The author shot this nice blue goose near Sabine National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron Parish. Photo by Chester Moore Jr.

At first I thought I was seeing things.

Just as the sun started to peek over the marsh, a large black shape blacked out the available light. Was this a fog coming from the nearby Gulf or an ensuing storm?

From a distance, it looked like one giant shape, but as it approached, the familiar cackling sound of snow geese broke the silence of the morning. What seemed to be one huge object was instead thousands of geese moving in unison, heading in the direction of our blind. This was my first-ever real goose hunt, and the bunch I was hunting with had warned me to bring plenty of ammunition. Cameron Parish was loaded with geese, and I was to be in the middle of some world-class wing-shooting action.

That was many years ago, but the geese are still in Cameron Parish, and the hunting can range from so-so to superb, depending on weather and habitat conditions.

Last year, in the aftermath of Hurricane Rita, very little hunting took place in Cameron Parish, with the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge closed and nearly every structure in the area obliterated by storm surge or severely damaged by wind -- so any specific data that could underpin predictions about prospects for goose hunting in the area this season are questionable. However, certain long-recognized areas and techniques should pan out in this remote, wild part of Louisiana. (Continued)

Identifying goose flyways through the parish is extremely important. Two major national wildlife refuges are in the area, but waterfowl hunting is allowed only at Sabine NWR. Most opportunities here are on private land, so hunters need to be flexible with regard to their game plans, and to understand the movements of the birds in the Parish.

By the time this article hits newsstands, geese will be established in the area, so few birds will be arriving from up north. The movement will be associated with changes in food availability, and will respond to the pressure that will be felt in the area. One of the key areas holding geese lies right on the boundary of the refuge and private property that borders Sabine Lake. From the Willow and Johnson Bayou area you can see the geese moving back and forth. The geese, mostly snows and Ross', tend to roost on refuge property, afterwards flying toward the outskirts of the federal property and onto the prairie area to feed. If you're one of the lucky hunters with that property leased, you'll probably kill lots of geese. However, refuge hunters can also score -- if they pay careful attention.