One section that December goose hunters would do well to check out lies north of Harrisburg, roughly from Fort Hunter to Halifax in Dauphin County.

On this stretch of river, there are two game lands. SGL 290, locally known as Haldeman Island, is a Canada goose mecca. It's such a goose magnet that the island's northern half is posted as a propagation area and is off-limits to hunters.

The southern end is the only choice for hunting on this island. A bridge provides land access to the island off Route 22 near Amity Hall.

Hunters looking to access Haldeman Island by boat should put in at the ramp on the west shore at New Buffalo and head downriver. That's the closest ramp to the island.

Head about three miles upriver from Haldeman Island and you'll hit a cluster of three islands -- Bressler, Clemson and Lingle -- which are part of SGL 254 in Dauphin County. The only access to these islands is via a boat, which you can launch directly opposite the islands on the east shore of the river in the town of Halifax.

Try setting up a blind on one of the islands and pitch your decoys in the river to catch low-flying birds that move up and down the Susquehanna all day.

For information on hunting this stretch of river, contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's South-central Region office at (814) 643-1831.

Penns Creek in central Pennsylvania's Bald Eagle State Forest is mostly recognized as one of the state's premiere trout fisheries. But the Penns also harbors a good population of resident Canada geese that are seldom pursued by hunters.

To get to the huntable section of Penns Creek in the forest, you have two options -- on foot or by canoe. No matter which option you choose, start out by driving in on the dirt access road to Poe Valley and Poe Paddy state parks from Route 322 at the crest of Seven Mountains.

Stay on the road until you reach Poe Paddy State Park, which is on the banks of Penns Creek.

Take the last left before reaching Penns Creek, crossing over Big Poe Creek and continuing through the park's camping area.

Hiking hunters should park at the bridge that leads to the abandoned railroad tunnel. Cross the bridge on foot, walk through the tunnel and you'll see Penns Creek off to your right. Stay on the railroad bed until you reach a spot where the creek is wide and slow-moving. Set up for geese there.

If you're going to hunt by boat, drive past the railroad tunnel and head to the area dedicated for launching canoes. From there, you'll want to float downstream through Poe Paddy about three miles to get to the huntable area in the state forest.

For a map of Bald Eagle State Forest, contact the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' district office at (570) 922-3344.

Find more about Pennsylvania fishing and hunting at PAgameandfish.com