Rochester Group Seeks Permission From City To 'Battle The Geese'

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Rochester, MN (KROC AM News) - A Rochester group has had it with the damage caused by geese - and the mess they leave behind.

The group is now seeking permission from the city to wage war against the big birds.

The group Mechanical History Round Table is based at the Olmsted County History Center in SW Rochester along West Circle Dr. The group oversees an 8 ½ acre soybean field at the site that is used for various events during the year.

History Center of Olmsted County crop field-Kim David/TSM

The group says geese are “destroying the crops.”

According to a city memo on the issue:

“The geese are eating and trampling the crops. The damage is extensive and the feces left by the geese is unsanitary. The MHRT has been working with the DNR on the issue and they have tried other deterrent tactics with little success.”

scarecrow at History Center of Olmsted County-Kim David/TSM

The group is now proposing the use of “Scare Away Launchers” and “bird bangers.” The launchers are similar to a handgun and fire the “bird banger” which produces a loud noise similar to a gunshot.

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The group has entered into a management plan with the DNR and according to the memo, “The police department has reviewed the DNR management plan and recommends the city council approve the request."

The memo notes: "The MHRT has given its assurance to the department that any noise or safety concerns will be promptly addressed.”

The request is scheduled for a vote at the council’s Monday meeting.

FILL IN THE BLANK: Rochester has way too many ________.

If someone asked you, "What does Rochester have too many of?", what would you say? I asked that question to people living in the Med City and got quite the list of answers. Some might make you laugh (cause they are true) and others may have you scratching your head a bit because this is the first time you've realized we have a few issues happening in our gorgeous city. Scroll through the list that were sent to me and see how many you agree with.