In Deerfield, a bridge replacement has led to an unintended consequence — neighbors say the area has turned into a death trap for Canada geese.

Last year, the bridge over Freeses Pond was replaced due to a failing culvert that was causing flooding.

On one side of the bridge is a wooded lot. But, a small section was cleared and leveled for construction vehicles to park. In its place, fresh grass was sown.

Shana Smith, a Deerfield resident for nearly two decades, has long observed Canada geese frequenting her backyard, which abuts the north side of the pond.

However, since the bridge project, Smith has seen a troubling increase in collisions between geese and vehicles.

“It’s like a geese paradise,” Smith said, noting that the new patch of grass seems to attract the geese onto the road, where they are frequently hit by passing cars.

Since June, Smith has been aware of at least eight geese being hit and killed. Living just a mile from the bridge, she frequently hears the loud, distressing sounds of these collisions.

“It doesn’t pose just a threat to the geese but people too,” said Smith. “When you try to swerve to not hit them, or wait after you hit them, and you have to stop in the middle of the road.”

Smith has called town officials to discuss possible solutions but she hasn’t gotten any concrete responses.

Since last week, Smith and her seven-year-old daughter, Saoirse, have started feeding the geese in their backyard, hoping to keep them on one side of the pond to prevent future accidents.

As her daughter went to grab a box of cracked corn, Smith pondered whether signage might help prevent accidents.

“I think they choose cracked corn over grass,” Smith explained as she watched her daughter reach out her hand to feed the geese. “Grass is nature’s food for them, so it’s not ideal that I’m feeding them, but I’m trying to prevent collisions.”

While many locals are aware of Route 107 and slow down when approaching the bridge to check for crossing geese, other drivers aren’t familiar with Deerfield and zoom past.

For residents like Smith and her daughter, who see dead geese on the side of the road, it's often unsettling.

“It is really horrible,” said Smith. “It is especially because they’re suffering, and so it’s bad for the people.”

Cindy McHugh, Deerfield’s animal control officer, acknowledged the issue but noted that geese getting hit in the area has been a problem long before the bridge was reconstructed.

“They overrun that area. They ruin people’s gardens,” she said. “Geese have always been a problem there. It’s not because of the bridge.”

According to the state’s environmental agency, managing Canadian geese involves keeping grassy areas high.

“Grass is very attractive to geese, and they tend to flock to it,” the agency advises. “If you have a grassy shoreline or lawn, it’s best to maintain the grass at a higher height (6 inches).”

However, the new grass in the cleared area is only about two inches high, which might encourage the geese to cross the bridge for food.

Smith isn’t the only resident troubled by the rising number of geese being hit.

Kimberly Beland, who moved to a house near the bridge in 2021, had not seen any goose deaths until this June.

“It’s like hitting a dog. It's not like hitting a squirrel,” said Beland. “They are big.”

After driving home from Maine earlier this summer, Beland witnessed a car in front of her strike two Canada geese.

The traumatic scene remains vivid in her memory. Desperate to help, she used mats from her car to move the injured geese to the side of the road but was hesitant to touch them, fearing that her actions might cause them further pain.

The experience has left her deeply shaken.

“They suffered for like minutes. They didn’t die right away. It was awful,” she said.“They were in horrible shape.”

Beland also thinks the geese are attracted to the new grass on the south side of the pond.

Richard Arcand, public information officer for the Department of Transportation, said that while filling spaces with loam and seed is a common post-construction practice, it depends on the specific contract.

“I don’t think we go out and say, put grass everywhere,” said Arcand. “It depends on the drainage in the area, what they may call for.”

While Smith is pleased that the bridge has been replaced, she hopes a solution can be found to prevent geese from dying. She suggested either using wood chips or gravel instead of grass to deter the geese.

In an email statement, Arcand mentioned that woodchips are not used because they do not offer a long-term solution.

“I honestly think it’s an unintended consequence of the bridge being done,” said Smith. ” I just don’t think they were thinking that they were setting up a really dangerous situation.”