Decoys and waders are the equipment to bring, Holcomb said, along with the tenacity to target birds that will probably stay right where they are all day long. Ducks find conditions perfect on Cedar Swamp and they don't have the need to fly out to other areas to feed. Emergent and submerged vegetation, along with shoreline seed plants, ring the dinner bell for migrating ducks.

Cedar Swamp WCA is made up of wetlands and marsh all the way through. Imagine the picture-perfect duck habitat and that's what you'll find here. Waders are a prerequisite for walking into the interior areas where birds will congregate. It won't hurt to carry a pair of binoculars.

Early in the season, woodies, teal and mallards come in along with geese. Late-season hunters will have opportunities for pintails, gadwalls and the occasional diver.

According to Holcomb, the locals report that the third week of November is often the best time of the season. The weather usually cooperates, Holcomb said, and oddly enough, there is some truth to the claim.

A draw for the opening day and weekends allows hunters to sign up for the zone they want based on the order they are drawn. Up to a party of three can use each zone and the hunt is good until noon. The rest of the time, the area is available on a first-come, first-served basis for all-day hunts.

The Cedar Swamp WCA covers 900 acres in Steuben County near Fremont. For additional information and an area map, contact the Pigeon River FWA at (260) 367-2164 or the DFW's District 3 at (260) 367-2186.

MARSH LAKE WCA
"Marsh Lake is a wetland conservation area where the lake is deep and the hunting is all open-water hunting done from a boat," Holcomb said. "A hunter might walk the shoreline and jump-shoot if so inclined, but it's not really very practical."

Using a boat with a camouflage paint job is a good idea since migrant ducks can easily be spooked, especially after being shot at. The lake has an electric motor-only restriction.

Hunters like duck expert Al Zeman develop their own duck sets over time. These setups can range from simple to complex.

"The opening day set for me isn't fancy at all," Zeman said. "I'll set out two or three dozen mallards, three geese and a dozen or so teal decoys. The teal go in front of my camouflage-colored boat; the mallards are set loose with lots of room for passing birds to land. The geese are set off to one side. That's a pretty standard set for a couple of weeks."

Crane Pond is a wetland located within the Marsh Lake WCA that can offer up the best shooting on the property. Holcomb hasn't hunted this particular spot himself, but knows hunters who have and who have liked it. This swampy section can be hunted with a pair of waders and decoys. There's about a 75-yard hike to reach the wetlands, which is a challenge when hunters are lugging equipment. It is the main reason many hunters pass it up.

According to Holcomb, the mallards, teal and woodies move in for the opener on Marsh Lake and the gadwalls, pintails and divers start rolling in later on in the season. The area is particularly well known for its woodies.

A pre-season draw for opening day and the weekends throughout the season gives hunters who are drawn first dibs on the sections they want to hunt. The draw hunts run until noon and then hunting shuts down in an effort to keep the birds on the area. Monday through Friday hunting during the rest of the season is all day long. Hunters can set up wherever the shooting looks good.

The Marsh Lake WCA covers about 800 acres. It's located in Steuben County five miles north of Angola. From state Route 127, take county Road 50 West, then east on Feather Valley Road.

A map of Marsh Lake is available by calling the Pigeon River FWA at the numbers listed previously.

HOVEY LAKE FWA
"Duck hunting migrations have changed a little over the last few years and a lot of ducks now go west and down through Missouri and western Illinois; but we still have good hunting, especially in the early part of the season," said Manager Mark Pochon, who hunts Hovey Lake as well.

Hovey Lake is the centerpiece of this 7,000-acre wildlife area in Posey County. There aren't many spots in the southwestern corner of Indiana that are first-rate duck destinations, but Hovey Lake is one of them.

Between 1,500 and 1,600 ducks were harvested on Hovey Lake FWA last fall, most of which were mallards, Pochon said.

Hunters can walk right up to the water's edge, but a boat or canoe is definitely the easiest way to work the lake. A retriever can shine for the open-water hunting and make getting the ducks into the boat much easier.