Follow up quickly on any period where temperatures north of the Ohio don't climb above 32 degrees, but are warmer in Kentucky, by watching for spots where local birds are. It's almost like having live decoys for the passing birds to come in to. Find a pond or two with geese on them, and get in there fast. It's your best chance to catch them coming through and unaware.

OHIO RIVER
The Ohio River runs 600 miles from one end of Kentucky to the other, yet it may be the most underused resource for goose hunting in the entire Commonwealth.

According to Pritchert, geese will use this corridor and stack up on or near the river at times, all the while offering some excellent wingshooting opportunities.

"If I hunt the river, I'm going to be somewhere in the vicinity of a power plant, most likely," said the biologist.

"We've found geese on nearly every cooling pond along the Ohio, whether the plant is on the Kentucky side or the north side, when we've flown aerial surveys.

"These ponds don't freeze over, so they become havens for local geese (and ducks) when it ices up elsewhere," said Pritchert.

"The river attracts birds in a similar fashion. They move up and down, going from roosting spots to feeding fields in the area. They'll give you a good chance to intercept them in between.

"As long as you set up on the water, you can hunt almost anywhere within reason. There's a lot of territory available away from houses and bridges and so forth, some islands here and there to break you up a bit, embayments and feeder creeks and a good number of boat ramp access into the various pools you want to try," he said.

"January is probably the best time to try the Ohio because it's the coldest period of the season in Kentucky," he added. "But you need to be appropriately prepared with cold weather gear and use good judgment in your boating habits and shot selections."

CENTRAL STATE LAKES & PONDS
In the state's midsection, there are two primary opportunities to score on resident giant Canadas, and you can have surprisingly good luck.

The best way is to drive some back roads to locate farm ponds where geese lounge during the day. In the mornings, it is common to see large flocks of geese in cut cornfields close to a body of water.