A map created by the Division of Fish and Wildlife shows the open area, where a permit is required. The last season ran from Jan. 26 to Feb. 11, and the map and permit are available through the Great Swamp Office, 277 Great Neck Road.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut have regular and bonus goose seasons that extend from September into February.

Some of the other public access areas, mostly coastal, are available during the regular and/or late special season. Near Warwick are Conimicut Point, Green Island and Rock Island.

The landing, appropriate for 4WD vehicles, is at the end of Shawomet Avenue and puts hunters near Conimicut Point. The landing off the Narragansett Parkway south of Rock Island is convenient to the other areas.

Point Judith Pond and the neighboring Potter Pond have possibilities for water and marsh sets. A tidal stream running through Succotash State Marsh connects them, and both may be accessed from the landing north of Galilee Road. But the Kenport Marina on the northwest edge of Succotash Marsh gives faster access to Potter Pond.

To reach the Galilee landing from Route 1, take the Old Point Judith Road and then Route 108 to Galilee Road. The shallow water around Great Island attracts puddle ducks and geese.

On the east side, hunting is permitted only from a boat or below the waterline, due to town restrictions.

The Seapowet Marsh Management Area in Tiverton on the east side of the bay, along with Seapowet Point and Jack's Island, feature plenty of mud flats, tidal creeks and salt ponds. The state maintains a public landing off the Puncatest Neck Road. Or hunters may launch a canoe from the beach.

Near South Kingstown, Worden Pond bordering the Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area is open to hunting in the early and regular seasons. The pond may be accessed from Wordens Pond Road by turning west off Route 110. On the west shore of Narragansett Bay, Wickford Harbor, which may be accessed off Route 1 on the southwest side of Kingston, has possibilities for water sets.

The regular season should run through about Jan. 21, with a limit of two geese per day.

The special late season has a limit of five geese; last year, it ran from Jan. 26 through Feb. 11.

Goose hunters must possess a Rhode Island hunting license and a Rhode Island duck stamp ($7.50), along with the federal duck stamp.

The Atlas of Rhode Island Wildlife Management Areas, describing most of Rhode Island's waterfowl and upland public hunting lands, is available by calling (401) 789-0281.

CONNECTICUT
Min Huang, a wildlife biologist and head of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's migratory game bird program, reported that they are -- finally! -- having some success in controlling the resident goose population.

Local goose numbers are down slightly, indicating that the special early and late seasons are working. But there are still plenty of geese in the Nutmeg State. The problem for late-season hunters is that these geese have all been shot at repeatedly since September, and there are very few public-access places to hunt them.

For hunting in January and February, two segments of the season are remaining in most of the state.

The regular goose season in the North Atlantic Population (NAP) High and Low hunt zones remained open until Jan. 12 last year and will be similar this year.