USDA banishes birds outside Vance

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. James Justice
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The open areas that make northwest Oklahoma a great location for a flying training base also are very inviting to some natural fliers. Unfortunately, the two groups of fliers can't safely share the same air space, especially when geese are using the fields just outside Vance Air Force Base for their temporary base. Those fields lay directly beneath the pattern for the Air Force's second busiest flight line.

Increasing waterfowl populations, growing at nearly eight per cent per year, place a migratory flock of more than 8,000 geese in a wheat field north of Vance. Several hundred ducks also landed there. The birds are attracted to the numerous food sources offered in Enid's agricultural area.

While there were no problems with birds inside the base's fenced perimeter, the Air Force legally is unable to act off base. Matt Smith, a United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services biological science technician, said "Vance needed help outside the fence, so they called us."

The USDA's ability to work in the area surrounding the base was critical to successfully solving the geese problem, Capt. Jamie Baugh, chief of flight safety, said. "They have capabilities that nobody else does. Legally they can do things nobody else can. They talked to everybody off base for us. Communications were seamless."

Jesse Townsend, another USDA biological science technician, said, "We worked with the City of Enid and local farmers. They were happy to get the geese off their wheat."

Mr. Smith said they used a sophisticated grid system and clear communications with the base to "get the birds in the habit of landing somewhere else." The two gentlemen used pyrotechnics along with other methods to disperse the birds without harming them when at all possible. Mr. Smith said "now the birds see our truck coming and they fly away."

Communications between the supervisors of flying and the USDA techs was the key to safely dispersing the birds. Scattering the birds at the wrong moment could have caused a bird strike incident. Maj. Randy Sealy, 71st Operations Group SOF manager, said "they'd call directly to the SOFs. We'd create a break in traffic so they could deal with the birds or we'd have them wait for aircraft to pass. It didn't slow down operations at all."

The cooperation paid off in drastically reduced bird numbers. "When we started there were 8000 geese, now there are 25 to 30 resident geese remaining" said Mr. Smith.

The reduction in bird numbers created a safer airspace. Captain Baugh said "The cooperation with the USDA has been amazing. They told us 'We will not fail.'"

Mr. Smith said "You can definitely see a change in the amount of birds near the base. Now they tend to go around."