Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
HUNTSVILLE — A trip across town for Shaun Bowen tends to turn some heads. Riding on his scooter, two geese fly next to him.
"I'll keep it at around 25 miles per hour, and they'll stay right behind me," Bowen said. "People will see me and wave, and then they'll see two geese flying behind me and the looks are awesome."
Neighbors in the small Weber County town have come to enjoy the sight, calling Shaun nicknames like "The Goose Whisperer" and "Mother Goose."
"They're awesome. It's our favorite thing," Huntsville resident Jenna Holt said. "Every time Shaun comes by, we all run out to see the geese."
"Kind of a small-town thing we love," Angel Truett, wife of Mayor Jim Truett, said. "We always yell at him, 'Do it again, Shaun! Do it again!’ ”
The once avid goose-hunter rescued six eggs near Pineview Reservoir last April. He said he monitored the abandoned nest over several days as the water levels drew closer.
"No lie, the water was an inch away from the nest all the way around," Bowen said. "With the spring runoff, they would have flooded that night."
Though he had his doubts, a friend persuaded him to gather the eggs and put them in a chicken egg incubator.
"I thought the chance was pretty slim," Bowen said.
Still, five of the eggs eventually hatched. It wasn't long before the chicks started following Bowen around the yard.
"I was the first thing once they hatched to see," Bowen said. "They think I'm their mother or something."
Bowen gave three of the geese to a friend. At times they can be seen following random people around town. However, Bowen's two geese stay close to him. They've changed him, he said.
"I used to hunt ’em like crazy. Now, I could never get myself to shoot another goose as long as I live," Bowen said. "You grow pretty fond of them."
Whether the geese will stick around is still uncertain.
"If their winter cycle kicks in, if they fly south, I'll let them," Bowen said.
However, he wouldn't mind if they didn't go.
"I'll take care of them," Bowen said. "They'll definitely get a good life here."
