Wildlife enthusiasts looking for new viewing opportunities should contact their state department of natural resources or wildlife agency. Most states have produced a "Watchable Wildlife Viewing Guide." Not only do these guides list hundreds of places to view wildlife, they give tips to help you maximize the experience.

The bigger the better doesn't always work with decoy spreads, especially late in the season. Scout remote sloughs and backwaters ducks are using and then work them with small spreads of a dozen or less decoys.

Late-season waterfowlers need to remember to bring plenty of variable (warmth, thickness, weather resistance) layers of clothing. An old duck hunter once said: "It's easy to take off an extra layer, but you can't put it on if you ain't got it along."

Use common sense on the water when picking baits. If fish are whacking mayflies on the surface, stay away from the nymph. The closer you match their feed, the more you'll increase your catch.

If you're lost in heavily wooded country, the angles at which logging trails join can show you the way out. Logging trails branch out from the main stem. The sharp angle formed at the junctions points to the route loggers use to haul timber to the road.