Great Late-Season Goose Destinations

Hunters setting out goose decoys in a field. Photo by Mike Clingan/Montana Outdoor Imagery

In the dead of winter, an agricultural field can resemble a moonscape. It’s been months since a combine rumbled through it, and the tire tracks that once held water are now pockets of ice. When it’s this cold, stubble crunches underfoot and gets swept across the fields by howling winds. Most regular duck seasons are either closed or about to close. The high-pitched ziiiiiiip ziiiiiiip of drills boring holes into the frozen ground to accommodate full-body decoy stakes sounds more like an Indianapolis 500 pit stop than the business of setting a decoy spread.

Many states offer late goose hunting opportunities. These extended seasons give waterfowlers one last chance to bag a variety of goose species before putting the decoys and shotguns into storage. And for those of us willing to brave the often-harsh conditions, the rewards can far outweigh the struggles. If you’re looking to extend your season in pursuit of geese, here are some of the best places in the country to do it.

New York

The Empire State is known for the New York City skyline on one end of the state and Niagara Falls on the other. In between those two popular tourist attractions you can find some fantastic late-season Canada goose hunting.

Mike Bard lives in Jordan, New York, and has guided waterfowl hunters for over two decades. He takes advantage of the late Canada goose season and says it’s some of the best hunting of the year. However, he does stress that hunters should be sure to check local regulations, because New York’s various zones can have different opening and closing dates.

“For these late-season goose hunts, we are looking at hunting small pockets of geese that are hitting agricultural fields,” Bard says. “We enjoy this time of year because it’s much more relaxed, and it’s more of a buddy hunt.”

Bard explains that the pressure is certainly lower than it is during the regular season, and the frigid temperatures have the geese hunkered down until at least 10 a.m. And while many of these geese are finding open water on the big lakes in the region, it’s the fast-flowing rivers he focuses on. “A good feed may be 150 to 200 birds that are using a small river for open water,” he says. “We aren’t running traffic but looking for a field they might be using, and even looking for a field with a little hill that catches the sun first thing in the morning. The geese will key in on that.”

Bard doesn’t use big spreads and isn’t aggressive on the calls. This kind of hunting is all about location, which makes scouting crucial. He uses some full-body decoys, but deploys mostly sleepers and rester shells. While there are some outfitters who offer late-season hunts, Bard says this is his favorite time of year to freelance.

“These geese are on smaller farms this time of year, and with the lack of pressure, getting permission is much easier,” he says. “I recommend this season for hunters looking to bag big, beautiful birds in full plumage. I’ve had several friends get birds mounted from these late hunts. The hard part is finding guys who want to get out in the cold weather, but it’s a great way to extend your season. Typically, I’ll hunt late-season geese in New York and then pack my bags and get ready to guide for spring snows.”

Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan

White-fronted goose over decoys. Photo by dougsteinkephotos.com

As the calendar flips to February, the area along the Michigan-Indiana border is a diamond-in-the-rough location to chase geese. A handful of outfitters guide hunters here, and there are ample opportunities to freelance as well. Being able to bounce back and forth across the state line opens up a large swath of available ground.

“It’s an interesting late season up here,” says Jay Anglin, a fishing guide and freelance writer from La Porte, Indiana. “Geese are riding that freeze line, but there are always resident geese hanging around any open water. All dark goose species as well as light geese are pushing the snow line. Adult specks show up now too, which is something new that’s been happening in the last five years, and you have to make a decision about which species you want to target.”

Anglin explains that if there is snow on the ground, it makes the late season extra special. The geese become much easier to pattern, and with the residents and migrants mixed together, it’s possible to find impressive numbers. “This all depends on the weather, but ideally you will have snow, ice, and these big mega-roosts of local birds along with a smattering of migrating birds going north or south,” he says. “We find them on these tiny little creek bottoms, where 500 geese are piled into the open water. However, I’ve seen it both ways—dandelions popping and frogs croaking in the wetlands. When that happens, the geese get very vocal and aggressive. They’re much easier to call when it’s warmer. Just keep an eye out for those quick transitions and take advantage of an influx of geese.”

Anglin explains that even though hunting pressure drops off at this time of year, there is always going to be competition. For hunters who plan on freelancing, he recommends talking to some locals and offering to trade them a hunt near you. “Typically, there’s always room for a few more hunters in a goose field, at least when the conditions are right,” he says.

Western North Dakota and Eastern Montana

Goose hunter. Photo by dougsteinkephotos.com

Most waterfowlers probably don’t think of the US prairies as a late-season goose destination, but the hunters who live and hunt in this region know that the best time of year to zero in on hardy Canada geese is well after the regular season closes and into January. The conditions can be brutal—expect ice, heavy snow, and temperatures dipping to well below zero. But the geese are here, and they can be concentrated on available open water in staggering numbers.

The confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers in western North Dakota is where you’ll often find Todd Pokrzywinski, a Watford City, North Dakota, resident and avid waterfowl hunter. Pokrzywinski has been hunting late-season geese near the confluence of the two rivers for more than 30 years. “Our duck season typically ends in late November with a hard freeze, and this is a great opportunity to extend your season,” he says.

Pokrzywinski explains that these are some of the coldest hunts he has ever endured, but also some of the most spectacular shoots he’s ever experienced. The birds are using the shallow waters of the Yellowstone River and then hopping onto adjacent agricultural fields to feed. He says many of these geese are hitting sugar beet fields. “They’ll come off the water and hit these beet fields and feed and rest most of the day,” he says. “The difficult aspect is finding cover. A harvested sugar beet field is like a parking lot, so using drainage ditches and any possible cover is critical. If we get a big snow, that’s when it gets good, because we can just wear white in the decoys.”

Pokrzywinski and the crew he hunts with also set up on sandbars along the Yellowstone, which can make for some up-close and personal shooting on these giants. They’ll even shift into eastern Montana on occasion if that’s where the birds are. “There’s certainly more people out there hunting them than there used to be,” he says, “and as you get closer to Billings, you can find some outfitters during the late season.” But he warns people to be prepared for the conditions in this part of the country in early January. “One morning we woke up and it was minus 35 degrees. That’s just flat-out cold. But the geese are still there.”

Using full-body Canada goose decoys and three Higdon Clones, Pokrzywinski says it doesn’t take much to fool these geese if you’re in the right location. His style of hunting doesn’t lend itself to a lot of calling. “None of our guys would win a goose-calling competition, but if you’re on the X it doesn’t matter,” he explains. “We make just enough noise to catch their attention. If you wear the proper gear and know where the birds are going, it can be a great destination for hunting Canada geese.”

(Note: some portions of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers are closed to goose hunting. Check with the appropriate state agency before heading afield.)

Kansas

Flock of light geese over decoys. Photo by Tony Vandemore/Habitat Flats

You might picture a goose field outside of Wichita, Kansas, in February as snow-covered frozen tundra. Conditions like that are not unusual, but it is the warm, spring-like days with big south winds that Graham Greseth, owner of Maxxed Out Guides, looks for.

“The best late-season goose hunts fall into the category of ‘spring in the Midwest,’” says Greseth, who has been guiding in Kansas for 10 years. “We see wild weather extremes of below-freezing temperatures and spitting snow one day and then 60 degrees with a big south wind the next. We hunt both, but we prefer those warm south winds.”

Greseth explains that these late-season hunts offer opportunities for a diversity of geese, including lesser Canadas, giant Canadas, white-fronted geese, and snow geese. And he sets up for all of them. “We find feeds with all of them together,” he says. “We are looking for those times when the winds shift and blow out of the south, and then we are hunting big local feeds but also running traffic on migrators. It’s the beginning of the reverse migration. That’s when the late goose hunting is at its best.”

His crew runs large decoy spreads with Canadas, white-fronts, and snows, which adds to the gunning opportunities throughout the hunt. And while most hunters in other parts of the country use only minimal calling during the late season, Greseth calls a lot. “When the geese are moving back north, you can be very aggressive on the calls,” he explains. “Many times, these birds have traveled quite a bit and they’re looking for food and rest. They are much more vocal when they are doing that.”

Greseth says that freelance hunters should look for geese roosting on one of Kansas’s many large reservoirs. Running traffic on these geese is the way to go, and scouting is paramount. “The weather combined with different species of geese makes for good hunting,” he says.

Oregon

Goose hunter with harvested geese. Photo by garykramer.net

Better known for its world-class wineries, the Willamette Valley of Oregon is also a popular haunt for Pacific Northwest goose hunters, but it remains somewhat unknown among waterfowlers on a national level. However, there are few, if any, better places to hunt dark geese—especially cacklers—well into February and even March.

Mario Friendy, pro staff manager for Mossy Oak and vice president of brand innovation, marketing, and sales for Final Approach, grew up along the Interstate 5 corridor chasing geese. He says there are challenges to hunting at this time of year, but the results can be fantastic. “It’s a great time. Duck season closes and you know you have another month chasing geese,” Friendy says. “This is truly a cackler hunt, but there are seven different subspecies of geese around this time of year.”

He says that the variety of dark goose species is a positive, but hunters who have never ventured into this region need to be aware of a few things. “You’re not allowed to shoot dusky Canada geese,” he explains, “so it’s important that you are able to identify this species on the wing. Before you can buy a license, you have to take a test on species identification. We always have binoculars on hand to scan the flocks. There are times when we have a good flock working the decoys and we have to call it off because we just aren’t quite sure if there are a few duskies mixed in.”

As with all of these late goose destinations, weather can play a crucial role in deciding how and where you’re going to hunt. This part of the Pacific Northwest is famous for being wet, and Friendy says this impacts the hunt in many ways. “When it’s dry, which is rare, the geese are much easier to pattern,” he explains. “When it’s wet, they can spread out and become very indecisive. These cacklers can frustrate you pretty quickly. One day they dump right in; the next day they won’t respond to any calling. You have to constantly change tactics.”

Like everything else in waterfowling, opportunities don’t come without challenges. “There is just a lot going on during this season, but it is fun,” Friendy says. He recommends looking for an outfitter or reaching out to locals to see if they may have room for a couple more hunters in their group. “The unique hunting conditions and the variety of geese make this a special hunt. If you want to test out some rain gear to see if it really works, bring it out here during the late season,” he laughs.