Photo by Tom Migdalski.

There will be no shortage of ducks and geese, as tens of thousands of birds will move onto public wildlife areas across the western region of Iowa, but some areas will be better than others.

Here's a look at the finest public-land hunts on the western side of the state.

RUSH LAKE WA
"Rush Lake is actively managed for waterfowl by managing for the water quality and vegetation, and it's a really popular hunting spot," said Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist Bryan Hellyer. "The reason the area is so good is that there's a lot of vegetation that the birds are looking for. I've hunted it myself and when you can kick birds up and they only go about 50 yards or so before landing again because there's so much vegetation, you're on to something."

Annuals like smartweed, wild millet or barnyard grass, round stem, cattails and river bulrush all produce tiny seeds that birds enjoy throughout the fall and winter months.

Submerged vegetation is just as important, Hellyer said. Ducks and geese can easily forage on Rush Lake WA and are content to stay put until being pushed off by the shooting.

There are plenty of weeds. The pockets of open water can't be seen from the shoreline, so many hunters just turn around and leave. There's plenty of room for several boats to work the area, but motoring is slow.

The average depth of the lake is 2 feet deep. When the water is down, the ground hardens enough to allow shooters to walk out into the productive areas.

The Rush Lake WA covers 522 acres in Palo Alto County. It lies seven miles north of Laurens on N28 and two miles west on B63 Road.

Rush Lake is technically out of Hellyer's unit, but he is currently managing it. For additional information, contact the Ruthven Unit at (712) 262-4177.

THREE MILE LAKE
"Waterfowl hunting isn't a big thing in this area like it is at Riverton, Odessa or the potholes of northwestern Iowa," said Chad Paup, the wildlife biologist for the Mt. Ayr Unit. "But we have three areas where Canada geese gather in good numbers. These are Three Mile Lake, Gren Valley State Park and Sun Valley Lake. If someone wants to do some goose hunting, there are some opportunities for them in the corn fields and pastures in the southern part of Iowa."

Much of the hunting is done in the shallow shoreline areas and both hiking in and boating opportunities are available.

According to Paup, each one of these areas will hold a minimum of 5,000 geese, and in some years, 10,000 geese once December and January roll around. This doesn't include nearby farm ponds where hunting isn't allowed. Scouting the corn fields is key to setting up to intercept the morning and evening flights. Geese will move out early in the day and then return about evening to roost.

Three Mile Lake covers 880 acres in Union County 3 1/2 miles north of Afton on P53 Road. Three boat ramps allow access to the water.

Four-seasons cabins are available in the area. Contact the Union County Conservation office at (641) 782-1755 for more information on the cabins, as well as the area camping.

Contact the Mt. Ayr Wildlife Unit at (641) 464-2220 for more information.

EAGLE FLATS/EAGLE LAKE COMPLEX
"The Eagle Flats and Lake Complex is better known for ducks and is one of our most consistent producers," said wildlife biologist Greg Hanson.

Part of this hotshot waterfowl area is the Eagle Flats WMA and the other section is the Warren E. Fox WMA. A waterfowl production area is located between the two WMAs. A short distance south is 900-acre Eagle Lake WMA bordered on the west by the Eagle Lake State Park.

Decoy spreads on the marsh can draw in plenty of birds. Set up a few Canada decoys for potential bonus birds. Field hunting near the marsh can mean good dry-ground shooting.