BRENWTOOD, Mo. – The City of Brentwood has partnered with USDA Wildlife Services to capture Canada geese – relocating some and killing others – as part of a broader effort to control the population and address growing environmental concerns.
USDA crews captured 19 geese at Brentwood Park on Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from the City of Brentwood.
City officials say the park’s goose population has caused health, safety and environmental concerns in recent years. That includes “excessive waste [poop] on pathways,” “aggressive behavior during nesting season,” damaged landscaping and diminished water quality, according to the Facebook post.
Brentwood officials discussed the USDA partnership and removal plan during a Board of Aldermen meeting last Monday.
According to Eric Gruenenfelder, Brentwood Director of Parks and Recreation, the city has been addressing goose management issues since 2018, moving forward with various mitigation strategies such as fencing, habitat modification, and chemical repellents. However, these methods had proved largely ineffective in addressing concerns.
Since 2023, the USDA wildlife program has been involved in Brentwood’s goose management efforts, initially deploying non-lethal methods like lasers, air horns, trained dogs and fireworks. Those efforts also proved insufficient in deterring geese.
City officials then moved to what one alderman described as a “last-resort” strategy: Capturing geese during their mid-June molting season when they are unable to fly.
As part of that process, Gruenenfelder said juvenile geese were tagged and relocated to imprint on new locations while adult geese were “processed” and sent to local food banks.
“Ultimately, the goal is, that once that this is done, those geese are no longer coming back to Brentwood Park and we hope not to have all the damage that comes from geese in a park,” said Gruenenfelder during the Board of Aldermen meeting.
City officials emphasized that the capture program was only pursued after exhausting other options and in compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations. The USDA oversaw and conducted the operation to capture geese, and Brentwood Park was temporarily closed Wednesday to allow crews to carry it out safely.
“We appreciate the public’s understanding as we take necessary steps to maintain the health and usability of one of our community’s most popular parks,” said the city in its Facebook post.
Brentwood city officials have also worked to address geese at Gateway Fountain, where years of mitigation strategies, including fake predators and flashing lights, have produced mixed results.
Canada geese, Missouri’s most common goose species, are protected under both state law and federal law. It is illegal to harm, kill, capture or posses them without a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and in Missouri, without a state permit during regulated hunting seasons.
