More geese than usual seem to be flocking to golf courses in Waukesha County. They're annoying for some golfers so the county has come up with a creative way to deal with them.
The county is counting on man's best friend.
Border collies like Todd have become the newest employee in Waukesha County. Their job is to scare the birds away.
"Border collies have a herding instinct in them. It's just natural in this breed, but Todd is only trained to chase, not catch," said Todd's trainer, Travis McCormack with Migratory Bird Management.
The golfers don't really mind the geese, but they do mind their smelly leftovers.
"The golfers get annoyed. The stuff gets all over their cart wheels. It gets on their shoes. It gets on the greens. It will kill the grass," Wanaki clubhouse supervisor Jim Ehnert said.
In the past, Ehnert says the county has tried a lot of different options to scare the birds away.
"We've tried cardboard cut-outs of coyotes. We've tried alligators with spinning eyes. We've tried reflector tape," Ehnert said.
The County estimates it will spend about $350 per week for Todd and his friends to patrol all the courses in Waukesha County during the fall migration season.
