Indeed, the easiest way not to kill a duck is to shoot blindly into a passing flock.

Ducks can also absorb a lot more punishment than most upland game. It is both prudent and responsible to keep shooting at a bird until folds up and falls hard.

And with a three-shot limit, that doesn't give most hunters very many chances at doubles or triples.

So what does it really matter if you see ducks in twos, threes, fours or even 200, 300 and 400 at a time? The limits are the same, after all, and so is your effective shooting range.

Without so many distractions and competition, you will probably actually do better -- and almost certainly have more fun -- once you get the hang of it.

TYPES OF SMALL WATERS
Although small-water ducks inhabit a variety of settings, the best hunting for them occurs on three basic types of water:

• Small lakes and ponds on public land or private timberland, especially those off-road or behind permanent or seasonal gates,

• Beaver ponds, and

• Remote sections of streams and creeks where road access is limited.

The pursuit of ducks on all these bodies of water is surprisingly similar, whether you're hunting them on high-desert marshes or coastal rain forests. For starters, you'll nearly always have to find them yourself. Many of these areas are basically unknown in terms of waterfowling, and the ones that are hunted will probably be as jealously guarded as grouse coverts.

Also, because few guides offer these sorts of trips, you're going to be on your own. You won't usually need a boat, with the exception of a canoe or a kayak. In fact, boats are usually more trouble than they are worth.

But a dog is a necessity because even stone-dead birds tend to drop into dense vegetation where you can easily lose them.

HOW TO FIND THEM
Begin your search for small-water duck hunting destinations at home. The large-scale national forest maps, Bureau of Land Management maps or state-forest maps are a good place to start. Known as "planimetric" maps, these documents feature geographical features such as mountain peaks, public-land boundaries, rivers, lakes and road networks. They do not usually reveal the small ponds and wetlands we are focusing on in this article.

On these maps, features to look for include concentrations of blue water. Clusters of lakes are often connected by extensive networks of wetland, which may contain ponds and beaver ponds. Also look for creeks and rivers that meander through areas that have no road crossings. In addition, many major timber companies also produce maps that identify holdings open to hunting.

The next step involves refining your information. That involves topographical maps. As their name implies, these maps show topography -- the terrain. They also cover much smaller areas, in much more detail. They reveal still waters of less than an acre, as well as small wetlands along creeks and streams.

Look for the little blue marsh symbols and areas adjacent to lakes and ponds where the contour lines are far apart. This means flat ground, and these habitats will hold the standing water that ducks like.

Focus on water that isn't much more than a mile from the nearest road, because usually you'll need to hike in or out in the dark. Any farther than a mile, and you'll find it difficult to manage safely.

On rivers, you want slow-moving reaches, with a lot of meanders -- and again, widely spaced contours because these areas attract ducks.