Light geese feed like crazy, eating as much as a third of their weight every day and adding 400 percent body fat in just two or three weeks. They'll eat alfalfa, wheat, corn, sorghum, milo, rye, sunflower seeds and anything else left behind a combine. But their favorite seems to be green winter wheat.

Many hunters believe the birds have wised up to Texas rags and will only come into spreads of more expensive North Winds or full-bodies. But rags still work for me -- with a few improvements. Besides putting them on dowels that must always face into the wind, I staple the bottoms together to create a better windsock effect. It takes very little wind to puff them out and get them moving.

Most lesser snow and Ross's geese are pure white, with black wing feathers. However, a few never leave the "blue" phase when they are young that gives them a slate-gray or brownish color with a white head. Every big flock will contain a few "true blues," so make sure you have two or three blue decoys for every 100 whites.

Since white geese and Canadas often feed in the same fields, it's good to have decoys of both. But keep the groups some distance apart: A small flock of Canadas near a large spread of rags works wonders when the seasons overlap.

If the birds flare off a large spread, try a smaller one, or vice versa. And if the birds are really decoy-shy, move your spread 100 to 200 yards away from your pit, in the hopes that they will veer away from the decoys and fly right over you. Above all, don't be afraid to experiment.

The limits are generous: 20 a day during the regular season, and no limit during the extended spring conservation season. In Colorado, this lasts clear through April.

But by the end of March, the white geese are usually gone. The few hunters who go after them hardly put a dent in their numbers.