Viewer reactions to the solution to the problem with the geese at Lake Woodcross

Comments:   

• JL, Irmo
  You people should stop watching Animal Planet & start studying Wildlife Biology.  Until then, stories like this will continue to exploit the sort of 'self-imposed ignorance' for which Vox Populi is famous. This population of birds (a microcosm if there ever was one) lacked a very important factor: PREDATION.  Without natural controls (raccoons, weasels, opossum, fox, snakes -- which humans have extirpated -- and why no outcry over the missing snakes & weasels??), this gaggle was in greater danger from their own hunger than local residents' sneakers would have been from the ultimate outcome of that hunger! And no one ever got hurt from being bitten by a goose, so it's not about aggressive behavior!!!  (I'll be glad to *show* you how useless a goose's attitude is, any time you like -- the phrase is "SILLY goose", not "scary" goose!) But until some animal (2- or 4-legged)is "allowed" to control this goose population naturally, these "round-ups" are not only inevitable, they are Vital to the health of the goose population at large!  And that's in ALL impoundments, not just this one! Maybe you'd rather see deformed, malnourished geese lying about...  At least when they eat all their food, there won't be any more goose poo on the paths, right? I would personally prefer to see weasels, foxes, snakes, bobcats, etc. all restored to their proper homes to "do this job for us".  But I guess it's hard for some to hug bunnies and snakes with the same arms... Bottom line, it's called "Nature", people!  Look into it!  If we stupid humans would improve our "learning" processes, Nature would be a lot happier for having it's "Natural" balance restored.  Think about that, if you can. Meanwhile, to stave off or prevent these round-ups in the future, I hereby volunteer to teach the local human population how to control the goose population on their own (within the law, of course). Now for a little Pate'...
• PD, Columbia
  The responses of some of these people make me sorry to be a member of the human race. They have no empathy for creatures of any other species. They think that no living being has a right to exist anywhere except where people will allow it to, and as soon as it becomes an inconvenience in any way, it should just be deprived of its life. What arrogant jerks.
• DW, Columbia
  My family and I live in Harbison and we walk the trails EVERY day.  I have not once heard of a problem or been asked for our opinion on the geese. I would hope as a resident that OUR DUES were not used in the process of removing (MURDERING) the geese.  I have a 20 month old son and NOT once have the geese hissed at him and/or has he touched geese droppings (POOP).  I think the person who made this decison should be removed from the Harbison Association Board immidentaly.  As a resident, I feel that decisons of this degree need to be run through the community. As for now we can not bring them back and you should be ASHAMED of your self for taking NATURE away....after all this is why we choose to raise our son in Harbison.
• PD
  First of all, I don't care about all the talk of what the National Zoo in Washington, DC did, who is a "tree-hugger- animal lover", or who wants to act hard-nosed about this. What I want to know is: Were there any tests done to find out if there was an e-coli problem in the lake? Were there any tests done on the geese to see if they were clean from disease? Why were the homeowners in this association not informed and given the opportunity to have some input in the decision making process? What groups were contacted for suggestions when trying to come up with an appropriate solution? How do we now the meat was safe or that it was actually used to feed the homeless? I think, from what little we know now, that the issue was very poorly handled to say the least. I would be interested in hearing the answers to some of these questions.
• HK, Columbia
  I have been going to the "Duck Duck Pond" since I can remember. My mom always took me there to see all the ducks and the other wildlife. I am know a mother myself and I take my son to the pond. He loves it. He is just a little over one year old and he just laughs so loud when he sees all the geese and ducks. It makes my heart sad to know that someone took his laughter away. The next time we go to the pond 70 geese will be gone. Thanks to those gerks that had a very cruel idea to go and kill some poor little helpless geese. Those geese where very nice, we have never had any problems with them. If your worried about children playing in goose poop maybe you should have paid some one once a week to clean the area. That sounds like a better idea to me. Maybe next time you guys can try to use your brain, if you have one!
• CL, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
  I am shocked and disgusted by the slaughter of the innocent geese on Lake Woodcross. There is absolutely no justifiable reason for doing so. Fear of bird flu is not a good reason and the actions of the Washington Zoo just goes to show the stupidity of the human race. Fear of bird flu? How many humans have died from it? It's a three digit number compared to the annual six digit number of humans who die from regular flu alone. Those of you who fear bird flu need to wake up and get real. Where is your head? You have a better chance of getting killed in an airplane accident than you do from bird flu, for heaven's sakes! As for the goose poop, geez, when was it a crime to do nature's business? We should all be rounded up and slaughtered for doing nature's business then, shouldn't we? On the 4th of July, we celebrate our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How about the rights of the geese to life, liberty and happiness? Those rights belong to ALL living, breathing things. They are unalienable rights given by God to his creations, Man or beast.
• JG, Irmo
  Justifying the slaughter of the geese to remedy the problem of their droppings would be akin to cutting down the trees because their leaves were a pain to clear off in the fall. Both are (or were, in the case of the geese) a part of the unique charm of Lake Woodcross, which I always thought of as a nice oasis in the middle of Harbison's craziness. I won't miss having to dodge the goose poop as I jog around the lake, but the effort to keep the pathways clean would certainly be worth it to me to keep wildlife around.
• KD, Columbia
  Have there been any reported cases of Avian Flu documented from the Harbison Lake? Why are the ducks still there? I think Sid acted out of haste and frustration and probably never expected this "thing" to ignite like it has.
• MS, Irmo
  I am appalled by the senseless slaughter of these birds. Their existence at the lake was a significant part of the attraction. The failure to find an alternative method of removal simply shows the heartless nature of humans these days. As a former resident of the Harbison community, I am well aware of the rash, headstrong actions of the HHA without regard to what the homeowners may actually want. What will keep new birds from coming to the lake? Since geese are attracted to water, will the slaughter continue in an effort to eradicate the problem? A better solution could have been found if Mr. Crumpton had actually used his brain...a novel concept.
• AW, Swansea
  I thought the killing of those geese.very,very sad.they could have found another way to solve their problem.it was so sad to see those geese lose their lives.
• TD, Irmo
  I think it is such a shame.  I have been a huge fan of that park since discovering it over 5 years ago.  I believe the beauty of "the duck park" that my husband and four children affectionaly called it, is that the geese would come right up to you, as you handed them bread or crackers.  You could sit there on the dock and look out across the water with all the wildlife uncaged and in its natural surroundings, around you and really feel in touch with nature. The wildlife wasn't afraid of the visitors that would come to the park.  It is the very thing that set that park apart from the others in this area.  There was no other place around here where the wildlife and the people could blend together so beautifully or seamlessly. I would love to have a conversation with the persons responsible for taking the wildlife out of nature!  It further concerns me that they did so without so much as a vote to see if the majority of visitors and residents would be in favor of the efforts.
• JL, Columbia
  Mr. Sir Crumpton acted three days before the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. to protect the health and safety of visitors to Lake Woodcross.  On June 30, 2006, three days after Mr. Crumpton removed the geese from Lake Woodcross, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. removed the ducks and chickens from their Kid's Farm petting zoo to prevent the possible spread of bird flu to young children.  Geese were never placed in the petting zoo out of fear they would attack children.  Those who were critical of Mr. Crumpton revealed their ignorance of the situation (the possible infection of children with bird flu and other diseases) and their meaness of spirit in their attacks on Mr. Crumpton. Bird flu is tranferred to humans through the droppings the geese leave behind.  Young children frolicking at the playground at Lake Woodcross were often rolling around in goose feces laden with disease carrying bacteria.  Now that Mr. Crumpton's actions have been vindicated by the same action being taken by the National Zoo in washington, D.C., will those who attacked Mr. Crumpton so viciously now apologize for thier comments? I doubt that this will happen.  Animal rights fanatics are in the same class as Islamic religious fanatics, and they are becoming as dangerous as those lunatics. And when will Angie Goff and WIS-TV start covering this aspect of the story?  I suspect never, since it would expose their bias in the coverage they have presented to date.
• MA, Columbia
  I would like to know what happend to the geese on the lake across from the Columbina Mall. They are around 20 or so gesse on this lake near quail valley. Several of them were only a few weeks old. Nobody complained about these geese. How come they are gone? Were they killed also.
• JG, Columbia
  While I think this is a sad situation, I support the killing of these geese. As a pond lot owner, I have some history with geese. At first I enjoyed their beauty and grace and enjoyed feeding them. Then I found it was hard to get rid of them and the droppings were everywhere. It doesn't take long to stop liking something when it keeps dropping stuff all over your property. They also fight a lot on the water and you get tired of all the noise they make. They are not good guests and I can see where the droppings can be a bigger problem if children are getting into it. These are not native birds to SC, in spite of what some have said. When the molting season is over, they will tend to migrate north until it gets cold and return around Nov-Dec. Unfortunately, killing them is one of the easiest ways of dealing with this problem. Relocating them doesn't work, especially if people keep feeding them. They just keep coming back, pushing the ducks out of the way, fighting with one another and hissing at people. I do not think they are good for the eco-balance in water areas. Ponds, lakes and other seem to do fine without them. I also wonder if the strength of the geese populations has something to do with why we do not
  see many Mallards any more. Geese could learn some manners from mallards and wood ducks.
• PR, Columbia
  Return the geese to Lake Woodcross!  What an idiotic idea.  In fact, the idea is criminal. If the geese are returned and any child becomes infected with bird flu or any avian-borne disease at Lake Woodcross and dies, those responsible for the return of the geese to Lake Woodcross should be prosecuted for murder.
• FS
  I think it is terrible that the life of the geese is taken due to a natual part(Poop)of life that every creature and humans have to do. Although some of us can control where it is done.  That is natural for the geese or any animal is to drop it. They can not hold it or store it either. I think  that another place  could have been found or created a
  place for them instead of killing them. They are creatures of God and has the right to live in this life also. That is part of the enjoyment at the lake to see and watch the geese swimming around.  Animals are precious too.  I know I do not have to see if every day as some. But some people like to complain and do not like animals. If you don't like the situation, find another place to walk or go where the geese are not at. There are
  other places to go for enjoyment. We all have to put up with things in life that is not suitable for every person. We have to give and take in life. Needless to say I am an animal lover and really was shocked to hear this news. It is very sad to know that a nuisance of some and not to others that a geese's life is taken. You can not please every one in life. Find a better solution. God created and loves us all. It is a shame that
  crime and things is not take care of so quickly.
• RG, Columbia
  In its follow-up story about how to allow humans and geese to "co-exist" at Lake Woodcross, WIS-TV is still approaching the story from the tree-hugger point of view.  On Friday June 30, 2006 the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. removed all the ducks and chickens from its Kid's Farm exhibit (a kind of petting zoo) to prevent bird flu from infecting the children.  Geese were never at the Kid's Farm because they are too aggressive to be around small children.  The so-called "expert" solution to having geese at Lake Woodcross is an invitation to a public health disaster.  What if the geese become infected with bird flu (avian influenza)?  What excuse will the "experts" come up with for their ridiculous solution.  If the National Zoo is taking precautions against children becoming infected with bird flu, perhaps Sid Compton's action was in the public good; or should we wait and see if any children die at Lake Woodcross?
• 
  AW, West Columbia
  I have already written my comments on this forum once, and have cleared this screen twice this morning in response to the outageous posting from some that have tried to defend this senseless slaugther (in the name of "donation to the homeless") - when was the last time you ate goose meat? - think about it - really- Mr. Crumpton could care less if the
  meat was dumped on the side of the road - he just needed an outlet that "looked good on paper" to try and prevent a PR nightmare which is exactly what he has now. So I will simply leave it to a Forest Gump quote to sum up Mr. Crumpton's actions and those of you that defend it: Stupid is as stupid does.
• PR, Columbia
  The National Zoo in Washington, D.C. removed 18 chickens and 27 ducks from its Kid's Farm petting zoo on Friday June 30, 2006 to prevent the spread of the avian flu virus to children. The director John Berry said it was a precautionary move and that none of the birds were currently infected. The USDA said it will try to develop a bird flu vaccine with which to treat the birds. People might note that there were no geese at the Kid's Farm.  Geese are too aggressive to be around small children.  The removal of the geese from Lake Woodcross was also done, in part, as a precautionary move to prevent the spread of the avian flu virus to humans. Anyone with the least bit of common sense would agree with the removal of the geese which were becoming a public health problem.  Most of the responses I have seen to the Lake Woodcross geese problem contained little common sense.
• RG, Columbia
  On July 31, 2006 the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. removed 18 chickens and 27 ducks from its petting zoo to prevent the spread of bird flu to children.  Perhaps the Lake Woodcross solution was not such a bad idea.
• AW, Pelion
  I really feel sick to my stomach about how the geese were handled! I live on a pond and really enjoy my wildlife too! I will go out of my way to save any kind of innocent animal on this earth. I believe humans are the evil ones. They are always complaining about animals being the problem. But the way I look at it we are taking over their land. If we keep on building where are they going to live? I'd rather see wildlife then a bunch of polluted cities! All they worry about is building bigger! more money! So what the geese was over populated I think people are too! What can we do about that?
• TP, Lex
  I say good riddance! These geese have become an increasing problem in this area and need to be dealt with. As a pond owner, I can say that they are not welcomed here, and they seem to get that message real quick when they arrive. Usually a warning shot is enough to do the trick, but sometimes a really stubbon one takes a little more "convincing".
• CG, Columbia
  What is the name of the processing plant where the geese were sent and why is the name not not being revealed? Most processing plants will not accept fowl from unknown sources to distribute to food banks because of the danger of disease and contamination. Our church discovered this when we tried to contribute food left over after services. No one will reveal the name of the slaughter house which raises some concern as to the authenticity of the reports of just where the geese actually ended up.
• LM, Irmo
  These Canada (not Canadian) geese were from domesticated stock as are all of the geese that remain in the Southeast year round. They migrate locally and can not be relocated to nearby lakes because they will return, but they are also not "tame" and can not be placed into "tame-type" environments. These geese were "wildlife" no more than sewer rats are wildlife. The shame here is in the lack of common sense of the both the people who caused them to be there AND the people who complain that they are gone.
• AC, West Columbia
  Mr. Sid Crumpton should resign or be fired. Not for having the geese killed but because he did not notify authorities, animal rights people and or the public.
• AC, Lexington
  Whenever you want to get away with doing something appalling all you have to do is scream that you did it for the homeless. That will fool everyone. Who can argue with political correctness? It's infallible.
• JS, Columbia
  It's good to see our tax dollars put to good use by eradicating this rea of those filthy loud vermin known as geese. Personally I think all these bleeding heart aging vegen hippies need to shutup. It's getting annoying when they cry and complain about stuff like this. They care more about the animals than human lives. If they care so much about the vermin (read: animals) they can go join them. I wont mind.
• HL, Columbia
  I am not only appalled, but deeply saddened by this.  Couldn't the geese have been relocated to another pond or lake where they wouldn't be viewed as a problem?  Why couldn't a humane animal removal service be called to move the geese rather than send them to be slaughtered?  I have a two private ponds 30 minutes north of Columbia and would have gladly offered my land as a new home and I am sure others would have too.
• JH, Sumter
  The geese were a problem. Hungry homeless were a problem. Feeding the homeless with the geese solved to problems. That's what you call killing two birds with one stone. (Yes I said killing two birds) For all you complaiers that eat meat, I have a news flash for you...the meat comes from dead animals. For all you vegetarian complainers who don't eat meat, I have a news flash for you....you have to kill the little plants that you eat. The people that were feeding the ducks was a good thing too, because they were enjoying widlife and they were fattening up the geese for the homeless....killing two birds with one stone once again.(Yes I said it again) If you take the stand, well I'm not eating anything dead, well then I have a news flash for you...if you don't eat , you will die, and your goose will be cooked.
• EB, Orangeburg
  I would just like to say I agree with SS of Columbia who felt this was "not humane." This is the same as killing an animal for personal pleasure. Every day we destroy more and more of their habit, so give them a break. One comment from a person in North said they didn't want their children "licking their hands after handling their shoes" with geese droppings on them. Well I hope you don't allow your children to "lick" their hands after playing with bird droppings. This is a matter of child disipline. Again don't blame the geese; I don't get mad with you every time you go to the bathroom.
• CG, Columbia
  I am appalled.  I only just heard about the geese removal.  I live on the Harbison Lake and am a member of the Homeowners Assoc.  I was not asked for imput on this issue.  The geese are NOT a problem.  People who don't pick up after their dogs are a problem.  The seagulls are a problem.  Sometimes the ducks are a problem.  The geese are not.
• PD, Sumter
  The Lakewood subdivision south of Sumter removed a number of Canadian geese last year from the small lake around which the subdivision is built.  One Canada goose produces an average of three pounds of waste per day (!) and the lake had become so contaminated with e-coli from the goose waste that a serious health hazard existed.  The geese at Lake Woodcross are "cute" until someone dies from the e-coli contamination. There is no difference between those geese and other wild birds killed during hunting season. In both cases, the geese were used to feed hungry people which is an excellent solution.
• DA, Columbia
  Well, with all the recent talk about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and the fact that migrating birds can carry the disease and transmit it to humans, I would think the humane disposal of wild geese would be preferable to the mass pandemic and death of humans that would result if these birds were carrying the disease.  Besides all of this I think the main point that people are missing is that the Homeowners Association decided they wanted the geese removed.  This was not some government group or murderous hunters coming and killing innocent little geese.  I mean my homeowners association chooses to make me pay a fee I don't want to, but guess what?  I do.  Besides that if you've ever spent anytime around a wild goose you'll know that  the reason they call them "wild" is because they can be very nasty, not to mention the health and human hazard of E-coli and various other bacteria in their droppings.  This is a no brainer, the homeowners wanted them removed from their lake and they were. Besides that these birds were properly processed just like Turkeys on Thanksgiving and fed to homeless people or those in need.  I think this is also very humane.
• SB, Lexington
  Those ducks were a joy to those elderly people living in Leaside. It is amazing to me how anyone could justify this. Those individuals having no respect for wildlife have none for humans either. At least, the residents at Leaside
• AA, Sumter
  It upsets me greatly. This same thing happened about a year ago in Sumter at the Lakewood Estates.  What gets me is that it is done with no publicity until after the fact so other options, such as people who may want to get the geese, can't even be suggested. God created geese to live on ponds and lakes, but man has decided that he is more important than God's design as they upset his (man's) sense of aesthetics. Then, say it ain't so, Joe--- at noon today Joe Pinner talked about what a pest geese were to him and he was working on getting rid of them! I won't be able to look at him with the same respect again. What I wonder and hope that WIS will follow up on, is how easily does the Food Bank give this meat away. I know hunters eat duck all the time, but I wonder how many people otherwise want geese to eat. I would feel some better if I knew it really was not going to waste, but the thing that bothers me the most is the lack of openess that seems to accompany these actions. (I would rather not have my name on any tv comments as I try to maintain my privacy.)
• AY, Columbia
  This was handled very poorly, and its a sad day for our community.   Human beings continue to build on and pave over the homes of our native wildlife, and then we call them a nuisance.  These beautiful wild animals could have been relocated.
• CA, Columbia
  As a former resident of the Crestmont which is located beside the Lake where the geese resided, I am appalled at the actions taken concerning the geese. As to the charges that they were making a mess, there is much more dog excrement in the area and on the trails than that of the geese. No one that I know in that area approves of the actions that were taken and I believe this is the reason the neighborhood was not consulted in ideas for dealing with the geese. For by far they would not have allowed this to happen. It is sad when individuals choose not to live with wildlife but rather to destroy it and try to make others feel it was done and approved of by all.
• AV, Columbia
  i have lived in the Harbison community for 15 years i am appalled by this.  one of the reasons Harbison "was" so appealing was the wildlife. which was something important at one time to someone, now with all the tearing down of the trees and building more buildings all the wildlife in Harbison is at risk.  Whats next?  the State Forest?
• BT, Columbia
  Cows go to the slaughter house pigs go to the slaughter house chickens go to the slaughter house I have yet to see anyone get mad or upset about that so why get all upset about some geese at least they are going to feed some hungry people
• JS, Blythewood
  Perhaps they should drain their lake...if you want water, then you put up with what problems come with it.  Slaughtering animals for your enjoyment is barbaric and I must say, I'm ashamed to call you all fellow South Carolinians.  I hope the back lash you all get is equal to what you gave the geese.
• RM, Columbia
  My daughter and I have been to Lake Woodcross many times and enjoy walking the path, using the children's playground, etc.  The last time we were there, one of the geese came right up to us and scared my four year old since they look rather large to a small child.  I agree it was getting to be too many but sending them to the slaughterhouse was the wrong way to go.  Why didn't someone just transport them to Lake Murray? Miles of miles of lake would have been a better option than killing them. Someone made a quick, rash decision and unfortunately the geese paid the price.
• LE, Columbia
  Appalling.  Just appalling.  Shame on anyone at Lake Woodcross who brought about this barbaric and needless end.
• CE, Lexington
  My husband hunts and I still think what they did is terrible.
• RC, Columbia
  How splendid!  I am glad to see this excellent use of wildlife used to feed the poor (which as we all know are mainly minorities).  Now the minorities will have food for several weeks in a manner that is very cost efficient.  The Liberals should be happy that poor minorities will get to eat!
• JB
  While I think there should have been a community meeting to see what the majority of the people there wanted to do about the situation, some of the responses I've read are ridiculous. The one about God being the only one who has the right to take the life of an animal is especially humourous. Last time I checked, Jesus was not a vegetarian and I seriously doubt the person who wrote that comment was either. If God had to choose between the life of a goose and feeding the homeless, I'd say the goose is cooked!
• LM, Swansea
  In your report I did not notice any other birds, squirrels, dogs or cats. You don't suppose HHA is cooking them up too? Kind of gives "man""kind" a new meaning, doesn't it?
• BB, Prosperity
  All of you saying you enjoyed feeding the geese are part of the problem.  If these geese weren't fed all the time, the problem wouldn't be as bad.  Yes, it is fun to feed these animals, but feeding a wild animal is dooming it the same as eraditcating them with other means.  Feeding a wild animal creates a loss of fear of humans and builds a tendancy to expect food, which often causes them to "attack" people.  Sometimes it is for food, sometimes for protection of their offspring.  Instead of always feeding the geese, maybe you should have spent some of that time cleaning up after them!
• MC, Columbia
  Though the geese may have been annoying, I don't agree with killing them. They could have moved them to a bigger body of water where they wouldn't have been so overwhelming. Is that the answer to anything that is a nuisance to you.. just kill it?
• SS, Columbia
  I have been the cruelty investigator for the Humane SPCA here in Columbia for the past 12 years.  I am sure that I speak for our 2000+ members in saying that this was a horrible act and never should be handle this way again.  I was so shocked to read that no "Humane Groups" or "Humane Wildlife Groups" were consulted before the geese were removed.  I only found out Friday at 3:00 from someone who had just read about this on WIS's web site. Unfortunatly, due to some of our State Officials the Animal Cruelty Law, 47-1-40, has an exemption for applying it towards fowl. So, technically no law was broken.  Our only hope is that the public out cry will stop this from being repeated.
• AH, Columbia
  I think that what happened to the geese is an outrage and a disgrace not only to the harbison community but also to the columbia area and greater. I am a frequent visitor to Lake  Woodcross and even though it is true that the geese may not be the friendliest or cleanest of all creatures , i still enjoy watching them live their everyday lives. The homeowners association says that they removed the geese because of the droppings on the childrens playground, etc... Well would it not have been better to use the money that it cost to remove the geese to the packing plants to instead have hired a cleaning crew that came and cleaned the park everyday or every other day? This lake after all is somewhat of a natural habitat, it is only right that nature live in the way it intends. The lake should and has been a place for nature to live in peace. I think that what happened was a savage act, it was unthought and unplanned and people of the homeowners association should be ashamed of themselves. These people used the first solution that appeared in their minds. I think that these people will soon discover that many people in the community are unhappy about the outcome and would have wanted a more humane solution to have occured.
• SW, North
  Good Lord, all these whiny people act like they killed a kindergarden full of children. Get over it!  These same whiny people are probably the ones responsible for the geese being killed because they showed up with bread and crackers and fed the nice little geese!  You trained them to stay close to people. I have them fly over my property along with ducks. They land occasionally, eat, and fly off in search of more or better food.  I have no problem out here in the country. It's stupid city people that think cute geese and cuddly looking bears are nice to have around and feed.  In Florida, it's alligators. Now so abundant they come in your house and the poor home owner goes to jail for defending their home. Get over it. If some come back, don't feed them. The next day if they return, shoot them and have a nice meal.
• JW, North
  Who wants their young children licking their hands after handling shoes with goose poop. Bird-Flu? if it's so, this could be how it's spread. THey're a nuisance. I bet there have been some nice flowers eaten there also!
• TS, Columbia
  I think this was handled very poorly and it should be illegal to slaughter the geese just because they were a "nuisance" to residents. With all of the new development, animals have no choice but to be around people and their homes and we need to respect them. How would we like it if the geese decided we shouldn't be around them and slaughtered us?
• PS, Columbia
  Homeowners Association consists of ALL THE "HOMEOWNERS" - who made him "GOD". Where I live, in the NE Area,is full of wild life geese, a variety of duck, birds, etc. I walk around the lake without a problem in fact I feed all of them - "They are God's Creatures". Who would put a playground by the lake - not very smart - but with this President of the Homeowners Assocation what would you expect! He should have been sent to meat packing place.
• GS, Eastover
  I think it is an absolute discrace. If over-population was in issue, they could have simply relocated 50% of the geese to a larger park or lake. It is a sad state of affairs when birds are not welcome at the park. What's next, build a bubble to keep out all of the tranquil wildlife that we go to a park to enjoy in the first place??
• ML, Columbia
  How was this decision made?  In reviewing the Harbison Community Association's minutes from 2006 meetings, it seems the only mention was in February where it was decided to put up "Do Not Feed Geese" signs around the lake.
• TG, Elgin
  I think that if you live around the water then deal with the animals and wildlife that is thier home to. I lived on a 11 acre pond and you took the good with the bad
• AW, Gaston
  All I can say is this is a sad thing to do, and to make the excuse that they were killed and donated to a food bank. It still ain't right. I live in the rural part of Lexington county on a small farm, and I am teaching my kids to respect all living things. There was no respect except for the ones who wanted to keep their feet clean. The person who did this must not be from the South.
• RD, Columbia
  Whatever you shall do will be returned to you three fold, good or bad. Think about that. There will be Geese on ponds and lakes forever, hopefully and long after Townhouse Associations are gone for good. You deserve what you have coming to you.
• AC, Columbia
  To say that I am horrified by the actions of both the Harbison Community Association and the US Department of Agriculture is an understatement. I will never again be able to enjoy Lake Woodcross without being reminded of this heinous act. My family and I will forever miss the geese and they joy they brought us when got to feed them on our family outings...
• LH, Columbia
  I think this was an incredibly senseless act.  Is it really that difficult for people to learn to coexist with wildlife?  I feed the geese at Windsor Shores Apartments and the management there recently asked that people stop feeding them.  After this incident I'm very concerned that the same fate will befall these geese.
• DS, Columbia
  Humans are at the top of the food chain. GET over IT! At least someone had the forethought to actually USE the meat, instead of feeding it to the trash compactor. People Eatup with Talking about Animals need something constructive/useful to do with their time. Humans eat MEAT If YOU dont' want to, fine. Just don't try to tell ME not TO! IF it were just a few decades ago, when times were not a good as they are now, THEY would line to eat that tasty goose flesh!
• CM, Lexington
  My sister called me crying because she had heard that they had killed all the geese on the pond. She seats with a lady at the nursing home sometimes and they both enjoyed watching the geese. It could have been done in a different way; they didn't have to kill them, they could have been relocated, even though they proably wouldn't have stayed. The geese have raised offspring there, so they will be back. Man keeps building and taking land away from the animals. When is man going to learn to live together with the animals. We are here to take care of them, not to destroy them and their homes.
• KF, Columbia
  I cannot believe that this happened. How sickening. What kind of people would do such a thing? The people involved should be arrested and put in jail. This just ruined my day. Poor geese. Sad. Sad. Sad. What a bunch of worthless people who would do such a horrible thing. Shame on them. One day this will come back to haunt them I hope. What goes around comes around. Bad people. Beautiful geese.
• PF, Columbia
  This is the most inhumane thing I have ever heard. These geese did not deserve to die this way. I cannot imagine why this was done. I am completely outraged and horrified. What has this world come to when we kill innocent birds because they are interfering with our surroundings or should I say their surroundings!
• NS, Columbia
  My husband and I used to go to the park on our days off to walk and feed the geese, ducks, and birds. We would even save up our bread to make sure we had enough to take to the geese. I can understand reloacting a part of the population, but slaughtering them and then feeding them to people at a food bank is just cruel.
• JP, Columbia
  I believe it was Einstein who said you can tell a lot about a society by the way it treats the animals. It breaks my heart.
• HK, St. Matthews
  I am sickened by the eradication of the goose population at Lake Woodcross. Why not try to relocate them to a rural pond somewhere? Or better yet why not try to live in harmony with them? It's a sad day when we can just eliminate living creatures because they are inconvenient to have around. What about those folks who appreciated the geese? Urban Sprawl only compounds the problem of man vs. beast. Are they eating your children? Killing your dogs? Odds are, no. I daresay next time this happens, folks with a conscience will react ahead of time to prevent this disspicable act from occurring again.
• JW, Columbia
  I can not believe they did that! I guess some people won't be happy to everything is concrete and absolutely no wildlife left. Because they were a nuisance! What are we teaching our children??? That just makes me so mad to hear that they slaughter all those geese!
• PD, Columbia
  Absolutely outrageous. If these people don't want to live around wildlife, they should move into the middle of the city. Geese are beautiful creatures who mate for life, and their reputation for meanness is greatly exaggerated. I know, because I've rescued several of them who were injured. Goose droppings can be washed away with a hose. These people are just morons.
• AW, Columbia
  Face it, the geese were SLAUGHTERED. Call it a donation to the food bank - homeless (I volunteer at the food banks and the people that receive the help from the food bank eat just like we do -and when is the last time you ate a Canadian Goose?) - dress it up however you want to make it prettier - but the geese were slaugthered so that the Homeowners in the Harbison Area wouldn't have to step in goose poop - NOW they have blood on their feet. SHAME on them.
• AW, West Columbia
  We have no athority over life. God is the only one who can say who dies and who doesn't die. The same goes for animals. The life of an animal is in God's hands not man's hands. What sick world we live in is the world that tells us that we have no right to protect our own property and our family. When a burglar has the right to sick a lawsuit on us for being on our property and injuring themselves, because they shouldn't be on our property in the first place, then we, as mankind are doomed for the destruction of ourselves and the world around us. Animals were here long before man ever populated this sick world. Their rights come before mankind, any and everyday of the week. We are to live in harmony with animals as we are to live in harmony with mankind, regardless of our size and color. The things that we do and say reflect our eternal life. That is what we will be judged on, on every idol word that we spoke and the actions of our hearts. When you kill for pleasure, then shame on them. God won't be leinant with them because they killed for pleasure. To think you did right just because you gave the food to the poor, is wrong and sick minded. God will judge you on exactly how they treated those geese, who never had a chance and who were defenseless, they couldn't defend themselves like us humans can. If the poop bothered people so bad, then don't look at it. If it bothered people so bad, then take a look at their own problems before they go taking care of something else's problem. Don't go pooping in any other toilet if you don't like the way it looks. The same goes for those geese. If you didn't like the poop then don't look at it. You had a problem with kids' getting ahold of it or getting into it, then teach your kids not to play in poop, for crying out loud. Get a life!!!!!!! If you don't like where the geese are and what they are doing naturally, then move on with yourselves. Don't live where the geese live. They were there before you all were and will probably be there after you. Thank you!!!!!
• JB, Chapin
  I am horrified at the way this was handled. There are numerous options that could have been used other than killing the geese. I'm sure that at times they were a problem. Killing them is not the solution.
• ED, Columbia
  I must admit it is much cleaner and quieter with the geese gone: however, my grandchildren and I enjoyed watching the mother geese as they protected their baby goslings and gently nudged them to jump off the pier and into the water. It was a beautiful lesson about how God gave His creatures a special gift on how to care for their young. Their question is "What happened to the babies?" and mine is "Why couldn't they have accomplished this before breeding season?"
• JS, Columbia
  How Senseless. Since when did intelligent life become more important than brick, vinyl, and wood. Why couldn't these birds be transfered to another area instead of just killing them. What gives a homeowners assoc. the right to kill anything. These birds could have been moved to Lake Murray, Lake Wateree, or any of the other  lakes in South Carolina.
• AH, Sumter
  I am truely surprised by so many people being upset about the geese being slaughtered. They are feeding PEOPLE with the meat!!! Since when did birds become more important than people? I used to live on a pond with geese in it and it is nasty when you have poop everywhere. You cant let the kids go outside with out shoes and you have to clean off their outside toys before they could play on them. One of my daughters even got attacked by one of them when she was about two. It didnt hurt her but scared the daylights out of her. The people who owned the pond finally had to have the geese removed because of the filth and the possibility of diseases and because they were getting so aggresive. I do not know what happened to those geese but if they were slaughtered for the homeless then thats great! We got rid of one problem and helped fight another problem. It is time to quit being 'tree huggers' and crying over dead birds! We should be saying a prayer of thanks for God sending food for the starving homeless people.
• TM, Sumter
  Just think, people complain about the homeless people on the streets and for those people not receiving any help with food or anything. This was not just a useless killing, this had two purposes that were achieved. The geese were no longer a nusence but were a help to someone who hasn't had a meal in possible months. To those who say that this decision disgusted you, I say to you, if it disgusts you to help people, you are the disgusting one.
• HS, Columbia
  How could they do something like this? These geese were just trying to live. God made all creatures beautiful. He gave us dominion over them for food and necessities...not to kill at a whim because it's the easiest thing to do and residents think it's unsightly. You don't kill things because they happen to ruin your view or are in your way, especially when there are better ways to move them. That's nothing short of cruel and inhumane. But South Carolina has that reputation. Look at all of the high kill animal shelters. Lost pets and surrendered animals there don't even get to live a few hours.
• DB, Lexington
  I have just lost my faith in human kind. My wife, my 3 year old son, and I have enjoyed going to the pond at Harbison to feed the ducks, geese, and fish. Not once did these birds show any signs of aggression. As a matter of fact, I could hand feed them. My son really enjoyed how close he could get to them. If the Harbison Home Owners Association saw fit to have them removed, I propose that they also post "No Trespassing" signs and make the pond private and available only to Homeowners Assocaition members. Will you be removing the seagulls next? Please do as they are more of a "danger" than the geese. While you're at it, pour some chemicals in there and kill all those nasty smelling fish. I would hate for a young child to catch his first one there and get that "stink" all over him. Hey, you parents that were bothered by the "droppings"... there is something called "parental responsibility" and "supervision". You wouldn't let your child run free in a "dog walk" park and then have the dogs banned because your child stepped in dog feces would you? Shame on you.
• LM, Columbia
  Any compassionate human being's reaction to the actions of Harbison Community Association should be just as disgusted and disappointed as mine. I also can't help but be concerned by some of the responses I read on here as well. Placing value on the life of a nonhuman animal does not mean that one does not also value human life, and to say or imply so shows great ignorance. Just because we are human, or because we have the ability to think or reason, does not make us any more valuable or important than even a Canada goose. Such logic is both rationally invalid and morally lacking. As humans, we have a responsibility to truly be stewards of God's earth and to protect all of those, both human and nonhuman, who are unable to protect themselves. As Jeremy Bentham said, "The question is not: 'Can they reason?' nor 'Can they talk?' but 'Can they suffer?'" Perhaps the Harbison Community Association should take this into consideration next time it's faced with such a situation.
• MS, Columbia
  I work out off of Fontain Road in the business park there. I believe the same thing happened out at the pond in this park. Two weeks ago, all of our geese disappeared. I asked the security people what happened to them. I was told that they were caught and relocated somewhere else. They said that their wings were clipped so that they could not fly for a year. I made the remark that they would just come back to this area when they could fly again. But after I made that remark, I could see it on their faces. They never came out and told me that they were slaughtered but I know now that it probably happened the same way. These geese are beautiful creatures. They bring a lot of enjoyment to our community. I cannot imagine why anyone would want to dispose of such a beautiful bird. I wonder how it would make them feel if their dog or cat was disposed of like that. I hope that these people are held responsible for this decision that they have made and fined in some way shape or form.
• CF, Columbia
  I cannot understand why the HHA had the geese killed. I am a volunteer for Carolina Wildlife Care and being located close to Harbison why couldn't there have been a better solution? This is a crying shame that is happened in the Harbison area & I am sure they have not heard the end of this!
• KL, Lexington
  I find it absolutely disgusting that they would slaughter the geese. The could have simply been re-located. I live in the country and look forward to the arrival of the geese every spring. I can't imagine someone slaughtering them just because they are "messy". So are kids and dogs but you'd be in jail if slaughtered them!!!! If these are Canadian Geese, isn't that illegal?
• JM, Sumter
  Where there are trees there are birds, where there are flowers there are bees, where there is tall grass there are snakes where there are lakes there are geese...get it?
• VO, Irmo
  I'm a homeowner in the Harbison Association, and I am outraged that this action was not brought to members before the slaughtering.
• KW, Gaston
  I think that was cruel. They shouldn't just kill the geese because some people didn't like them. They could have caught them and moved them to another pond some where else. And then they are sending the meat to food banks; well I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to eat geese meat. I work at a food bank and I don't think the people we serve would want to eat geese either.
• JA, Columbia
  Thanks WIS for giving us a forum in which to air our heartbreak about the geese. We can only hope the many voices of outrage over the unnecessary slaughter will prevent anything like this from happening here in Harbison again.
• SP, Columbia
  While killing the geese was certainly the wrong thing to do, the constant comparison of the life of a goose to human life shows just how little value many people place on human life.
• MC, Lugoff
  I think that it was very a irresponsible way to get rid of the geese. I mean, in no way I'm I a supporter of PETA, but they could have looked into other situations. Sounds like someone just didn't think. Once again, very irresponsible!
• JK, Lexington
  How could a homeowners assoc. have that kind of power to KILL. Why would the State kill and not re-locate them..Sad Sad day when we just kill when something annoys us
• PB, Sumter
  If the homeowner's association had not had the geese killed and just relocated the geese, they would have come back. Just ask Shaw Air Force Base how much they spent on relocating geese just to have them return!! If the homeowners around the property agreed on having the geese killed and given to the homeless, then it was their decision to make and I agree with them wholeheartedly.
• SM, Lexington
  It's disgusting that people have no regard for animals. Life is life, yet we put in on a hierarchy and say they're "just animals" and have no sense. Really? You mean you can think like a bird, cat, dog, etc? I can't, so I choose compassion. If people treated their kids the way they treat animals, they'd be in jail for manslaughter - probably on death row. But they're just birds, after all. God help the poor feathered friends that migrate through that area this fall!
• CA, Irmo
  I just can't believe what has been done to those geese. Mr. Crumpton must not have spent much time out at Woodcross Lake or he would have seen how the majority of people enjoy the geese and the ducks. Yes, you have to watch where you walk. I am truly saddened that this has happened to the geese and Mr. Crumpton needs to be relieved of his duties for the Harbison Association. The geese we had are gone for now....more will fly in eventually...and then what is going to happen to those geese? Are they going to be sent off to slaughter also??
• PL, Winnsboro
  Unnessary I believe, there must be other solutions besides such a drastic one! Seeing these lovely creatures are an asset in our beautiful park in Winnsboro.
• PR, Columbia
  In November or 2005 Canadian authorities killed 56,000 farm-raised ducks in British Columbia when they found a duck infected with avian influenza. In June of 2006 avian influenza was found in a flock of 20 geese and ducks in a private pond in Ontario, Canada. A five kilometer quarantine zone was placed around the pond. The variant of avian influenza found in nearby Canada was not the most deadly form of the disease, but the virus can be passed on to humans through close contact and then mutate to a more deadly form. It is time to worry more about human health and less about the geese which might kill thousands or even millions of human beings.
• CB, Columbia
  We live in the Harbison Community and we pay to be members of the association every year and yet we have no voice in what happens in our little community. Our family is heartbroken over the slaughter of the geese, whom we have always enjoyed. Their honking as they fly over our home makes us feel briefly like we live in the country. Now they are gone and so are many of our community's trees -knocked down to make room for more and more restaurants. We have traded the gentle honking of geese for a Hooters. Our association should focus on things like our neighbors whose yard has a dozen different construction vehicles parked in it, making a junkyard out of our walking trails and leave Mother Nature alone!
• AC, West Columbia
  I am very upset about them doing this to the geese. Sure they were making a mess but they were very cute. Kids make a mess on the lake too but we don't send them to a processing plant!
• BT, Columbia
  Why in the world were these geese slautered? Why couldn't they have been relocated? Have the Harbison board members lost their minds? I live at Harbison, and I enjoy walking in the park and the geese are a welcome sight. I don't understand how they can be so cruel and inhumane. I just hope PETA doesn't hear about this and bring national attention!!
• AM, Columbia
  Bird carry diseases...I'll believe that. SO DO PEOPLE! Perhaps we should kill off all the sickly and elderly! The elderly in nursing homes, many of them are incontinent. They spread diseases like drug resisitant MERSA on the walls and furniture. Kids spread chickenpox and Pink Eye, and Mono...let's get rid of them, too. Hospitals are full of germs. Blow them up so no more people can use them and spread more diseases! God made man in his own image, but that doesn't make us GOD. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop some of us disease prone mammals from trying to act like Him! I'm more afraid of the drug dealers and thugs wandering from Columbiana Ridge than a bunch of geese!
• BS, Hopkins
  Who or what is next? Coming from the West, our family had Canadian geese in our pond and lake every year. They were a welcome sight. They helped keep the bug population down and did their part. We were neighbors. If we keep KILLING whatever annoys us, there are going to be a lot of murders of innocents being conducted
• MW, Camden
  I was angered to learn of this mass slaughter. Children actually got to see them gathered up for this slaugher? I moved to the country to see all the animals. If you want pristine--leave somewhere else! This is disgusting--there were other solutions available that would have solved the problem!!! Shame on you Sid!!
• MG, Durham
  There is a huge geese problem up in Durham-Raleigh, NC. I say good enough on killing them! They are aggressive, nasty, loud nuisances! Pate', anyone? Interesting all the outrage over some stupid dead geese considering all the aborted babies that killed every day...interesting indeed.
• AH, West Columbia
  I guess I am just a little late with my response. I have read all the other responses of people who are appalled at the decision of this man that calls himself a "human" to have the geese killed. Most everyone seems to be as upset about this as I am. I am also a vegetarian and I believe every living thing on God's green earth has its place here. It is the human race that has come in and built huge cities and urban developments without a single thought on how it may affect the balance of nature. And now we are paying in more ways that one for our utter disregard for nature. We "humans" just keep taking and taking and taking and without giving enought back to ecololgy, we are dooming ourselves in the long run. If you are not aware of this, then you have had your head in a big whole for a long time. So God forbid we should have to walk around some bird droppings on sidewalks that humans, not God, have put down. I guarantee a very few "important" people were disturbed by the geese; so the decision was made to please the "important people."
• LL, West Columbia
  It's a shame that slaughter of wildlife is ever a solution to our man-made dilemmas! Inconvenience is a pathetic excuse for this action-if you don't want geese, don't live near the water!! :( Boo
• AM, Columbia
  This is just about the worst thing I've heard HHA do, and my mom and I have lived in this area for years! This makes me ashamed of the Harbison Board Members, et al.
• DD, Irmo
  This was the most cruel and unnecessary acation I have ever heard of. Because a few cranky people complained, the geese were viciously killed without any notice or input to the many, many residents who enjoyed them and appreciated the beauty of living in harmony with wildlife. The person who made this cruel decision should be terminated - he obviously knows nothing about wildlife or looking into positive methods of resolsving conflict. There are MANY ways to deal with issues of relocating wildlife or educating people as to how to live with it during the short molting season which is right now when they can't fly. I'm sure the food banks want slaughtered geese to feed the hungry - that was just an excuse to kill without investigating educated solsutions. Carolina Wildlife Care could have resolved this in a positive way with the geese being allowed to live for caring people to enjoy. I hope skateboarders don't go there anytime soon - parents beware
• AH, Columbia
  I'm stunned by the inhumane way this "problem" was handled. If people put the effort into capturing the geese to deliver at a processing plant, wouldn't it have been just as easy to drop them off at another location out of the area? This "quick fix" sets a bad example for children everywhere. You can't just destroy everything and anything that gets in your way!
• LL, Columbia
  We have visited Lake Woodcross for at least 8 years and marveled at the beautiful ducks and geese. There was really no other reason to go. Now that the Mr. Crumpton and the Harbison Community Association have seen fit to have them exterminated, perhaps they will direct their attention and energy to the real problems of trash floating along the edges (Styrofoam containers, cups, plastic bags, condoms) and stagnant water created by poor design and inadequate water exchange. It was amazing that nature could prevail in such wretched man-made conditions. Watch out turtles, you may be next!
• KN, Irmo
  Perhaps the Carolina Wildlife Center should have been contacted regarding this issue before it ended up with the needles slaughter of these beautiful birds! Personally I have always enjoyed them and looked forward to walks around the pond to watch the antics of those beautiful creatures. It makes no sense to me that someone could sweep in and KILL those beautiful birds, HOW CRUEL. If that type of action was directed toward domesticated animals (dogs or cats) the police would be actively looking for the person(s) behind such a despictable act and rightly so. To snuff out the lives of so many beautiful birds is beyond words, as long as I live in the Harbison area I will never again visit the pond.
• HC, Columbia
  It really bothers me that the geese won't be out there anymore. That's what we went to the park to do twice a week-feed the geese. My best friend also takes her daughter there on the weekends to feed the geese; it was the one thing she looks forward to. It's gonna be hard telling a 3yr old that we can't go feed the geese anymore because the next question is going to be "Why?" Needless to say, I won't be going to that park anymore. It's a heartbreaking story.
• BH, Columbia
  This is appalling! My wife and I take our 2 yr. old son there on a regular basis. Feeding the ducks and geese was always a highlight of his week. Now, without notice, or even a chance to voice an opinion as to a more humane solution, they're gone. Shame on every person involved in this fiasco. You sacrificed the enjoyment of thousands of visitors so that you don't have to walk around bird droppings. I also notice that it was all decided upon and done without any public notice. You think you're getting backlash now, imagine what you're going to hear once organizations such as the ASPCA and PETA get you on about. I truely believe that you reap what you sow; so if you think the geese were a nuisance; you can't even fathom what you're in for now.
• RG, Columbia
  The parents who take their children to feed the "cute" geese at Lake Woodcross are exposing their children to the following diseases: Cryptosporidiosis (the disease that killed so many prople in Milwaukee); Giardasis; Samonella and Chlamydia psittaci - all diseases carried by Canadian geese. The idea that bird flu is spread to humans by "cock-fighting" is ridiculous. The scientific community agrees that bird flu is spread to humans through bird droppings. The bird flu virus can live for up to a week in the droppings of birds. All the people who have died from bird flu in Asia and Europe were in close contact with infected birds, as when people feed the birds. When the bird droppings dry up, the wind can also carry the disease to humans
• BH, Camden
  I am from the eastern shore of Maryland, where geese are every where, I miss the sound and being able to see them. I find it unbleiveable that the geese were gotten rid of in that way and not trapped and released in a different location. Its a shame that we can not live with our wild life and enjoy what we have.
• BL, Chapin
  This action was the most horrific I have ever seen someone do to animals. To catch them and relocate them is one thing to do what they did was uncalled for. Not a month ago I was at WalMart and had two parent geese with their gooslings following behind going through the parking lot. I called the obudsmans office to see if they could tell me who could help me to make sure the beautiful animals didn't get hit. They referred me to animal control who referred me to the wildlife volunteers who immediately went out to see if they could catch them and reloacte them, all of this took about 15 minutes. Who gives them the right to do this, to me this is the worst case of animal abuse I have ever seen and I think they should be fined and get jail time or community service working with animals. I have , no respect for anyone who can do something like this and I would have never thought to call someone to have them slaughterd. Why isn't the wildlife department stepping in on this one, you are not allowed to hunt these animals yet they are stating what they did was legal. They killed 70 anmials which have only one mate for life and they had just had their babies a couple of months ago so they killed babies also. I say fire the person who did this from the homeowners association and I truly believe that our state should do something to them for this act.
• LL, Columbia
  I have visited Lake Woodcross for 8 years and always marveled at the beautiful ducks and geese. Now that the Harbison Community Association has seen fit to exterminate them, perhaps attention can be directed to the real problem - trash floating along the edges (styrofoam containers, cups, plastic bags, condoms, etc.)and stagnant water created by poor design leading to inadequate water exchange. Watch out turtles, you may be next.
• AH, Elgin
  I live by a pond here in Kershaw county, and every year they are geese on the banks, in the water etc.. my sister lives right on the pond an i live 4 houses from her and she or i have never had problems out of the geese, however my mom lives 2-3 miles from us, she has a fish pond with gold fish (big ones) outside as well as a big swimming pool, and it was 3 yrs ago she was visited by a goose and not a small one, she went about her business mowing etc.. and it got to were the goose started following her on the lawn mower and hissing at her, and keep in mind, it was eating her fish in the pond and really doing its business in her nice pretty pool, so my husband and my brother in-law just simply went to my moms and caught it and took it to the pond by our house no problem since and it never went back to my moms. I do not believe in animal cruelty and in my opinion this is what it is called when you kill and animal, i agree with alot of you out there, another way could have been found, alot of you may think i am insane or whatever but i stop for squirrels that are on the road (providing no one is behind me ) that is just the kind of person i am sorry. (well no im not eighter lol)
• DT, West Columbia
  I can hardly believe the volume of response to this question. The last time fowl got this much reaction in the QOD they were Gamecocks. As a complete outsider on this question my only observation is this: no matter what decision was made about the geese there would have been no shortage of second-guessers and complainers. Makes me wonder why anyone would want to work in the public sector.
• PC, Columbia
  Shame, shame on you!!! What were those geese thinking when they stopped at your pond. I guess they didn't know your rules. It is generally known that wildlife are attracted to water. We can all learn from the poor decision you made and ensure that better solutions are reached in the future when other wildlife make their home on your pond.
• MB, Columbia
  If you build a community with a body of water in the middle of it, you should expect water fowl and other animals to be attracted to the area. If they are a nuisance, just remember that they were here first and with more and more houses going up and more people moving in, they have fewer places to reside.
• JS, Columbia
  I am an animal-lover and vegetarian so when I heard about the treatment of these geese on the news last night, I was absolutely appalled. I simply cannot understand why such a grievous and cruel act was considered a solution! These lovely creatures simply chose the pond to be their habitat. However, if they were viewed as a problem, the geese should have been relocated to another body of water. Why did they have to be slaughtered and processed as food?!? It is disgusting to know that people will be eating these beautiful wild birds. Shame on the Association for doing something as despicable as this. Such a heinous act is truly unforgivable.
• RO, Irmo
  I`m appalled at the way the association decidd to deal with the geese. Just the other day I took my son fishing there and it was a treat to to the geese there. They didn`t bother myself nor anyone else that was there. Mrs. Hartsook says that "they will be back". I don`t think so now that they have been slaughtered. I`m sure they could have been re-located to another area. Hopefully we won`t decide to get rid of other things if some people find it a "nuisance". Whats next, the ducks there?
• ME, Orangeburg
  What happened to the geese is just and not wrong. They are pretty birds, but they are nothing but problems. They leave there dropings everywhere, and it kills grass. They make a very disturbing sound. Geese will protect their youngs because that is there instinct. To everyone who is saddened about the geese, get over it. Geese get killed every year by hunters and are eaten, like they are going to be eaten by someone who cant buy food. Oh and another thing, I wouldnt cry for to long, because geese are migratory birds and will more will come because they are over populated as it is now
• TZ, Lexington
  Sad that they should be killed for intruding on a neighborhood after all they were more than likely there first. We are the ones that are intruding. We had deer in our neigborhood until someone decided to run them over at every chance
• RR, Lexington
  It's sad that as President of a homeowners association, he could not come up with a better solution. I think far more people enjoyed them than he thought. They will be back and I hope the next person that has the responsibility can seek better solutions than this guy. Hope he enjoys his goose sandwich.
• MS, Lexington
  Geez....I sure hope that the kids who live in this community don't misbehave!!!
• JB, Lexington
  This absolutely absured! What about the families that would feed this animals as something they did together. What are they supposed to tell their children? These animals should have, at the very least, been relocated not destroyed. Shame on this homeowners association.
• PG, Columbia
  I think it is just terrible that they killed the geese-they could have relocated the birds to another area. I think they should have had a vote with the community & not just one person making the decision.
• JJ, West Columbia
  What is next Sid? Are you going to round up all the squirrels, they dig up my yard; what about the Bard Owls, they make noise at dawn and dusk; what about the Robins, Finches and Carolina Wrens, they sing all day; oops, a deer just crossed my yard; there was a Fox spotted down the street last week; oh, the neighbors Dog and Cat just got in a fight, what a ruckus they made! Are you going to round them up and slaughter them too? There is a Family of immigrants that just moved in down the street, are you going to take care of them? Sid, I think you just upset a lot of the people that pay your salery, in the future (if you have one here)Please inform the Homeowners of your intentions before you act so drastically!
• KF, Columbia
  This is unforgivable! The lake is a release site for a local wildlife shelter- a place where every day many injured or displaced wild animals are brought. Their geese have been released on this lake before after hard work (and donated funds) are given to allow a healing process. It is doubtless that many of the geese killed were geese that public funds and hard work were put into to return to the wild. According to my sister in law, who works at the centre, "I'm sure we could have arranged for the geese to have their wings clipped to keep them from returning if it became an issue, or found another solution. "
• GD, Columbia
  The geese were a major problem. I stopped going to the area a year ago because of them. These were not sweet litte fuzzy talking cartoon birds. They were terrible with their noise and droppings. I am glad they are gone!
• JC, West Columbia
  Totally disgusted! The geese were slaughtered simply for being geese. Either we learn to live WITH nature or we destroy every living creature that happens to inconvience us the least little bit. Oh, nevermind, that's what we are doing now.
• JP, Columbia
  The current associations boards in many of our subdivisions are becoming to powerful with what they seem to feel they can do without the consent of the majority of the membership. What this man did is discusting and if the membership allows him to continue as the president then they to must take some of the shame. Relocate the play ground, it should never have been so close to a lake to begin , , with. I was shocked at this story and to see that this man has no remorse at the deaths of these animals that I am sure brought a lot of pleasure to more people than they upset.
• JJ, Columbia
  May I suggest that all concerned Members of the Harbison community attend the next Board of Directors meeting. I do not know for sure but Dr. Crumpton may have overstepped his authority. Did the Board of Directors Vote on the action taken, or did Dr. Crumpton Violate Article IV.12 of our community Bylaws? There seem to be a lot of Questions that need answers. The last mention to my knowledge of the geese was at the February Board of Directors meeting where approval was granted to place signs around Lake Woodcross to disuade people from feeding the geese. There may have been other actions taken at Board meetings since this date, but the community web site is not kept up to date so the members of our community can keep up with the actions of our elected representatives. We deserve better communication and we should demand it at the next Board of Directors meeting!
• TM, Columbia
  I don't think they should have killed them. Maybe take them to another lake. Or even ask the public if they wanted then for thier lake.Anything but not kill them.
• JP, Columbia
  Osama Bin Laden could not have come up with a more cruel solution to the problem. I will miss my walks with the geese.
• MS, Orangeburg
  Last night on Animal Precinct (a show on Animal Planet) a story was featured about 2 swans that had been slaughtered for no reason at a pond in NY. The ASPCA was doing everything within its power to locate and prosecute the murderers of the swans. Here in backward SC we murder animals legally that have as much right as we do to exist in this area. So the birds poop, so do dogs, should we take them out as well? People are encroaching on wildlife more and more, and ultimately it is the wildlife that is having to pay the price.
• LL, Columbia
  As a resident living on the lake, I am relieved the geese are gone. They were mean, dirty and a health hazard. A few would be okay, but over 70 birds was just too much. Everyone I met on the walking path this morning said "thank goodness they are gone".
• JW, Columbia
  While I have no doubt that there were "several" complaints about the geese, I'm afraid those that enjoyed the wildlife were the silent majority. Geese are messy, but the geese are being attracted to the lake...and that is the REAL issue. This is a public lake. Feeding the ducks and the geese has become a favorite pastime of not only residents, but lunchtime/weekend visitors. The Harbison Community Association should recognize that removing the geese on Tuesday is only a band-aid, not a solution. Without developing a long term plan, the Association will be dealing with this issue again.
• LB, Leesville
  It was a necessary but unpleasant task. They are very messey, with a large amount of droppings.
• WS, Lexington
  They could not just catch them and take them to another pond? I think the geese are beautiful and we need to keep all of the wildlife we can before they all become extinct, since we take over their space to build houses and other things.
• MA, Sumter
  I believe that the residents take priority over tourists, so the right thing was done. Even if the geese had been relocated, with the strong migartory instincts in geese they would migrate right back. I'm sure some less fortunate person received a fine meal as a result!
• JC, Irmo
  I think it is simply terrible. If you don't want to live near geese....don't move near a pond. If you don't want geese around, don't create a manmade pond around living areas. People can choose where they live, animals find the best place under their own circumstances. We are spreading out and taking their territory not the other way around. You don't like goose poop.....walk somewhere else. These people should be ashamed of themselves
• JC, Columbia
  I think that it is inhumane and cruel that they would remove them in that manner. That is a natural habitat of the animal and it was only natural for them to be there. It was all apart of nature and they violated that. I go there often with my children and they never have been a problem that a person couldn't just shoo them away. It is a bad example for the children of the area of what they did to the animals! It was just not right at all!
• JR, Columbia
  I did not realize the demand for goose pate for the homeless, that's quite the sophisticated palate they serve at the Olive Gospel Mission.
• TG, Irmo
  Outrageous. What's next - the dogs people walk, the squirrels, or even the kids if someone thinks there are too many of them playing by the lake. Very sad story and very sad response by that community's leaders.
• JA, Columbia
  We are Harbison residents and are just heartsick about this slaughter. My husband and I walk around the lake twice every day and have never found the geese to be a problem. On the contrary, it has been an enormous pleasure to watch these noble birds and, among other things, the way they protected their young from their natural enemies. It never occurred to us that the Association would become the enemy. The Association should concern itself with the litter that pollutes the lake and the dog droppings that abound the walkways. We hope there is some way to prevent this type of unconscionable act in the future.
• SH, Columbia
  I am shocked and disgusted that this was allowed to happened.
  How do you explain to your children who enjoyed feeding the geese and playing at the playground that the birds are all gone because of a few complaints of poop on a sidewalk?  What will they do next? Shoot all the birds flying over the lake if they happened to poop.  The Harbison Homeowners Association should be more concerned with the people littering the lake and their neighborhoods and less concerned about the geese in the lake.
• 
  AJ, Lexington
  I think that harming thoes geese at Lake Woodcross was totally unjust. They could have easly caught the geese and freed them somewhere less populated. I think the man that you WIS interview should appoligize for killing innocent animals. Yea maybe they where attacking people, its because their nesting!!
• CR, Columbia
  I have to say I was shocked and saddened to hear of what happened to the geese.  I have lived in the Harbison Lake Community for 5 years and have enjoyed the sights and sounds of the geese visiting us every year.  It's sad to think I will no longer see or hear them flying overhead.  I feel the decision to do away with them and especially the decision on how to do away with them should not have been made by one person.  This should have been a community decision and if we had had the chance to have input I'm sure the outcome would have been different.  I purposedly moved to this community because of the lake, trees and animals that we could enjoy everyday, now I have to ask myself, is this just the beginning.  I am very disappointed with what I heard today.
• CS, Columbia
  The departure of the geese at Lake Woodcross is a real loss to this community.  The fawn memories I have experienced feeding them with my grandson will be missed. The powers to be, decided to solve the problem and create another one. Get a Public Relations firm now to clean your image up.
• MR, Columbia
  I live on Lake Woodcross and was shocked to hear about this on WIS.  There was absoultely no notification from the association.  If this was a legitimate action, why the secrecy?
• SW, Sumter
  They could have have taken at least half of them (to reduce the population and relased in a less populated area that consisted of a body of water.
• AS, Columbia
  I live in a Irmo aera that has an adjcant pond. Geese droppings on sidewalk and drive way and around pool and killing of the grass in the yard got so bad I had to spend almost $300 to fence them out. Now some of the other residents are doing the same. Sometimes nature just isnt fair, altho I feel for the Geese I understand why it HAD TO BE DONE !
• ML, Columbia
  I was on the internet and I saw the headline and I was appalled about the geese situation in Harbison area.As an animal lover I feel it was cruel what they did to the geese and I think the humane society find the people who did this and punish them for what they did to the animals.That is very unacceptable what has happened.
• EE, Columbia
  Most likely the people most upset about the geese are the ones who have been feeding them for the past few months.  Had they left the g, eese alone, they wouldn't have made the geese so dependent on humans for their daily meals.
• CR, Columbia
  In response to the person who said that the geese would bring avian flu to the area...if you read about what is happening in the far east, you'd find that cockfighting was implicated in the spread of this disease to humans.
• CR, Columbia<, BR>This was a very poor response to the problem. The locals should have had more input as regards a solution.  The sight of the small child clutching a bag of bread to feed to the waterfowl is also one of the joys of childhood. Is his mama going to tell him that his birds have been eaten?
• TT, West Columbia
  I feel this slaughtering of the geese is outrageous and so inhumane.  Why was there no consideration on moving them to another pond where they would not cause any "trouble".  Sid Crumpton and the (so called) Association should be ashamed of themselves for having no regard for the lives of animals.  This action is very upsetting.
• MB, Columbia
  I am proud to live in the Harbison community with its extensive walking trails, scenic lakes, and overall commitment to maintaining the natural beauty in an urban area. It is for this reason I am appaled at the method Mr. Crumpton chose to correct the problem with the geese at Lake Woodcross. An outright harvesting of the geese is inconsistent with our community's values. Certainly with a wildlife rehabilitation center just a few miles away, a more humane solution such as relocation of the animals could have been chosen. I hope that in the future, the homeowners association will explore such alternatives.
• ML, Columbia
  I would suggest that someone with that little judgment and compassion be replaced as a "leader" of any group.  In nature, you learn to look before you step.  That would have been a viable option.
• BP, Lexington
  If the geese were being aggressive towards people then they needed to go. Another group of less aggressive geese will move in and you can feed them. As I looked throught the responses I noticed a lot of people saying it is an outrage. What would be an outrage is for an aggressive goose to hurt someone and the caretakers of the lake get sued. Atleast there are some needy people eating tonight because of it.
• KF, Chapin
  I am a former resident of  Harbison and I am disgusted with the decision made by the association's president to slaughter the geese as opposed to releasing them into the wild. What a contradiction it is to the nature-based environment that community has tried to represent. I have to wonder whether there was some monetary gain from the solution chosen. I also find it appauling that the residents of Harbison had no say-so in the decision, considering the money they are required to pay each year to the association. I hope they stand up and demand to be counted in future decisions of this magnitude.
• JB, Columbia
  I've lived in the area and still frequent the lake often and I never knew te geese to be a problem. It seems like like a few made a decision for the many. I find te geese and ducks to be tranquil and relaxing, an asset to the lake, not a problem.
• LT, Columbia
  I live in Harbison and walk around the pond every day. I'm glad the action was taken to remove the geese. One of the residents out there was doing a major feeding of the birds every evening and that was just making the situation overwhelming.  At that major feeding time, it was like being in the middle of a chicken farm  - birds everywhere. I wonder if the greenish color of the water isn't from all of geese droppings washing into the pond. As others have noted, I too enjoy watching the geese and ducks, especially  watching the babies grow. But it got out of hand and the action taken was an acceptable solution to me.
• LH, Columbia
  I think that WIS TV should investigate the legality of killing these geese. What is the legal status of resident Canada geese?  And how can the Harbison Homeowners association distinguish them from the geese that migrate here??  Regardless, Canada Geese, like all native waterfowl in the United States, are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Under these laws, it is illegal to hunt, kill, sell, purchase, or possess migratory birds or their parts (feathers, nests, eggs, etc.) except as permitted by regulations adopted by the Secretary of the Interior, USFWS (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and the SC DNR (Department of Natural Resources).  I also wonder what method of capture was used?  Were the birds transported live or were their necks wrung and the bodies carted off?  They were flightless, being in summer molt, so they had little chance to get away. There were easily 5 or 6 alternatives to killing the birds. Harassing them with dogs or people  in a controlled situation is one - (I know of lots of folks that would love to do that). Capture and release up at the lake (they are flightless now and it would be a long walk home).  I am also sure that there are people with property and private ponds that would be happy to come and remove the animals. Plastic streamers tied to trees and bushes, or Mylar balloons make it too nerve-wracking for them, and they will relocate once they can fly. During the nesting season, if you remove or oil the eggs after a week of incubation, they will not usually re-nest and will find a better place to raise their families. Barriers next to the walkways will keep them off (high edging/low fencing) and also keeps bikers, kids, and joggers on the walkway. The Homeowners Society could adopt strict no-feeding laws. This is just an outrageous situation.  We have laws and rules in our society (written and unwritten ones).  And the President of the Harbison Homeowners Society does not seem to think that they apply to him.
• LM, Columbia
  Let's put this in perspective:  If homeless hooligans or black gang members had gone to the park and killed and eaten (or just plain
  killed) the geese, the whole state would be bristling with posses ready to hunt them down.  Is this different?  Not much!  If you want a clean sidewalk to a walk on, move back downtown.  If you do not want to deal with geese, avoid a pond or lake.  Stay in your apartment and run at your treadmill.   Or alt the very least allow the people that belong to the Homeonwners Association be a part of the decision!
• DS, Manning
  I think it is so sad that the geese were killed.  We had geese in our backyard and yes they do make a mess, but they are part of nature.
  We fed them and enjoyed them so much!  They are God's creatures and we should enjoy them not kill them!
• AA, Columbia
  I don't know why I am surprised at this awful slaughter. More and more people disregard our precious animals and environmen, t, just to please themselves, or because something is inconvenient.  There are alternatives to the preceived problem.  Killing never solves the bigger problem. Shame on those that made this decision and those that carried it out. Seniors live there, along with families and young children. What does this teach them? Why rob them of the beauty and wonder that they look forward to each day? They need a new Board of Directors! Keep killing off our wildlife and we will not have anything left.
• DH, Lugoff
  I've been reading the responses to today's question with a relatively open mind regarding the Canada goose problem at Lake Woodcross, and am surprised (1) at the level of vitriol directed at the Homeowners Association manager, and (2) at the level of mis-information and understanding of a nuisance wildlife situation.  Many of the responses questioned the lack of removal to another area, one even going so far as to suggest that the birds should have been carted off to the zoo.  Had anyone thought first of contacting the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to question the relocation of Canada Geese, they would have learned that this is a method occasionally employed by the DNR. Unfortunately, and the DNR could clarify this point, the birds will often simply fly back to the original pond they were removed from.  Especially if they are being fed, which was the case here at Lake Woodcross.  It is also apparent from the responses that many of those writing have not had the pleasure of dealing with goose droppings.  They are not little squirts of feces like one would see from a backyard bird such as a robin or thrush, but rather, are large green and white squishy piles of smelly bacteria laden excrement, ranging from thumbsized to larger.  TK from Lexington insists that the geese have rights, too.  What rights are these TK?  The right to defecate anywhere they please?  The right to attack children and pets who happen to get into their way?  VJ from Sumter appears to be able to attest to the fact that they will attack pets, having stated an observation of such an attack.  (Sidebar here to VJ from Sumter, and AS from Pelion.  One word: Spellcheck).  For GS from Columbia, food banks need resources also, unless you are prepared to provide them on a daily basis with foodstuffs or monies to keep them feeding the poor.
  Secondly, Mr. Crumpton did not "get around" the federal regulations regarding migratory birds.  I would suggest you look into the manner in which he took a leadership role and resolved an ongoing problem, prior to making accusatory comments.  Having addressed the suggestion of "relocation" as put forth by KM of Columbia.  I would be interested in hearing what other "much better solution" KM suggests.  To EH from Columbia.  You state that this "solution" is disgusting and unacceptable. However, you yourself do not provide a solution, only a question regarding legal prosecution.  To all of those who state how cruel this removal of a group of birds which were clearly presenting a nuisance in the eyes of the Homeowners Association I would ask what would be your permanent solution? If you don't have a viable solution, simply spouting off inane suggestions only makes you part of the problem.  Research before you spout.  Lastly, yes, wild Canada Geese are beautiful to look at.  They are a part of the natural heritage that we as Americans are very proud of.  But they can also form permanent resident populations in areas where they become a pest, and as the dominant predator in the food chain, we humans are sometimes faced with the hard decision of removing a problem. Unfortunately, too many of us, having grown up in the Disney world of talking animals, equate animal existence to that of human, and that is not how life really is.  The removal of nuisance wildlife is sometimes hard for us to accept, but it is a necessary fact of life here in our urbanized world.  Sorry, but we can't turn the clock back 100 years to a time where there was lots of space for the animals to live in, and they didn't find it necessary to campout in the city.  Might I also suggest to those of you who do, to stop feeding them.  You would probably find that the birds would be more likely to move on their way instead of taking up residence in your pond.
• SC, Columbia
  I am so disappointed at the decision made by the Homeowners Association.  I have enjoyed feeing the geese since I was a child, and, until now, my four year old nephew found joy in doing the same.  I think it was a cruel solution to the problem and that something else could have been done to spare the lives of these poor birds who were not causing any real harm to anyone.
• KW, Batesburg
  That is crazy I would have loved to take these geese to have in my pond!!! The people that complained about the geese need to be SHOT and eaten. I have never heard of anything so disgustion in my life!!! Killing for nothing!!! There are other ways of moving wild life than killing!!! They need a place to live and grow there young just as we do!!!! People just sicken me some times. Lets kill there childen just because they are living see how they like it!!!! I am so sickened by the idea that people would kill for no reason!!! I tryed to save a duck just yesterday from a dog attack!! Though it did pass on, I would have done anything to have it surive!!! Stupid people!!!! The govenor should do something about this!! Someone needs to be responsible!!This is out ragious!!
• TS, Lexington
  What kind of compassion have these homeowners taught the children who live in the area?  The geese have babies not yet able to fly; and because the adults have molted they cannot fly at this time of the year.  The Harbison Community Assn. should have thought of population control and worked with US Dept of Agriculture and DNR wildlife services on a humane population control program.
• PR, Columbia
  The Canadian geese at Lake Woodcross have attacked elderly women using walkers and small children in strollers.  Those "saddened" by the removal of the Canadian geese apparently place animal life above human life - a common failing of our time.  The USDA did the roundup of the geese.  Good luck with your prosecution of the U. S. Government for "animal cruelty."
• BS, Gaston
  An individual who can murder harmless animals in this fashion obviously enjoyed what he did. We live in a sick and savage world.
• LS, Gaston
  I think this was a totally unacceptable way to handle a minor problem. This was extreme cruelty to harmless animals who mate for life.
• BH, Blythewood
  Shame! Only a cruel, uneducated man would have migratory birds killed. Lake Murray is closer than the processing plant and the geese could have been set free.
• EH, Columbia
  This "solution" is disgusting and unacceptable.  Can those responsible be legally prosecuted for cruelty to animals?
• JL, Irmo
  I am OUTRAGED!!!! I have been going over to Harbison trails since 1984 and love seeing and feeding the "ducks". Our grand children loved it too...now they are gone!!! Not to mention TV saying, to be KILLED!! My 6yr. old grand daughter heard that and was very upset. I had to try to explain it to her...not easy!!!
• RS, Lugoff
  What they did to the geese was mean and someone should of did it a different way. They could of captured the geese and took them to a different place. Alot of people enjoy looking at beautiful animals like those.
• AS, Pelion
  Their solution was absolutly absurd, i have a pond on my property i would have gladly came and gotten them and their bird droppings! i am a major animal lover and to me thats called murder, anytime someone else chooses the others fate. It shouldnt matter whether you're human or animal. i'm very disappointed!
• BC, Columbia
  The geese are beautiful. I work @ a State facility and the geese bite the employees and leave large amounts of feces.  We are asked not to feed them.  My concern is that they migrate and could carry avian flu virus/other health problems.  A recent publication by Midland Carolina Electric had a request from Clemson Ext. to report this type of migration. If they were worried about diseae, why are they using them as a food supply.  I do think something should have been researched and done. Remember the pigeons @ the State house.
• BB, Irmo
  The geese were considered pets to people around the pond, the kids enjoyed them very much. The situation should have been handled more humane. People are surly sadden by the way it was handled. Alot of children will find it hard to understand the way it was handled, the people responsible for this should be fired.
• EH, Columbia
  This slaughter is disgusting and unacceptable. Is there any way to prosecute those responsible for cruelty to animals?
• AB, Bamberg
  I think it is a ridiculus idea. my grandmother use to stay there and me and my sister use to feed the geeses and they never hurt a soul. they have a right to live here just how we have a right to live were we want to live.
• RG, Columbia
  When bird flu arrives in Columbia - carried in by Canadian geese - and children start dying from the disease, the bleeding-hearts who are swooning over the demise of the Canadian Geese at Lake Woodcross will be clamoring  for all Canadian geese in the area to be killled.  The last bird flu epidemic in 1918 (Spanish Flu) killed 50 million people worldwide and 675,000 people in the United States.
• SS, Columbia
  I don't think that alot of people will be happy until the only animals we see are the ones in the zoo. If you choose to live near the lake, you are moving into a lake habitat with fish, geese, snakes, dragon flies, and alot more. If you have a problem with the animals- go live in the city in an apartment and leave the animals in peace.
• SS, Chapin
  No it wasn't the right thing to do. Those geese had goslings. Did they kill them too? My family and I are there ALOT. My daughters know how to avoid a family of geese. They WERE NEVER ON THE PLAYGROUND. Most of them would take food from our hands. More geese will come. Will they sneak in in the middle of the night next time we get a few families of geese and kill them too? It was not ethical. We were absolutely devestated to hear the news. I'm still crying. Thanks for reporting it, the man in charge was heartless.
• PF, Columbia
  While I appreciate the attempt to help people by their disposition of the meat- the ends does not justify the means. Our wildlife is something we should protect! The poor behavior of the geese is sometimes a result of placing wild animals into a human environment where they learn to rely on us for food. To solve a problem such as this, the solution should never be "get rid of it". I believe that a more humane solution must have been possible. While the situation is nowhere near the magnitude, I believe that this attitude towards problems leads to choices such as human euthanasia and other more serious problems. Wildlife has been given to us to guard and protect, not slaughter when it ceases to entertain us or becomes a burden.
• SB, Irmo
  Why , couldn't the geese be moved to a less public place? The only reason why they were aggressive is because of humans. Leave it to  people to get in the way of nature.
• IM, Lexington
  I think that they should put dipers on them if they poop everywhere.
• DG, Lexington
  The geese were only doing what comes natural. I would be ashamed to live near an association that would solve their problem in such a way without finding a kinder more gentlier resolution!!!!!
• KA, Irmo
  I think the resons given and the solution are both inapropriate. I have lived in Irmo for 9 years and have enjoyed every thing the park has to offer including the geese.  I have two children ages 6 and 2 and the exposure they have with the wild life at the park is nothing compared to going to the zoo and feeding a giraffe or goat or even riding a horse.  We are at the park several times a month and enjoy feeding the birds just as much as playing on the play ground.  When friends vist from out of town there is always a request to visit the "duck pond".  We look forward to each visit to find out "how big the babies are now" and we always count how many ducks or geese we see on the way back to the car after we play on the play ground.  I hope the Home owners association will reconsider thier efforts and next time make a more sensible decision such as relocation if there are too many. The ducks and geese are the thing that makes that park unique and not just another play ground. I am not unresaonable and understand that if you live on the pond as they do it would be a nuscance but the birds have been there a long time. People should consider things like that when they move into an area and not try to change what is already there after they do.  My children and I have NEVER had a bad experience with any bird at the park nor have I ever seen a goose walk up to the play ground where the chilren are playing.  I will tell my children the geese have left for the summer next week, to tell them the truth would be so sad.
• CS, Lexington
  I think that it was a very bad choice to kill the geese. They are animals & are just trying to live!  I mean, they poop on the sidewalk 1 time, so you just fry them up and eat them? Would they do that to other animals too? I think they should be ashamed for taking the lives of these poor inocent animals.
• TS, Irmo
  I am a Harbison resident and I am saddened to hear of this tragedy. I pay yearly dues to the association to live here. We as residents have to get written approval from the Harbison association to put a fence up, to cut a tree down, or to do anything to our property. It seems that the association should have at least asked the people living in the community what we thought about the geese situation. This is a sad, sad story.
• SA, Columbia
  We are so glad that Sid Crumpton made this decision for our community. We live on Lake Woodcross also known as Harbison Lake. The geese have been increasing every year for the past 14 years that we have lived here. We could hardly walk on the paths because of large numbers of Geese together hissing at you and all the feces you had to tip toe around.I have counted over 100 Geese at the lake. We were concerned about the health hazard at our door. You have to live with them to understand the nasty problem. We want to say THANKS!!to Sid Crumpton who has made a difference in the Harbison community. Sid, we appreciate you looking out for our community. It was a good decision.
• CG, Summerton
  I would bet that most of the people who did not like the removal of the birds do not live every day at the lake. I live on Lake Marion and the birds are agressive at times , poop LOTS everywhere. You cant walk barefoot in your yard because of them. Are known carrier of diseases. But the people should not worry for the birds will be back.
• VJ, Sumter
  Quite frankly I am appalled  by the removale of these geese from Lake Woodcross. I myself live on a pond and enjoy watching the geese grow up each year.  My family and many residents of Second Mill pond put up geese nest each year to ensure the saftey of geese and their offspring and feed them as well. Last year my family and I took in an injured goose and raised it until it was healthy, I can assure you that this was quite far from a Nuisance.   It is very saddening for me to know that there are people out there who take the lives away from these geese just because they leave waste on their sidewalks.  I would also like to educate the residents of lake Woodcross on what good parents these geese are.  As I am sure none of the members of the homeowners committee of Lake Woodcross know that from the moment these geeses babies hatch they do everything in their power to assure their offsprings saftey.  One year my family and I witnessed two parent geese fight off a dog that was threatning their family. With this said I can not find how these people found it in their hearts to send these lovely and loyal creatures to their deaths for such vein reasons. I am writing this letter not to bash those responsible but to hopefully prevent other Incidences rom happening.
• GS, Columbia
  As I understand it, Sid Crumpton unilaterally made the decision to have the geese removed, slaughtered, and given to a food bank.  In my opinion, that decision is unconscionable.  First, had he published in the monthly newsletter what was intended for the geese, he would have found the majority of people he works for, Harbison residents, opposed to slaughter.  Most geese are simply relocated and they are on the protective species list.  How he got around this is questionable.  Second, these geese are molting and can not fly right now.  Within two weeks most will be gone.  My door at work opens directly to the lake and I have seen the geese come and go every year in their natural cycle.  I am flabbergasted and outraged.
• AB, Bamberg
  I think this is outrageous! These geese and the ducks have brought hours of entertainment to my family. While my mother was a resident at Eden Gardens, she and my daughter looked forward to go down by the lake to feed and watch the geeses and ducks. These creatures gave my daughter and her grandmother something to look forward to!!! Why take them away because someone got a little poop on their $hundred dollar shoes, that why they make paper towels.
• DD, West Columbia
  I think relocating the Geese should have been tried. If Goose poop is the problem, then the Homeowners Asoc. should have the Lawn maintence clean it up.  Not KILL something that is peaceful to watch.
• ES, Irmo
  We have an association here in Harbison, and for Mr. Crumpton to just murder these geese is wrong and immoral!  The annihilation of the geese t, ook place on Tuesday, and there was a Board Meeting yesterday.  He could have easily had raised the concern of the geese with the neighborhood instead of taking the matter in his own murderous hands.  Mr. Crumpton sent out an email yesterday detailing the removal, but could have asked for input about the matter.  Harbison has been around for over 25 years and the geese have been a pleasant part of our experience here. With this gestapo-type tactic, our neighborhood will never be the same. Mr. Crumpton has failed the interests of this community and should resign immediately.
• LS, Columbia
  What a joy it was to feed the ducks and geese at this little lake! What heartbreak to hear the geese have been  "processed".  We never experienced problems, only fun.
• KM, Columbia
  I think the so-called "solution" to the geese problem at Lake Woodcross is absurd. There are many other solutions, such as relocation. Had they done a little bit of research, they could have found a much better solution than killing so many of those wonderful creatures. I am appaled at this action.
• JY, Columbia
  That was terrible.  Why can't they just live through it.  The season does not last long.  We are too much just a throw away generation. Live and let live.
• RB, Chapin
  Great Idea feeding the Homeowners Association Board members to the poor and homeless.
• JB, Columbia
  I understand the problem with the geese droppings.  However, they could have at least moved the geese somewhere else.  They should not have just killed them.
• ER, Elgin
  This is the 2d time I have heard of this happening and I am still outraged. If these people cleaned up after the geese then what would be the problem. Because they were a nusiance, get rid of them? OK the lady that leaves her shopping cart in the middle of the isle is a nusiance, sould we get rid of her. The old person who has their turn signal on for miles. The person on the cell phone at the check out. These are all examples of nusiances. What do we do?
• TK, Lexington
  I think that is a horrible solution.  The geese have rights too. Are we going to start doing that to people just because we don't like somethings that they do?????  I think there could have been a better solution to the problem, like the zoo or some other place that way people could still get enjoyment from them.
• EA
  Removal of the geese at Lake Woodcross was the right thing to do.  Geese in appropriate numbers are OK but when such a situation gets out of control there is no other way to resolve the problem.
• RS, Columbia
  This is awful.  They should have removed the geese to another area without having them killed.