They may seem harmless but soon geese will be nesting and may cause issues for many across Ohio.

"The biggest complaint that we hear about the most is when geese get into nesting season that's when they become more aggressive. The female's job is to lay the eggs and to protect the eggs while the male's job is to protect the female and to protect their territory," says Laura Brown with ODNR Division of Wildlife. 

Most geese will begin mating and returning to their nesting territories now through early March and begin nesting as early as mid-March through April.

Nesting geese can become aggressive, especially in urban areas and suburbs, so what can you do to help remove geese from a heavily trafficked area?

"It is legal to harass geese in the state of Ohio, they're a federally protected species but you can harass them as long as you physically aren't harming them. One of the best ways is to chase them if you're able to physically chase them on foot get them flying off the property and I say don't stop until they are flying off of the property," says Brown. 

Other safe ways to handle nesting geese can be found by following this LINK TO ODNR