So, help a new, VT Waterfowler out.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I went waterfowl hunting a couple times last year... That makes this, I suppose, my 'second season', but I still feel completely like a newbie. Those waterfowl outings were my first hunting experiences of any kind (and I loved it!) and I didn't grow up here in the Northeast.
I live in the Upper Valley area near WRJ and have been trying to strike out on my own looking for places to hunt. In addition to all the challenges caused by the abundance of private/posted land, I'm have a dickens of a time finding birds. Except for stretches of the CT River that I don't see how to access, I have seen almost nothing on any of the bodies of water I've 'scouted'... The one notable exception is a small 'town pond' where there are tons of resident mallards clearly getting handouts from the neighborhood (and it's un-huntable).
I know that my perceptions of bird numbers is shaped largely by better places to hunt - near the Champlain Valley locally or in major flyway ares via youtube.
What's a realistic way to approach hunting in this region? Without getting into giving away spots, can anyone help me do a better job of scouting? If there's another Upper Valley hunter here, would you drop some knowledge on a guy for a 6-pack of good beer?
I've marked almost all the water I can see on Google Maps, and almost never see birds there. So I must be doing something wrong or just need to pick a spot and try to hunt it expecting them to show up.
Any help or tips appreciated.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I went waterfowl hunting a couple times last year... That makes this, I suppose, my 'second season', but I still feel completely like a newbie. Those waterfowl outings were my first hunting experiences of any kind (and I loved it!) and I didn't grow up here in the Northeast.
I live in the Upper Valley area near WRJ and have been trying to strike out on my own looking for places to hunt. In addition to all the challenges caused by the abundance of private/posted land, I'm have a dickens of a time finding birds. Except for stretches of the CT River that I don't see how to access, I have seen almost nothing on any of the bodies of water I've 'scouted'... The one notable exception is a small 'town pond' where there are tons of resident mallards clearly getting handouts from the neighborhood (and it's un-huntable).
I know that my perceptions of bird numbers is shaped largely by better places to hunt - near the Champlain Valley locally or in major flyway ares via youtube.
What's a realistic way to approach hunting in this region? Without getting into giving away spots, can anyone help me do a better job of scouting? If there's another Upper Valley hunter here, would you drop some knowledge on a guy for a 6-pack of good beer?
I've marked almost all the water I can see on Google Maps, and almost never see birds there. So I must be doing something wrong or just need to pick a spot and try to hunt it expecting them to show up.
Any help or tips appreciated.