Coots & Carts

This year Southern California has been inundated with coots and they are becoming a real problem. Yesterday I attended the superintendents meeting and talked with several other superintendents who all said that they have more birds this year than they have had in the last few years combined. Everyone was in agreement that there is nothing that can be done to keep the birds from landing on your property and no one really has a good solution to get rid of them. In fact, several guys said the best thing they have heard, short of shooting them, is “Coot & Goose Busters” who you know, we already use. I did talk to a couple of guys that have a permit to shoot the coots and this is what I found. There are numerous regulations that must be followed. Here is a short list.
1. You must obtain a depredation permit from the Federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
2. You must designate on the application for permit the name of the person responsible for supervising the shoot and the names of the persons that will be doing the actual shooting. They are the only ones allowed to shoot (no substitutes).
3. You must contact the Federal U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prior to any shoot and designate the date and time for the shoot.
4. Currently you are only allowed to shoot 250 coots per season.
5. You are not allowed to shoot at all if any other species of birds are mixed in with the coots.
6. You must use steel shot. Lead shot is not permitted.
7. You must bag the birds and dispose of according to the permit.

I am currently in the process of obtaining all the paperwork necessary for the club to apply for the depredation permit should we decide that is the best course of action. One of the dilemmas I have is that ClubCorp is currently in the process of making all of our clubs Audubon Sanctuary Certified. Being our clubs Audubon Sanctuary Certified designee, I can not be associated with a depredation permit. Any effect on our Audubon Sanctuary Certification should the club obtain the permit is yet to be determined. I am also in discussions with Dan Metz from Coot & Goose Busters on whether it would be feasible to chase the birds at night (after dark) since they are nocturnal. Dan is also developing a spray solution, which he hopes will have an effect on the turf creating a bad taste for the birds. Rest assured that we are exploring all avenues to limit the birds and the damage they cause.
Having looked at this problem, we recognized the damaged caused by cart traffic can be even worst. This is why we ask that you follow the 90-degree rule and limit the cart use to two carts per foursome. When you drive down the center of the fairway or take an additional cart, it only compounds the problem. We need to remember that this turf is less then 60 days old and is still very delicate. It is especially important during December and January when the turf is not growing because of the cooler temperatures and wear patterns are more visible. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.