White geese call to one another continually as they move into the local corn fields to feed and back to Lovewell Lake to rest and roost. For local residents, they announce spring is close. Planting season is almost here.

But as the white goose population explodes and the area's water basin areas shrink, the migration potentially exposes the area poultry flocks to avian influenza.

Rob Unruh, Kansas wildlife specialist, askes area residents to not touch dead geese.

"We have had people wading the shallows at Lovewell Lake and throwing dead geese up on the bank," he said.

"Besides being illegal,"...