Dummy coyotes fool humans, not geese
HAMMOND, Ind. (UPI) -- Indiana officials said they plan to remove decoy coyotes from islands on Wolf Lake after they failed to scare off geese but successfully fooled motorists.
Officials said the dummy coyotes failed to stop geese from feeding on fresh plantings on the islands -- although they did spark multiple calls from motorists who believed the decoys to be stranded dogs, the Gary (Ind.) Post-Tribune reported.
"We've been getting calls from neighbors and people driving by, 'There's a dog trapped on the island!'" Hammond Port Authority Director Milan Kruszynski said.
Army Corps of Engineers contractor J.W. New placed the two-dimensional coyote cutouts on the islands last year, intending to scare off geese and ducks. A spokesman for the contractor said the items were initially effective.
"The geese are very wary of them, then eventually they figure it out," J.W. New spokesman Jon Dittmar said.
He said he can understand how some motorists may have been fooled by the dummy dogs.
"They're very striking when you first come upon them. I could see how it would be for someone driving by at 70 mph," Dittmar said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International
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