Middle Creek is part of State Game Lands 46, though much of the property is posted as a propagation area where hunting access is restricted or prohibited. Hunting in the restricted area is limited to Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the open seasons for Canada geese. Call the Middle Creek office at (717) 733-1512 for more information on how to access this area.

There is some flat, open ground on SGL 46 just outside the propagation area around the main lake that is open to general hunting and is ideal for a goose setup. Corn, alfalfa and other crops are planted on these tracts to provide food for wildlife, and geese feed there regularly in December.

East of Middle Creek, there are clusters of Farm-Game properties around the villages of Reinholds and Blainsport along Route 897 that draw hungry birds from the refuge.

The heaviest concentration of Farm-Game properties, however, is to the south. You can find plenty of hunting opportunities north and south of Route 322 around Ephrata, Akron, Schoeneck, Hopeland and other nearby towns and villages.

Octoraro Reservoir sits in the southeast corner of Lancaster County off Route 472. This 528-acre lake is owned by the Chester Water Authority. Field goose hunters should look to the nearby Farm-Game properties just west of the lake from Kirkwood on Route 472 south to Little Britain on Route 272.

The Susquehanna River forms the western boundary of Lancaster County. Obviously, the geese that roost and loaf on the Susquehanna River have to eat. A short flight to the east takes them to some prime farmland, much of which is enrolled in the Farm-Game program. There are several such properties close to the river around Marietta, Mount Joy, Bainbridge and other towns along routes 441, 743 and 241.

There's another cluster of Farm-Game properties worth checking out along the river in the northern end of the county. Look for these farms west of Mount Wolf off Route 181 and around Strinestown along Route 295.

There's a large band of Farm-Game properties stretching east to west across a good portion of the county a few miles north of Middle Creek. The areas around Schaefferstown and Iona on Route 897, Newmanstown on Route 419 and Quentin on Route 72 are well known to local goose hunters as hotspots.

SGL 280 along Route 183 abuts the Corps of Engineers' land to the east. Much of this property is farmed and planted with corn. Once the corn is harvested, the remaining fields are perfect for fall goose hunters. There are also several Farm-Game properties west of the lake.

Concentrate on farms around New Schaefferstown between routes 183 and 419. Also, the farms between Blue Marsh and Womelsdorf and Robesonia are known to be productive.

The Octoraro Reservoir, which is on the Chester-Lancaster line, harbors a lot of the geese that are hunted in southwest Chester County. But there are hundreds of farm ponds available to the geese in this area as well. Waterfowl hunters can find some productive farm-game properties south of Oxford around Nottingham and Chrome on Route 272. The best concentration of farms enrolled in the program, however, is north of Oxford around Atglen and Parkesburg. Many of the farms along routes 10, 41 and 372 in this area are farm-game properties.

For assistance with locating farm-game properties in the Southeast Region, contact the Game Commission's regional office at (877) 877-9470. For lodging information, contact the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau at (717) 299-8901.