Ryan Warhola, from Sabine Pass just across the Louisiana-Texas border, said that he's had pretty decent success at bagging low flying geese on foggy days along this coastal area. He emphasized that hunters need to be very mindful of weather conditions. "You have to really pay attention to the weather and be prepared to leave at the last minute," he noted, "because this is a matter of keying in on confused geese. That's something you don't get a chance to do every day."

Hunters should familiarize themselves with the flight patterns of the birds in the section of the refuge they want to hunt, recommended Warhola. "These birds have patterns they use quite a bit in different areas," he said. "They will do the same thing on foggy mornings, but they are not sure of their surroundings, so they are a lot easier to get.

"Find some good cover, like around a levee, or just behind a small ridge, and use that as your signpost for shooting and calling. Once the birds get to your spot, let them have it. If the fog is high enough, you can see a fair way up; you'll want to take farther shots. But if it's really thick, you can make super-high-percentage shots at near point blank range."

FALL FLIGHT
Goose hunting success in Cameron Parish (or anywhere, for that matter) begins in the nesting grounds, and this year brings mixed reports. During the 2006 midwinter survey, biologists counted 2,221,700 light geese, which is 5 percent fewer than last year's tally.

According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials, biologists at Southampton Island in Canada's Hudson Bay (a key nesting area for snow geese) reported that the spring snowmelt occurred about one week earlier than it had in recent years. Nesting there appeared to run three to four days earlier than it did in 2005, and two weeks earlier than in 2004. Spring nesting at Cape Henrietta Maria and La Perouse Bay was earlier than average for a second consecutive year, and biologists expect production there to be average or better. A fall flight similar to or larger than that of 2005 is expected.

For specklebellies (white-fronted geese), nesting near Queen Maud, Gulf in 2006 was about a week earlier than the average, and nesting conditions from the Rasmussen Lowlands to Kugluktuk appeared to be favorable.

Production of white-fronted geese throughout most of their range, with the exception of the western Canadian mainland, is expected to be above average. A fall flight lower than that of last year is expected. Fewer young specklebellies will be available for hunters to get a crack at. Young geese make up the majority of the bag in years in which they're a large portion of the fall flight. They have less experience and are much easier to call in and decoy. This year, it looks as if hunters might have to work for their specklebellies.