When you guys/gals scout public land without a boat, and I'm talking where you park and physically have to get out and walk some, do you take a gun? Do you deck out in camo or do you make yourself a little more visible than normal since you'd want other people to see you just in case. I'd be going during the day so I can see landmarks and such. Trying to convince myself I gotta hunt at least once before season ends, and my only option is public. Luckily I can go during the week, but I still need to find a spot. Thanks!

If im scouting during the season yeah ill take my gun and a few rounds of ammo in my pocket. Nah I wont wear camo, hell I only wear it half the time when I hunt.

Yeah I only wear camo when I am hunting, I don't like to casually wear it.

If it's waterfowl season and I'm scouting in a manner that requires exiting my vehicle and walking thru hill and dale, I'm wearing full battle rattle with shotgun in hand. The exception would be glassing from an overwatch position such as a bridge, hill, boat ramp or other vantage point.

It's frustrating walking up on ducks literally in your face and not having a shotgun in hand. Do it a couple times in succession, you won't make the same mistake again.

If you're going to err, err on the side of caution. Hunters have harvested many a duck walking up on a spot while scouting.

Be cautious of the area regulations you are scouting. Some WMAs do not permit waterfowl hunting after a certain time and while you may not be "waterfowl hunting", good luck explaining the camo and boom stick loaded with #4s...

The shotgun isn't just for ducks either. Never know when you might run up on a not so friendly snake.

That's mainly what I was getting at...I wouldn't have really shot at any ducks anyway unless I knew they'd drop where I could fetch them, again no boat.

Appreciate all the info...here's to maybe getting one decent hunt in before the 29th!

I don't take a gun when I scout walkin spots. So you find a spot w 100 ducks on it, you going to crawl on the ground to sneak up on them and shoot at them? You be lucky to get one, and in the process you ruined your hunt for the next morning because the 99 other ducks you missed will not return because you shot at them. You scout and find ducks, set up the next morning and smoke them when they come in. That's the whole point of scouting. You do it right, you shoot the first 6 ducks that come in, get out of there, now you got 94 ducks to shoot the next morning.

And I do wear camo when I scout, because I might want to sit and watch the ducks work, see where they land... and I don't want to be seen. But on the walk to the spot I wear an orange cap because I don't want to get stuck with an arrrow from a dumb arse bow hunter.

Usually Take a shotgun with slugs or buckshot. Both are legal where I hunt. Have run into a couple of bedded hogs while looking for isolated duck spots out in the timber. Have also run into snakes, skunks and Opossums that don't always run the other way. Rarely see anyone where I hunt but always a good idea to make yourself visible.