Chicago area is tough for Duck hunting - I have a neighbor on my lake who got permission to hunt his property that extends into the lake and that was a big ordeal for him and he can only hunt there on certain days. I will hunt with him occasionally. I also have a local farmer that gives me permission for goose hunting, but it is getting out of hand with the deer, duck and goose hunters. He has a nice pond and blind for ducks and woods for deer, but I don't even bother because there are so many people who show up on the weekends. I will go in the back corn/bean fields for geese if I don't have somewhere else to go for both ducks and geese. I am also joining a hunt club for upland birds to give me other options - I always wanted to but didn't have a dog (Got a Boykin Spaniel now and he is a great dog for both). There really aren't that many other alternatives and if there are, you usually won't hear about them because then they become overcrowded and who wants to hunt with 20 other people all calling at the same flock of ducks. You can join a hunt club that offers duck hunting, but they are usually expensive at around $2K a year. It is definitely a tough thing and I've been in your same shoes and it wouldn't take much for me to be back in that same spot. That's why I am thinking of leasing the farmers land to have for me and my friends, but who knows how much that might be - but it would definitely be sweet to have a place 5 minutes from my house to hunt Deer, Ducks and Geese. Anyway, good luck in finding a place and don't give up.