Waterfowlers would do well to hunt the SGL 270 lake area on either side of Old Perry Highway Road off Route 19 at the extreme western end of Lake Wilhelm. The adjacent fields and marshland provide excellent habitat for wintering geese.

Another good bet is to launch at the boat ramp on the south side of the lake off Boyd Road, and then head east along the shoreline. This part of the lake lies in Maurice K. Goddard State Park, where gas-powered boats are permitted. Look for points sticking into the lake and set up on the very tip of the point.

For a map of Maurice K. Goddard State Park, call the park office at (724) 253-4833. For lodging information, contact the Mercer County Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800- 637-2370.

MORAINE STATE PARK
South of Slippery Rock in the Resident Zone, Butler County’s Moraine State Park covers 16,725 acres and includes the 3,225-acre Lake Arthur.

Roughly 13,600 acres of the park are open to hunting. Boats with gas-powered engines up to 20 horsepower are permitted on Lake Arthur. Hunters should be aware that at the lake’s extreme eastern end, there is a “Propagation Area” where entry on both land and water is prohibited.

The propagation area is off-limits to hunters, providing a safe haven for resident geese. As long as this area is not completely frozen over in January, hunters can count on it harboring geese. If there are geese nearby, you should be in the game.

Access to the south side of the lake is off Pleasant Valley Road, north of Route 488 or off Route 528. On the north side, take Mount Union Road south from Camelot Road.

Lake Arthur is one of those lakes that are a dream for goose hunters because it’s not just a big, round hole in the ground but has many long fingers stretching out from the main body of the lake, which offer geese seclusion from boat traffic, hunting and other activities.

Be sure to check out Porter’s Cove off Badger Hill Road between Route 422 and Interstate 79. There’s a boat launch there, or hunters may park and walk down to the shoreline with a bag of decoys slung over their shoulder. The technique is simple: Pitch a few dekes into the water near shore and then hunker back in some nearby cover.

Another good bet is the Muddy Creek finger east of Route 528. Hunters may launch their boats at the Upper 528 ramp off Lindey Road and look for a likely spot from the water. Or walk down to the water’s edge from Button Road off Barkley Road, which intersects with Route 528.

For a map of Moraine State Park, call the park office at (724) 368-8811. For lodging information, contact the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau at 1-866-856-8444.

YELLOW CREEK STATE PARK
Situated in the heart of the Resident Zone in Indiana County, 3,000-acre Yellow Creek State Park includes 720-acre Yellow Creek Lake. The park is south of Route 422 and east of Indiana’s county seat.