The beauty is two fold. First, they are likely looking to talk to you. In general I have had very few older hunters who will completely blow me off. If they do, no skin off my back. Usually they are ready with a few stories before you even say hello! In here lies the great thing, you just need to steer the conversation towards hunting and stories and information gleaned from a lifetime on the water just starts pouring out.
Ask them if they grew up or have hunted the area for years? It likely will be followed up with stories of yesteryear and great hunts they had. Trust me, there are tidbits worth gold in those stories if you are willing to listen.
Perhaps they are just there checking things out and not even actively hunting anymore. This is even better! They will fill you with the great lakes to hunt in the area and likely have been at other area lakes. A simple question of how other hunters have fared often yields a quick scouting report for a mere couple minutes of your time.

Have you ever had a conversation will an elder statesman duck hunter?

What are your experiences using duck guides to find high quality hunting spots?

By setting up along the path of flight or area where the ducks are landing can lead to a successful hunt.  In addition, it is taking care of the scouting portion while in the midst of a duck hunt.

Have you ever tried this technique to scout for ducks?

1. Scouting

There is no way around this, you need to be out there and paying attention to where the ducks are.  There really is no facsimilie for seeing where the ducks are resting, feeding and flying.  This particular guide only guides 4 days a week.  He guides the weekend, scouts Monday, guides Tuesday, scouts Wednesday, guides Thursday, scouts Friday and rinse repeat.  If this guy is not guiding 7 days a week (and trust me, there are weeks he could) then there has to be a good reason.  He is setting aside short term money for long term success and a great client base.  Simply said, you need to pay attention to what the birds are doing to ensure high quality duck hunting.

2. Concealment (i.e. quality duck blinds)

Now this guide almost exclusively is hunting out of fields, so he uses layout blinds to a great degress.  They are great for the on the move hunter that is hunting on dry land.  He is manic when it comes to making sure that everyone is greatly hidden.  He watches the birds, and immediatlely changes things if they are acting differently than they should.  If he is hunting in snow, he puts white sheets over his laydown blinds.  A muddy field?  He uses the mud from the actual field to ensure it looks the same.  Corn stalks?  Same concept.  He paints his face!  Most would think that is overkill, but pilots have repeatedly said that a human face is like a pie plate when they are looking from above.  You think the ducks don't see that?

So why should you care what a guide thinks?  It is a popular concept across all endeavors in life to copy the successful people at what they do best.  If he continually puts birds in the bag, he must be doing something right.

What are your thoughts on these two key tenets?

In addition, when the smaller water freezes it concentratest the ducks on what water is open.  Next time it freezes up your favorite spot check out one of your favorite summer fishing spots and see if it is now holding good numbers of ducks and geese.

The beauty of finding the honey holes is that they tend to work year to year. Translation, once you find a spot you can go back to it for years to come. if you put in the legwork you can get a handful of places that allow you to bag ducks consistently.

So what am I suggesting?  Google maps.  Here is a quick synopsis of how I use google maps to hone in on possible hunting spots.  First, type in a city of a place that you already hunt (this really helps to understand how to use the tool).  Make sure you click on "satellite" in the top right corner of the map.  This gives us a bird's eye view of the terrain.  By using your mouse move around and find your hunting spot.  Notice the terrain around it and put it in your minds eye the reasons that ducks like this spot.  Almost assuredly there is water there (unless you are hunting on land).  Do you notice in the picture emergent vegetation?  Agricultural land around the water? 

From here we are now going to search out new spots.  Start dragging the map in a direction you wish to explore.  Look for similar terrain as that of your favorite duck spot.  Notice points, islands and other features that would make high quality hiding spots.  Are their funnels where the ducks will likely bunch up on their way somewhere?  You get my point. 

Now, cyber scouting will not remove ALL the foot work you need to do, but I guarantee it will make the time you do spend in the actual spots much more efficient.

So, what's a duck hunter to do?  Expand your horizons.  Try that lake that you have been meaning to give a shot "some time in the future".  If you don't have an area in mind, grab a map, use google maps, talk with your local conservation officer, etc.  I know it is easy to get into a rut and just keep going to the same place, but look at it as an adventure or at least a change in scenery.

I have done it a few times this year already, and it has paid dividends.  I'm not saying it will every time as I have been skunked, but it is better more often that we would like to admit.  Some times the grass is in fact greener on the other side!

1. A place where the lake necks down between bays, next to an island, or some other obstruction that makes the ducks change their flight path to a much smaller swath.  You are in essence hunting a "funnel" and it concentrates whatever birds are flying on that part of the lake into a much smaller space where you can intercept them.

2. Any piece of structure that puts me as close to the center of the lake as possible.  There is an old adage that new ducks always go to the center of the lake, and I am a big proponent as I have seen this phenomenon over and over again.  Ideal spots you are looking for here are long points or islands of cattails/reeds, or actual islands (meaning land).

If you concentrate on these areas intiially you will increase your chances of bagging ducks.  While you are duck hunting these spots you can observe if the ducks favor another part of the lake and narrow down future spots to hunt.

Is it a secluded pond that the ducks will be roosting on and looking for a place to rest?  Is it a large lake with wild celery to attract a diving duck?  So let's break it down to 2 key areas: feeding areas and roosts/resting areas.  If you find a feeding area you are most likely going to see a lot of 2 things: duck butts and coots.  This is key for finding high quality spots.  If there is food, the ducks will be back!  If it is a roost, there is always the chance that the birds could roost elsewhere.

My take has always been to try to find the feeding areas and hunt those.  The roost spots can be very hit and miss.