I will get into much greater detail on scouting in the future, but for today let's talk about our most basic idea behind scouting for where we are going to hunt. In addition to looking for ducks, we need to be congnizant of what the area holds for the ducks! I harken to guess if you read anything on the web regarding duck scouting you will find the same things, whether you type duck . com or any other search term. They will tell you to drive around a ton, put in many hours and look for ducks. Of course this is true, but just as important is understading when and why the ducks will be using that area.
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.