Oregon Public Broadcasting

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has euthanized 109 Canada Geese taken from Bend's Drake Park. The adult birds were caught Tuesday and asphyxiated with carbon dioxide gas. David Nogueras reports.

At this point in the year, Canada Geese should be, well in Canada.  But here on the Deschutes River, many have decided to stick around for the summer.

While some residents think they add to the natural beauty of Bend, many think they make the city's parks unusable.

Jan Taylor is the community relations manager with Bend Park and Recreation District. She says she's heard complaints from residents about geese since she moved here 20 years ago.

Jan Taylor: "You want to walk in the park. You want to put a blanket down in the park and you wind up walking in a lot of geese feces. And it's uncomfortable. People don't like it."

City officials found overwhelming support among residents for exterminating the geese.

Even so, the city worked with the Humane Society and a group called Geese Peace on other ways to decrease the population before resorting to killing the birds.

The meat from the gassed birds will be donated to area food banks.