Can you keep a Canadian goose as a pet in California?

OK, so a friend of our who raises chickens and sells eggs got a duckling at the co-op the other day. He couldn't keep it and we were thinking of getting a duck so we took it inow thinking it was a Mallard. Well, it's not a Mallard, its not even a duck! It's a Canadian gosling! Morgan is a sweetheart and my son adores her. I've left messages with California department of fish and wildlife but I haven't heard back. Anyone know if we can keep him/her? I've heard a permit is required but the only permits I've found are for wildlife management not our situation of keeping a goose as a pet. We also heard a goose will protect the chickens and make good watch dogs. But maybe they are too aggressive with strangers? Just trying to do the right thing. Morgan is very young right now and totally dependent on us so she/he isn't going anywhere til we figure this out.

Unfortunately you cannot legally keep a wild Canada goose. You also have to have permits to keep Canada geese, so if you are caught with her you'd be subject to fines and maybe even jail time (although I doubt they'd go that far). Since you called the Fish and Wildlife Department they will probably get back to you and find a place for her, or you could take her to a local wildlife rehabber.

If you are in love with the idea of having one you can actually legally have one, though. You just need to buy one from a licensed breeder who can provide you with the paperwork that will make it legal. If you can track down whoever your friend got her from as long as they're a legal breeder and didn't snatch her out of the wild, you can get paperwork from them to prove yours is legal and not wild you could keep her. In that case please get another one too because geese are social and she will need a flock mate of her own species.

If you can't do this Metzer Farms in California breeds and sells them and they'll get you set up with all the paperwork and the permit you need if you order some from them. They're usually on a waiting list though so you probably wouldn't be able to get any until next year at the earliest.

I have a few embden geese that are pretty ferocious when it comes to defending their turf and their chickens and turkeys. Embdens are much larger than my largest turkey. The wild canadian geese around here are smaller than my turkeys and I couldn't see one of them defending against anything larger than a big chicken.

What is "the co-op"? Around here that is the Farmer's Co-op some of which sell chicks just like Tracto Supply, Rural King and feed stores. If that is the case that seems like a logical place to start.
Some birds like native quail breeds (bob white is one) require no license to raise but if they are set free you are required to have a license to hunt or kill them. Requirements vary from state to state but if your bird was bought from someone who could legally raise and sell them technically it is not a wild goose.

So Cryptic Frog, What was the resolution with your Goose? I'm asking so I know what you had to do in order to keep him as a pet. Thank you in advance!

Pyxis said:

Unfortunately you cannot legally keep a wild Canada goose. You also have to have permits to keep Canada geese, so if you are caught with her you'd be subject to fines and maybe even jail time (although I doubt they'd go that far). Since you called the Fish and Wildlife Department they will probably get back to you and find a place for her, or you could take her to a local wildlife rehabber.

If you are in love with the idea of having one you can actually legally have one, though. You just need to buy one from a licensed breeder who can provide you with the paperwork that will make it legal. If you can track down whoever your friend got her from as long as they're a legal breeder and didn't snatch her out of the wild, you can get paperwork from them to prove yours is legal and not wild you could keep her. In that case please get another one too because geese are social and she will need a flock mate of her own species.

If you can't do this Metzer Farms in California breeds and sells them and they'll get you set up with all the paperwork and the permit you need if you order some from them. They're usually on a waiting list though so you probably wouldn't be able to get any until next year at the earliest.

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I live in Lodi California and my neighbors have 3 Canadian geese and the people who live there have a young boy that is really bad and he shoots the geese with a bb-gun and tears the feathers out of the geese and I’ve reported him to the sheriffs office, Fish and wildlife and it’s like nobody cares, I love all animals and I support the ASPCA and I donate money to every single animal organization that I can find. I just don’t want to see any animals hurt and I wish someone could help get the geese to a safe place that they don’t have to be locked up in a tiny cage and be hurt by a reckless teenager that has tried to hurt my dad that’s 68yrs old and is on life support at home when I’m not home the teenager has tried to hurt my dad by pistol whipping him and I’ve called the sheriff and they won’t do anything because he’s only 12yrs old, If he can hurt animals and the elderly then he needs to be put in jail until he gets a brain and learns how to treat animals and people. I just wish everyone could get along and enjoy life while it lasts because we never know when it’s going to end. God bless everyone that supports animals and actually cares for others and have good hearts, I pray for everyone that doesn’t have a clue how to treat people and animals.