In this day and age of waterfowl hunting in Minnesota, scouting and adapting to hunting new places is critical for success. Some traditional spots and marshes that were once teeming with ducks and geese have seen a shortage of waterfowl. This has been especially true this year, where sheet water has created temporary flooded fields and wetlands.

Ever since i have had my driver's license, I have found how many good waterfowling opportunities there are to be found if you put in some windshield time. The great thing is a lot of these better places are public hunting areas. This Duck Opener, my dad, brother, and I hunted a Waterfowl Production Area open to hunting that held good numbers of ducks. Research and scouting led to a nice bag of ducks in territory that was unfamiliar to us.

So try exploring new areas and scouting places where other hunters don't tread. You never know when you will stumble across a honey hole that will pay off big time.