Corn fields and open water are the goose magnets of the late season. If you find these two seasonal attractions together in the same area, you're onto some hot shooting. The challenge, at this time of the year, often is just getting off a shot.

"I like to think of geese as being a lot like aquatic turkeys," said District 10 wildlife biologist Josh Griffin. "They may not be the brightest things out there, but you're not going to sneak up on them. You may be able to fool them once, but the rest of them won't fall for the same trick twice."

By now, honkers have been harassed, shot at and pushed from one area to the next. To say that they're a wary bunch is an understatement. Geese may not have figured out the why, but they know the world is a dangerous place to live in.

Food and shelter in combination is the key to success and that's where you'll find them. Here's a look at five of the top counties in the Hoosier State for goose hunting this year.

HENRY COUNTY
Henry County escaped the severe flooding that many areas of Indiana suffered early last summer. Things should be pretty much on target for this year's field hunting and open-water opportunities.

"Most of the hunting is on the waste corn and grain fields and the fields along the riverbanks that are flooded," said wildlife biologist Josh Griffin. "Geese will roost on Summit Lake and then fly out in the morning to the grain areas."

Scouting the farm fields near public land is an important aspect of Henry County hunting. Take advantage of the fairly predictable incoming and outgoing flights from open bodies of water like Summit Lake once you've patterned the feeding destinations. A good corn field will attract Canadas for three or four days before it's fed out and they start looking for new fields.

Most of the local goose hunters don't take to the water like duck hunters do, and this is an overlooked opportunity for decoy spreads. Camouflage is a problem and it will take some work to make the boat look like an overgrown weed patch, but it's a tactic these birds aren't expecting.

Griffin recommends using plenty of decoys in your spreads. Land and water sets should both reflect the mood of resting, secure birds. Use wing movements and dunking to create much more believable groups of birds from overhead.

The newest development in Henry County was the first-ever Summit Lake hunt. Goose hunting has never been allowed on the lake and the geese got quite a surprise last year. Approval for the hunt at Summit will be on a year-by-year basis, and Griffin is hoping it's the start of good things to come.

Summit Lake birds are forced to leave the public property to reach the surrounding farm fields. These fields offer excellent hunting for honkers, but permission is required to set up on the private landholdings. The lake covers 800 acres of water and is part of the Summit Lake State Park. The rest of the property is marsh, mud flats, grass and woodland.