BEND, Ore. -- U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services and the Bend Parks and Rec District worked together  to put a dent in the Canada Geese population in Bend, and the reaction is as divided as you might expect.

More than 100 Canada Geese were corralled from Drake Park on Tuesday, taken to a Bend Parks and Rec building and euthanized -- a last resort in efforts to reduce the goose population in Bend's scenic and popular parks.

"They were euthanized off site with a CO2 gas, the geese were put into a chamber so the gassing is very, very, quick and then, the meat is usable for people," said Parks and Rec Community Relations Manager Jan Taylor.

Officials said the euthanization was a long time coming and the meat will go to a good cause--feeding the hungry.

The meat from those geese will be given to local food banks; NeighborImpact and Bend Community Center.

Sandy Klein of NeighborImpact said Wednesday the last time the non-profit received goose meat, it literally flew off the shelves, although she does admit, people weren't quite sure what to do with it.

"This year, what I think I am going to do is provide a recipe, so people know what to do with the goose meat," she said, "because it does have a different flavor. Like I said, it makes a great stew,"

Even though the goose meat is going to feed the hungry, some residents still aren't okay with how it's getting to the table.

"I think that's horrible," said Bend resident Leah Larkin. "I don't think it's our choice to euthanize any creature, I mean, especially anything wild that was technically here first."

Others, like Charles Devine, say it was time to take action.

"They're not migrating, so it's not what geese should be doing," he said. "They've sort of adapted a resident lifestyle, which I guess a lot of people want to do in Bend, too."

Trying to find a balance between residents' and geese enjoyment of the park is what Bend Parks and Rec said the main goal is.

"Can you walk through the park without having to wash your shoes?" Taylor said.  "We need to have a  healthy amount of geese to enjoy, because we all really enjoy the geese in the park."

The agency says there won't be any more euthansia of geese this year.

For years, Parks and Rec has been working to reduce the goose population downtown because their massive amounts of droppings made it difficult for people to enjoy Bend's scenic parks along the Deschutes River.

At times during the summer, there could be up to 800 Canada Geese in Drake Park and other areas near the water.

This year, the park district intensified its efforts, with the help of the the USDA's Wildlife Services Division, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and two animal rights groups, GeesePeace and the Humane Society of the U.S..

Officials tried oiling eggs to keep them from hatching, and using dogs and remote-controlled boats to scare geese from the shores of the river and area parks.

The park district held several public meetings on the subject, and found most people supported the population control programs brought before them -- including euthanasia.

"The ultimate goal is to maintain a healthy population of geese while providing a clean environment for park users," said Don Horton, executive director of Bend Parks and Rec.

Over the last year, officials had identified a group of geese that did not migrate and had decided to call Bend their permanent home.

These 109 "core resident geese" were gathered on Tuesday and euthanized using carbon dioxide - a quick and humane method that doesn't spoil the meat for human consumption, according to the park district.

Another 27 core residents were banded, so the the park district and ODFW officials could monitor them over the next several months.

The park district now will pay $15 per goose to process the meat so it can be given to local food banks.