News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Geese are seen in Alpena on Monday. The Alpena Municipal Council voted 3-1 to allow three days of goose hunting in the city to help reign in a growing population of the bird. The hunters will be a mix of city staff and a few residents.

ALPENA — For the last several years, the City of Alpena has held a goose hunt to help reduce the population of the waterfowl, which are considered by some to be a nuisance.

During its meeting Monday, the Alpena Municipal Council voted 3-1 to allow the hunt again this year after a census of nests and eggs in the spring showed an uptick in the population.

Like in past years, Councilwoman Cindy Johnson voted against the hunt. Mayor Matt Waligora, Councilman Mike Nowak and Councilwoman Amber Hess voted for it. Councilwoman Susan Nielsen was excused from the meeting.

The hunt is a hot-button issue, which has caused debate among residents and between council members. One side says the birds are messy and their feces litters parks, ball fields and the bi-path in Alpena. Those opposed to the hunt say the birds are living creatures that should not be killed and are a part of the city’s natural resources.

In his report Monday, Building Official Don Gilmet said that, in the spring, 20 goose nests were discovered and 126 eggs. By comparison, 13 nests and 71 eggs were collected in 2018. Gilmet said estimates between 200 and 250 birds congregate in various locations the city. As fall nears, the total number of geese in the city will climb again, as migratory birds will make stops in the area, Gilmet said.

Besides hunting, there are several other measures that can be used, Gilmet said. He said caricatures of predators are used to frighten the birds off lawns in certain areas, but he said they need to be moved frequently or the birds don’t consider them a threat. Most often, the geese just leave one area and move to another in the city, he said.

Even with the hunt, Gilmet said, there is not one solution to the problem.

“Nothing will eliminate them all, nor should that be the goal, he said. “Rather, (the goal is) keeping goose numbers at a reasonable level to reduce the interactions between them and people.”

Clerk Anna Soik shared a story of several interactions she has had with geese while out walking. She said she often has to change course to avoid the animals, because they become agitated and aggressive.

“They’re mean little buggers,” she said.

Last year, 85 geese were bagged during a two-day hunt. This year, the hunt will last three days, with hopes the harvest will be larger.

The hunts will take place at the Alpena County Fairgrounds and Mich-e-ke-wis Park on Sept. 5, 12 and 19. sections of the bi-path near the hunting areas will be closed to public use during the hunting hours, which run from daybreak to 1 p.m.

Gilmet said the cost of the hunt will be less than $1,000.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 at sschulwitz@thealpenanews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ss_alpenanews.com.