Northwood Estates neighbors frustrated by large gaggles of geese

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Residents in one North Charleston neighborhood are battling what they call an overpopulation of geese.

North Charleston Councilmember Virginia Jamison said she has heard from countless residents about this ongoing issue and said she is working to find solutions

Councilmember Jamison said it’s impacting residents’ quality of life and believes having that many geese in a residential area is not safe for the birds either. Residents said they have tried many different methods to decrease congregations of the bird but, so far, nothing is working.

One 94-year-old resident says there are times she cannot sit on her front porch because of the birds and when she does go outside, she said she has to clean up after them.

“I don’t want to walk in feces from the geese, it’s disgusting, and I wish they could do something about it to release in our neighborhood. I am a senior citizen and I shouldn’t have to be chasing geese off my yard,” she said. “This is the worse that I’ve ever seen it since I’ve lived on this block in 1995,” said 94-year-old resident, Ivy Wilson.

There are challenges when it comes to geese control as some, like the Canda Goose, are federally protected birds that become flightless in the months of May to July.

Councilmember Jamison said as school begins to start up she’s worried this could also become a problem for students walking to nearby schools and having to walk through geese droppings.

“We have the AC Corcoran Elementary School, we have a walking to school path, bike riding path,” she said. “But think about it, they’re walking to school they’re not wearing their duck shoes, as I was told to wear, so they’re taking it into the classroom,” said Jamison.

News 2 has reached out to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and they said it’s in the jurisdiction of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

News 2 contacted SCDNR about possible solutions; however, because the species is federally protected, there is very little that can be done.