It shouldn't be a surprise. Willow Slough incorporates a variety of habitats that includes 1,500 acres of ponds, marshes and J.C. Murphey Lake. An additional few hundred acres of flooded crop fields, depending on the conditions, offer up incredible opportunities if you're in the right spot at the right time. An added attraction as far as the ducks are concerned is the nearby Pogue Marsh and public waters in Illinois.

"The best way to hunt public land is to go with someone who has hunted it before," said Joe Borders, the Indiana regional (south) director for Ducks Unlimited. "That sounds simplistic, but public lands receive a lot more hunting pressure than private property does. Conservation officers are also good sources of information and will tell you the best spots to hunt. Next to experience and local knowledge, there's no substitute for scouting. Putting in those windshield hours and miles on foot will pay big dividends, especially in places that are out of the way and are the most difficult to get to."

A good topographical map is another tool of the trade, Borders said. A good map can save a lot of trial and error in locating those honeyholes on property you're not familiar with.

Borders agrees with Williams that most hunters just set out their decoys and then hope for the best.

"Nothing beats Mojo decoys in combination with full-body floaters or full-body decoys on motion stakes to lure wary ducks right in, whether used on land or just above water level," Borders said. "A variety of motion rigs in water for cautious birds seems to be the surefire way to get ducks into gun range. Many people these days will over-call birds. The old saying of 'only call at wing tips and tail feathers' is time-tested and proven."

Modern-day equipment has made things a lot easier for the waterfowl hunter. Borders prefers a semi-autoloading shotgun with an extended choke tube and 3-inch No. 4 loads. Every gun has a particular load that patterns best for it and the responsible hunter should know what his own gun could effectively do.

Willow Slough can be accessed by secondary roads west of U.S. Route 41 in Newton County. The area covers a total of 9,756 acres near Morocco.

For additional information, call the Willow Slough office at (219) 285-2704.

HOVEY LAKE FWA
"We've had a few years of excellent duck hunting now, and last year was the best one so far," property manager Mark Pochon said. "We harvested 2,921 ducks. Mallards were the most numerous, but we get a real mix of everything. There were more divers than normal, and we're expecting more of the same this fall."

Pochon attributes the area's hotspot status last year to the drought conditions. Anywhere that had water was good hunting and drew in ducks and migrants. Birds concentrated on the property and there was good shooting clear up into January, which is unusual.

Hovey Lake has a daily draw at 4:30 a.m. About 30 to 35 blinds are available and are hunted on a rotating basis so that not every blind is used every day. This allows the birds that were spooked to feel comfortable enough to return. Hunts last until noon. A second drawing for afternoon hunting takes place at 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

According to Pochon, the rest of the area is open to walk-in hunters, but the best spots are in the blind drawing. It's worth showing up for the drawing to get in on these prime picks. Duck hunting can be excellent on the walk-in sites, but they're more hit-and-miss.