Devils Lake

I have two bits of advice: 1.) don't hire a guide and 2.) think about finding a different area to hunt. The DL area is probably the most tightly posted geographic area in the state. You might want to think about areas to the east and north away from the town of Devils Lake.

If you are going to hunt potholes, look for hidden, small (e.g., 0.5 - 1.0 acre potholes that have good emergent vegetation. You don't need cattails to necessarily have a good mallard slough. Also, the best piece of advice I can give is during your scouting, look for very large sloughs that are staging the mallards during the typical loafing periods of the day. Once you have found those staging areas, then look for the small, hidden potholes in the adjacent areas that you think will draw mallards. If you are going to hunt fields, scouting is the key. Look for general areas that the mallards are feeding. Pick a field and go with a spinner intermixed with SOBs or Canada goose decoys. You should do very well with those strategies.