Lac qui Parle covers 24,274 acres between Appleton and Montevideo in Lac Qui Parle County. Register at the headquarters when hunting the controlled hunting zone. There are 19 handicapped-accessible blinds on this section. It's too late this season to apply for the controlled hunt, so mark your calendar for next year.

Lac qui Parle always has lots of geese well into December but the season has traditionally been closed by the end of November. Plans to extend it into December are under consideration. Contact the office to find out whether the WC zone was approved for 60 days this year.

For more information, contact Lac qui Parle at (320) 734-4451.

ORWELL WMA
The resident flock of Giant Canadas is targeted for the December hunt at Orwell, according to Don Schultz, the area wildlife supervisor. Hunting can vary from excellent to poor depending on the snow depth and its effect on the availability of food in the fields.

There is generally open water on the Otter Tail River near Fergus Falls, and this is a major roosting site. Orwell can hold as few as a couple thousand honkers or up to 20,000 birds. Field hunting opportunities abound, but guide services have leased much of the available ground. If it looks like you'll be rubbing shoulders with too many waterfowlers, there are plenty of other public state and federal hunting areas in the region.

Try calling in a slightly off-the-beaten-path manner, said Randall Alicie, a long-time goose hunter with the results to back up his theories. When calling to passing Canadas, keep it to a minimum until the geese start to show a little interest and move in to take a look. That's when you should let 'em have it. Your calling should convey this is your spot and you don't want to share it. Become more aggressive the closer they get. This works until the shooting starts, and it works time after time.

Orwell covers 2,129 acres in Otter Tail County. The area is about nine miles southwest of Fergus Falls on CSAH 2. There is a controlled Goose Hunting Zone.

For more information, contact the MDNR Fergus Falls office at (218) 739-7576.

MUSTINKA WMA
Goose hunting in the west-central counties of Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens and Traverse counties can be excellent. This is wildlife biologist Kevin Kotts' turf and he's proud of how good the hunting can be.

Canada geese can arrive in big numbers, but they'll be spread out on dozens of small lakes and wetlands, said Kotts. Hunting pressure easily moves the birds from one spot to another, though bigger areas like Mustinka will hold birds longer than its smaller counterparts.

Kotts recommends scouting as the number one ingredient to a successful hunt in the region. Canadas move around between public wetlands and area fields and are tough to predict. Cell phones and plat maps will help a group of hunters to keep in touch with each other.