Photo by Gerald Pabst.

New England has become a modern goose-hunting mecca because thousands of geese are hatched here and never migrate. Combine these resident geese with the traditional seasonal migration from eastern Canada, and coastal New England becomes the Chesapeake Bay of yore -- only with longer hunting seasons and higher bag limits!

Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have regular and bonus goose seasons extending from September into February. Goose hunting begins with an early bonus season in September, prior to the fall migration and thus targeting only local geese.

Hunting continues through various split regular seasons as the migrants filter through, and then extends through January and into February.

During the most severe weather, the only geese left in most areas are the hardheaded residents scrounging in the tidal areas for meager pickings or loafing around various corporate headquarters and golf course ponds.

During the earlier seasons, geese feed heavily in recently harvested grain fields. But hayfields, pastures and fields planted with winter wheat or other cover grasses are most popular in the late season.

Frigid cold holds down the number of hunters, but hungry geese and a five-bird limit makes calling them into windblown fields a definite attraction for serious hunters.

WORKING LATE-SEASON GEESE TO THE DECOYS
Because Canada geese are social birds, calling is necessary to attract their attention. But you must do it right. Decoys are also necessary for all but pass-shooting.

An effective approach has four essential parts:
1) Set up near the middle of open fields,
2) Keep your silhouette at or below ground level,
3) Make lots of noise and motion when the geese are onthe horizon, and
4) Quit calling when the birds are near.

In places where you'll have to carry your gear in and carry harvested birds out, keep your decoy spread modest, light and mobile.

WHERE TO HUNT
Unquestionably the best opportunities are on private land, mostly farmers' fields and golf courses (seriously!). But there are also public lands available for hunting.

Written permission is generally required on private lands, but geese damage crops and grass, so severely that many farmers are receptive to a polite approach.

MASSACHUSETTS
Two segments of late-season goose hunting are options in Massachusetts.

The end of the regular season in the coastal zone was Jan. 17 last year, and a special late season will be available from about Jan. 15 until Feb. 15 in both the central zone and most of the coastal zone. North of Boston on Cape Ann, many resident geese spend the nights on the salt water and fly to inland fields daily.

Public spots in the Newburyport area include all three areas (A, B and C) of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge, Kent's Island, and the Salisbury Flats. There are also some sculling opportunities around Woodbridge Island and the Joppa Flats.

A landing is available at Salisbury State Park on U.S. Route 1A, and there is a small landing on the Plum Island side inside the Parker River Refuge's main gate, which is often frozen shut in cold weather.

Hunting the refuge area is still possible from the Salisbury landing or, to walk-in hunters, in areas B and C. Call the refuge office at (978) 465-5753 or check the refuge's Web site for more information.

Richard Turner, district wildlife manager for MassWildlife's Southeast District, agrees that the season's best goose-hunting activity is in January and February, when the fields and marshes are less crowded with hunters. South of Boston, the thousands of acres of coastal marshes provide plenty of opportunities for geese. But the best activity is still on private land.