Q&A for How to Stop a Goose Attack

Just like being in a fire, you should stop, drop, and roll. This makes it very difficult for the goose to maintain a hold on your head. If you roll fast enough, it also makes the goose dizzy.

Travel in a group so the goose will not single you out.

They are territorial and protecting their nesting areas.

Lock yourself in a room and call the authorities to get rid of the goose. If it keeps happening, try to distract the goose and shut the door before it gets in.

You could set up an automatic sprinkler to bother them until they leave or call a professional (animal control, exterminator, etc.) and have the nest removed.

Geese often travel in flocks; one pair can quickly become 50 birds. Goose bites usually are not serious, but they are painful and can leave bruises. Their wings are powerful, so getting hit by them can break your nose or worse.

Domestic geese can be quite finicky with who they like, and it's hard to change their minds. Give your goose space, and consider fencing him/her in somewhere. Otherwise, start carrying a broom around with you.

It will depend on how injured you are, if you are bleeding heavily then yes, but if you just have some scratches, you can probably attend to these yourself with a first aid kit.

Geese will attack anyone or any animal that is a threat to themselves or their goslings, make sure to let your kids know not to mess with the geese at all.

She perceives you as a threat. Why did you rescue the goose in the first place? Maybe, you need to reevaluate. This goose is beginning to develop a sense of wild urges that compel her to attack those she perceives as a threat. Remember to keep eye contact and to remind her that she is a good goose.

No, your cat will get hurt. Don’t even try to hunt geese. Geese are evil, evil creatures, they will attack you and/or your cat.

Geese don't deliberately attack people -- they react defensively to what they perceive as a threat, such as a person being too close when it's breeding season or they have goslings to care for. Thus, if you go too close or you're cycling, this can trigger a sense of being attacked, chased or stalked, or even challenged, or it might cause the goose to worry you're after its goslings. Another possibility is a desire for more food when feeding them -- they might chase you for more and snap at you to try to grab more. Be alert and observant, don't do anything that could be misinterpreted and give the geese plenty of room.

Try to stay (or at least appear) calm. Don't let the goose chase you. If it tries, turn to look at it and stand your ground. If the goose rushes at you with a lowered beak, jump sideways so it can't bite you. Only continue walking once it has stood still. If it starts following you again, then repeat this.

Yes, it is possible.

Geese tend to get protective toward their young, so they hiss to keep you away. Try to avoid them at all costs.

Most injuries will include small bites and possible broken fingers, but I don't believe there is any official list of all goose-related injuries.

Geese can and will attack cats, dogs, or other pets if they believe that they are a threat to them or their goslings. Be sure to monitor family pets or try to put up barriers to prevent geese from attacking your pets or family.

Yes, this is normal. Many geese have aggressive personalities and do not respond well to people.

They will generally not attack unless you act afraid or go near their goslings. Do not be intimidated by them and yell at them if you have to.

Call animal control if this is a real problem. But do not attempt to harm the geese, as you could get in serious trouble. Leave it to the authorities.

There have been no known cases of anyone being killed by a goose in the United States, so it seems highly unlikely. However, geese can still cause fairly serious injuries to people by biting them or hitting them with their wings.

Intentionally provoking a goose is a common reason why one would attack, but it's also possible to be attacked by a goose who felt that you were getting too close to it - or its goslings/eggs. The reason why the geese at your local park don't attack anyone is most likely because people understand that they should respect a goose's boundaries.

Yes, you should. Not just for the geeses' sake but also for the dog's sake. The goose wings can seriously hurt dogs.

You technically could but it would be a very stupid idea. The geese would likely attack you and potentially injure you.

Most of the time, yes. Geese are bigger and stronger than ducks. But they usually get along quite fine. Geese are used to herd ducks and chickens.

Then, it is likely mating season. Simply back away from the goose.

No, but they can cause serious injuries ranging from bruises from their mouth biting to broken bones from flapping their wings in close proximity.

Very simply, call animal control. Don't try to scare it off or fight it. The goose may take that as a threat and use his wings to injure you in a confined space. The main message -- don't try anything fancy.

No geese do not have rabies. But they have other diseases. Check in with a doctor to make sure you were not infected.

Most likely you are in their territory. Or, you are simply to close for comfort for them. Back away slowly. It may even just be a mother goose that thinks you are trying to hurt her goslings.