News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Several geese sunbathe in a riverside park in Alpena on Monday. The Alpena Municipal Council voted 4-1 to host three goose hunts to help reduce the population of the birds that make messes in public parks and other areas. The council will also seek alternative methods to help discourage the birds from congregating where people like to gather.

ALPENA — The local goose hunt held several times a year has helped reduce the number of geese that call Alpena home, but is still higher than what local officials believe it should be.

To help reduce the population further, and limit the number of eggs that are laid, the Alpena Municipal Council voted 4-1 to hold more hunts this fall.

As in prior years, Mayor Pro Tempore Cindy Johnson voted no on the three hunts that will take place on Sept. 9,16, and 23.

In a report filed by former Building Official Don Gilmet, who still works for the city on a contract and is an avid hunter, Gilmet said he took inventory of the birds at local beaches and parks and counted 165 geese.

That is down from over 200 last year.

The Department of Public Works, which is permitted through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services program, collects Canada goose eggs within the Wildlife Sanctuary each spring.

This year, DPW collected 48 eggs from 12 nests, about half of the eggs they normally collect and left behind 17 baby geese in the nest as they had already hatched.

The hunt is one way the city has tried to control the amount of geese that congregate in public spaces and litter them with their droppings. They have used decoys of predators, pyrotechnics, and dogs. Still the geese just leave and go to another location that is plush with green grass.

Johnson said she wants to see the city take steps and try other tactics besides the hunt, and others on council agreed. It was discussed to have a committee set up to find alternate solutions to the issue.

“Every year we say we’re going to look at other methods and see if there are other things we can do to mitigate some of the issues,” Johnson said. “I think we should work on this project throughout the year and try to come up with other things to see if they work.”

The hunts in the city fall within the state goose hunting season, but it is restricted to select hunters.

Gilmet said he has already received permission to hunt the water-fowl at the fairgrounds. City Manager Rachel Smolinski said it is common for the city to receive complaints about the mess the birds make, and she also recommended trying to find other practices to utilize to help discourage the birds from frequenting local parks where people gather or enjoy recreational activities.