Indiana

Photo by Nick Vorobey

Indiana probably doesn't rank high on most hunters' lists of waterfowling destinations, but residents have opportunities to pursue their favorite quarry.

Hunters will find the most ducky areas in the north, which features most of the state's lakes and wetlands, as well as along the Ohio River in the south and the Wabash River in the west and north.

Hunters have the deck stacked against them, as only about 5 percent of the state is publicly owned. Still, Indiana has 23 fish and wildlife areas that offer public hunting. Several of these hold drawings because of their popularity. Those include Hovey, Kankakee, Kingsbury, LaSalle and Willow Slough.

The top public duck hunting destination in the Hoosier State is the Patoka River NWR. This property was only acquired in the early 1990s, and it's expanding. It features thousands of acres of bottomland hardwood forests, swamps and shallow wetlands. Hunting is especially good when the area floods during duck season. Patoka consists of noncontiguous landholdings, and although it can be crowded, those willing to work a little harder can escape the crowds and find better hunting opportunities.

Not to be outdone are the state's goose hunting options. With plenty of agricultural areas, goose hunting can be much more accessible and much less crowded to those who own farmland or are successful knocking on doors.

Indiana doesn't win any awards for duck hunting opportunities, but because of its quality goose hunting, we'll give it a C.

— Compiled and written by Joe Shead