Yes, Canada geese are annoying. But should they be gassed to death in Michigan?

• More geese in Michigan may be killed with gas this year after a pilot program begins
• The state’s Natural Resources Commission voted last fall to allow geese to be killed in more circumstances
• Activists say killing the geese with gas is inhumane

Some people are upset after Michgian’s Natural Resources Commission made it easier this year to gas geese to death.

Since 2022, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has allowed property owners or parks staff to apply for permits for Canada geese to be killed using carbon dioxide if the birds were involved in a “human health and safety situation” such as a beach closure due to E. coli. 

Now, as part of a new pilot program starting this year, a location may be eligible to have geese euthanized starting in June if it participated in the state’s nest and egg destruction program earlier in the year and has at least 100 geese on the property or has an approved human health and safety situation.

“When they're molting and they're flightless, there's a lot of goose feces, a lot of feathers on the ground,” said Kaitlyn Barnes, the DNR’s acting waterfowl specialist. “Sometimes it's just an inconvenience, but at numbers over 100 birds, it kind of gets even beyond that.” 

When permits are issued, US Department of Agriculture officials will euthanize geese on site by dispensing carbon dioxide in an airtight chamber, following American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines.

Michigan’s program is modeled after ones in other states like New York.

At the Natural Resources Commission meeting Thursday, some activists spoke out in favor of keeping Canada geese alive.

“They are known for their own lifelong partnerships with pairs staying together for life, symbolizing the value of deep, lasting connections. They are one of the most family-oriented species,” resident Karen Stamper told the commission.

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• Climate change making Great Lakes water birds sick
• Avian flu has killed over 300 geese, other wild birds in Michigan, state says
• Fed up with geese, Michigan abandons relocation efforts. Next up: killing them

Activists from the California-based group In Defense of Animals, which helped pay for a Michigan billboard with the message “Tell Gov Whitmer Don’t Gas Geese!” say that killing geese with carbon dioxide is inhumane, since they feed underwater and can hold their breath for a long time.

“They do have an ability to hold their breath, and they can tolerate higher levels of carbon dioxide than other species,” Barnes said. But she reiterated the staff who will perform the work of euthanizing the geese will follow American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

The DNR said the gassing program isn’t specifically about population control, but officials want there to be between 175,000 and 225,000 geese in the state.
“We've been above that upper goal for most of the last decade and we’ve peaked at 300,000 geese in previous years,” Barnes said.
That happened despite the fact that the state permits the maximum amount of geese hunting allowed by the federal government.

Prior to 2022, if geese were causing problems that impacted people, the DNR would sometimes come in, capture them and move them to other locations like state game areas and state wildlife areas. That practice was stopped over concerns that relocating geese could increase the spread of avian influenza or bird flu. 

Editor’s note: This story was updated April 11, 2025 because the criteria for gassing permits, who will conduct the euthanizations, and Michigan’s target population for the geese were misstated in an earlier version of this article.