Mt. Vernon City Park Manager Dave Carpenter says the city has tried coyote decoys, dogs, lasers, flash bangs and fireworks but nothing has worked.

UPDATE: The city of Mount Vernon is using a canon powered by propane to scare away geese from Ariel Foundation Park.

The city has tried several options to get the Canada Geese to leave including using lasers and controlled hunts, but the geese keep coming back

The cannon will be used for the next couple of days to try to convince the geese that this is not a place for them to stay.

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Original Story:

The city of Mt. Vernon is asking itself 'What the flock?' after a city park became overrun with Canada Geese.

Now, it's considering allowing the geese to be hunted in an effort to drive them away.

Mt. Vernon City Park Manager Dave Carpenter says the city has tried coyote decoys, dogs, lasers, flash bangs and fireworks but nothing has worked.

A goose hunt is permitted inside city limits and the city does not need permission from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to allow hunters to shoot the geese.

Residents are divided on allowing the goose hunt. Homeowners have suggested allowing volunteers to clean up the geese waste or buy a machine to do it.

Mayor Dick Mavis says something needs to be done. The city estimates between 300 and 400 geese converge in the park each summer.

"Frustration is at its highest when you feel helpless that you can't do anything about it. Nobody wants go out and kill wildlife," the mayor said.

The city says the geese droppings are polluting the nearby Kokosing River.

"The water coming out of the park does have a higher level of E. coli," Mavis claimed.

The city says 3 out of 9 areas that drain from the park tested positive.

Hunting Canada Geese in Ohio is legal during certain times of the year and with a permit. The city says it plans to interview a select group of hunters sometime next year.