Goose numbers vary a lot on Mustinka depending on the weather and hunting pressure. The good news is that most of the geese that end up at Lac qui Parle have to fly over Mustinka to get there.

During the regular waterfowl season, the geese primarily use harvested cornfields and soybeans. The birds will use the WMAs and WPAs but seem to have the ability to quickly locate the various refuges in the vicinity. The refuges can hold tens of thousands of birds that will move around.

The North Unit of Mustinka covers 175 acres and the South Unit offers good hunting on 573 acres a mile east of Wendell on SH 55 in Grant County.

South of Highway 55, the North Unit is a refuge and is closed to hunting. For additional information, contact the area office at (320) 634-0342.

BIG SLOUGH WPA
Federal lands like the Big Slough WPA provide some of the state's best waterfowling opportunities. This chunk of goose paradise covers 800 acres in the midst of great waterfowl hunting on several nearby state lands, such as Buffalo Lake, Dovray, Hiram C. Southwick, Iona and Mason WMAs. Most of the state lands are smaller and offer limited opportunities, such as Buffalo Lake's 110 acres of marsh and grassy fields near Dovray, part of which is a refuge where no hunting is allowed.

According to Mark Vaniman of the Windom Wetland Management District, there are plenty of Canadas to go around. There can be a lot of geese into late November and December as long as the area doesn't go into a deep freeze and the food holds out in the farm fields. The honkers are able to keep the smaller bodies of water open, which then concentrates them like a magnet. They'll roost on Big Slough, as well as some of the smaller areas, and then fly out to feed. Birds are taken along the edges of the public-hunting areas, especially on windy days or when field feeding.

Having the best decoy spread, concealment and firepower combined is no substitute for knowing where the birds are. Scouting before the hunt is the single best insurance policy that waterfowlers have against going home empty-handed.

Try setting your shells, silhouettes and full-body decoys all in a group. The combination makes the spread look more alive.

The Big Slough harbors a dozen wetlands and 400 acres of native grasses three miles southeast of Slayton in Murray County. Small boats can be launched into Big Slough from 173rd Avenue off State Highway 59 south of Slayton. Non-toxic shot is required.

For additional information, contact the Windom Wetland Management District at (507) 83102220.

ALBERTA WMA
This little gem represents the region where literally dozens of wetlands and ponds dot the landscape that hold Canadas into the late season.

According to wildlife biologist Kevin Kotts, west-central Minnesota will often have large numbers of geese into the colder weather. The problem is that birds are spread out all over the place. On top of finding them, when the pressure kicks in, the geese just puddle jump to another spot.