STAFFORD COUNTY, Kan. -- In the predawn darkness, Brad VonFeldt and Lonnie Carter worked feverishly to set a trap.
They pulled a trailer into a cut corn field, pulled dozens of goose decoys out of it and situated them along a knoll. Later, they placed several popup blinds in the corn stalks and concealed them with natural cover.
By the time the sun struggled to rise above the horizon, they were ready -- ready for the thousands of geese that stream out of the nearby Quivira National Wildlife Refuge to feed.
"It's unbelievable how many geese Quivira will attract at this time of the year," said VonFeldt, who guides hunters through his Great Flyway Adventures business. "I think they said there are close to 400,000 geese here right now.
"You get in one of these feed fields nearby, and you have a chance at some good hunting."
Especially where VonFeldt and Carter had chosen to set up.
"The nice thing about this field is that it's one of the high points in this area," VonFeldt said. "We're four miles west of the refuge. When the geese are flying out, our decoys are very visible.
"Then it's up to us to call 'em in."
As soon as the sky brightened, that's what VonFeldt was trying to do. In the distance, he could see flocks of geese dotting the blue sky, like bees buzzing a hive.
He started producing a series of calls to imitate the racket that geese on the ground make. Then he watched a flock of whitefronts suddenly veer toward the sounds and cup their wings. The birds started to glide down on the decoys, getting within 30 yards.
That's when Carter shouted, "Take 'em," and the hinges on three popup blinds swung open.
Carter, VonFeldt and a guest, Charlie Black, pointed their shotguns into the sky and fired. Several large geese plopped to the ground, and Black's yellow lab, Pete, bounded out to finish the job.
"There's that 30 seconds when they commit, set their wings and glide down that really gets my heart pounding," said Carter, a longtime goose hunter who helps VonFeldt with his guiding.
Carter's heart was racing on this late-November day.
Flock after flock of geese spotted the full-body decoys shining in the field, heard the calls and came in. White-fronted, Canadas, snows and blues -- all flew down for a closer look.
By the time the morning hunt was done, the three hunters were carrying 10 geese -- six white-fronted, three Canadas and one snow -- out of the field.
And Quivira's reputation as one of the Midwest's finest goose-hunting destinations was intact.
"I would guess that we have more specks (speckle-bellied geese, another term for white-fronted) in here right now than anywhere else in the country," Carter said. "We're right in the middle of their flyway.
"But we'll get good numbers of Canadas and snows, too. You can sit out here and shoot a mixed bag on one of these hunts.
"That's why we put out all three kinds of decoys."
VonFeldt will use different calls to bring each species of goose in. It can get hectic at times, but that's what he thrives on.
"For me, it's all about the calling," he said. "When I can get a big flock of geese within 10 yards, I know I've done my job. I've fooled them."
But that's not always easily accomplished. One mistake and the geese will flare.
"When you have these flocks of 100 to 200 birds coming in, there are a lot of eyes looking for anything that's out of place," VonFeldt said. "That's why you have to be perfectly hidden and avoid movement.
"They see anything, like the flash of a gun barrel, and they're gone."
That's why VonFeldt and Carter like hunting on cold, cloudy, windy days. The geese have been feeding actively in the cold, and the overcast helps conceal the hunters. The wind? It keeps the birds stirring and adds life to the decoys.
"Sunshine is not a goose hunter's friend," Carter said. "When it's bright, the geese can see better. Anything that's out of place will stick out."
It's that challenge that VonFeldt relishes. He has been hunting geese in central Kansas since he was 6 years old and used to tag along with his dad.
He is now an assistant greenskeeper at an area golf course, but in the fall he is busy goose hunting. He often gets out three to four times a week.
He has become so good at it that he decided to open a guide business. Today, he plays host to hunters from across the nation who want to hunt Quivira's geese.
"We've had some good days lately," VonFeldt said. "A couple weeks ago, we had a flock of 200 land in the decoys.
"That's a thrill. That's what keeps me coming back."
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QUIVIRA GOOSE HUNTING
--WHERE: The private land surrounding the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in central Kansas.
--WHAT: Some of the best goose hunting in the nation. Hunters will take a mixed bag of white-fronted, Canada and snow geese in the same day.
--WHEN: From mid-November through December can offer outstanding opportunities, according to guide Brad VonFeldt.
--MORE INFORMATION: Call VonFeldt at 620-793-5410.
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