Much of the time, landowners will have no objection in allowing you to hunt, because they are experiencing increasing numbers of birds on their property. Many have no real interest in geese and won't mind if you take a few -- as long as you respect their property.

You can walk in and jump-shoot them sometimes, or watch where they go to feed and decoy them in with a simple blind and a relatively small spread. On the larger farms and bodies of water, some local flocks may have well over 100 birds.

Also look for property to hunt close to golf courses, horse farms with big ponds, and around any of central Kentucky's state-owned lakes.

Another excellent choice, after a hard winter rain, is to watch in a flood-prone area, whether it's a grain field or just a pasture. Until the water recedes, if there locally raised geese are around, they'll often pile into these makeshift waterholes and dunk around feeding or resting. For a couple of days, you can have some excellent hunts, but you have to be observant, check them when the areas should be under water -- and be sure and get landowner permission first.

CAVE RUN LAKE/VICINITY
The goose-hunting opportunities drop off quickly the farther east of Lexington you get. But one resident flock established several years ago continues to hold its own and offers hunters in the Cave Run Lake vicinity some wonderful winter waterfowling.

While the lake itself is off-limits, some areas on the southern end of Cave Run are used by geese fairly regularly. Remember, local birds become wise fast. After a day of hunting, they may change location on you. Be prepared to move around as best you can, and to give them something different to look at, rather than the same setup they saw yesterday.

A good plan is to visit an area well before you intend to hunt it. Check the lay of the land and become familiar with the places you'll likely be hunting over.

A good plan is to visit an area well before you intend to hunt it. Check the lay of the land and become familiar with the places you'll likely be hunting over. Find out where you can hunt long before you plan to go, and check regulations closely.

Talk with some local hunters or anglers when you get the chance. Sometimes fishermen are more forthcoming with information about waterfowl hunting. They can be good sources of waterfowl activity because they're on and around water a lot.