When hunting in black duck country, a thermos full of coffee is mandatory—not for the caffeine or warmth but to keep your spirits up. On the marshes where black ducks live, they make up the bulk of every bird you see. The problem is, they want nothing to do with you.

Of the over two dozen duck species that migrate along the Atlantic Flyway, the black duck is the only one rumored to be able to count. Too many decoys, and a black duck won’t commit. Too few decoys, and they’ll keep buzzing. The lucky number? Seven, according to old-timers from Long Island Sound. Even-numbered decoy spreads, they insist, indicate a duck hunter.

Now, I can’t attest to the black duck’s ability to count, but I do know they’re tough suckers to hunt. They’re brutally wary. They shy away from most natural-looking decoy spreads, almost always avoid a duck call, and fly in such small numbers that one shot is usually all you get. To avoid heartbreak and frustration, hunters must ditch the usual duck hunting playbook and adopt strategies honed over generations of being outwitted.

Despite being exotic to North America, the ring-necked pheasant has supplanted our native gamebirds as the most popular species to hunt among the upland hunting populace. Pheasants are abundant, meaty, found over a large range, and just so darn charismatic. Even the most ardent quail or grouse lover must admit few birds can match the beauty and sheer excitement at the flush of a wild rooster. Add in their incredible craftiness and ability to outwit the most seasoned bird hunter time and again, and it’s no wonder why pheasants have captured the imagination of bird hunters in a way no other species has.

While there are plenty of opportunities across much of the Midwest to chase ringnecks, there is much to consider before taking off on a hunt. Let’s closely examine some of these considerations that will boost your odds of success this fall and help turn around a potentially disappointing season.

Depending on how you choose to look at it, my very first day in the Maine grouse woods with Lincoln was either an embarrassment of riches, or just an embarrassment. I had only bagged one ruffed grouse before that trip, the precious end result of miles and miles of hiking in the rough West Virginia mountains a few hours from our home. While I took great pride in the challenge, I decided that we needed to get ourselves to a place where the grouse contact was just a little less other-worldly and a lot less rare.

Most people associate American woodcock with the Northwoods. However, they are common throughout the entire eastern half of the United States over the course of their fall and spring migrations.

During the woodcock migration, these plump, bug-eyed brown birds utilize very similar habitat types across each state, albeit habitat that is comprised of very different species of trees and shrubs across their lengthy flight.

Brittanies are the fulfillment of a French dream to build a better bird dog. I am sure that if those old braconniers from La Bretagne could see the breed today, they would be thrilled to know that Brittanies have conquered the world.

I’ve seen Brittanies in European trials. I’ve shot roosters and ruffed grouse over Sporty, Bandit, and Buster, three tremendous Brittanies owned by a good friend. I’ve spoken at length with Brittany owners and breeders and some of the best trainers in the world. The more I learn about the breed, the more I admire it.

If you really want to understand why hunters fell in love so quickly with the little dogs from Brittany, watch a couple work a cattail slough in North Dakota and pin rooster after rooster for their proud owner. Or attend a spring field trial north of Paris and watch the cream of the Épagneul Breton crop fly across the ground seeking wild partridges. Or ask any Brittany owner how their dogs are around the house and hear nothing but praise for the breed’s loving temperament.

Field goldens typify these traits and more. For instance, field goldens have all the affection of a show golden, but with the sky-watching, duck-loving, cold-water-plunging nature of a lab. Field goldens don’t lumber. They glide like a German Shorthair. Their thick necks and brawny shoulders taper down into sleek frames like that of a cheetah. Unlike a show golden’s flat white coat, field goldens have much shorter, insulated, honey-colored fur, ideal for camouflage in winter sedge. Underneath all that hide and muscle lies the high drive and birdy instinct required to brave freezing temperatures. Top it off with a nose that can snuff out a half-dead green-winged teal hidden in an endless swamp of woven cordgrass, and you’ve engineered the perfect duck dog.

Have you ever returned to a quail hunting spot later in the season and failed to find the birds that provided such a great hunt just weeks before? Whether it’s a public wildlife area, a Walk-In Hunting Area (WIHA) in Kansas, or any other type of publicly accessible property in whatever state, there are definitely strategies that hunters should consider, especially when pursuing bobwhite quail.

Fellow wildlife biologist Frank Loncarich and I spend many days afield together each year chasing quail, and most of our trips involve some type of public land. Over the course of our lives, we have hunted thousands of hours, conducted years of research, and observed enough birds to create a pattern that guides our hunts. We often get questions regarding hunting strategy from folks that see or hear about good bird numbers, but then spend several days afield that end with empty or light game bags. Or, hunters that saw birds early in the season but struggle as winter takes hold.