbors are so po’d? A nick doesn’t kill something as large as a goose, and OP sure can’t tell us if it was living or dead.