Understanding Geese Behavior: Are They Really A Threat In Illinois?

It's that time of year in Illinois where you see geese everywhere but will they attack humans and if so how dangerous are these birds?

Should Illinois Residents Be Afraid Of Geese?

Today, my wife was just telling me that the maintenance people at her work had to put up snow fencing around the entrance of the building because geese were stalking the employees as they were coming and going from their jobs.

This isn't the first time I've heard a story about geese like that one. It happens quite often throughout the state of Illinois. Honestly, when I'm in an area with a bunch of those birds I don't feel comfortable. I just can't trust them. I feel like they could mount an attack at any time.

Geese In Illinois (Star Tribune, Getty Images)

My question is are geese dangerous to humans? Well, let's start with the reasoning for geese to be aggressive. It's not because they are mean creatures, they're just being protective parents. When they have eggs or babies and feel like they are being threatened, that's when the aggression comes out. You can't blame them for that.

For geese, their bark is worse than their bite. They usually won't attack a human. If the birds start acting aggressively, your best bet is to leave the area immediately. If they do go after a person it's not life threatening. The main way to defend themselves is by biting or hitting with their wings. So the answer is no, they are not dangerous to people.

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