By Thomas J. Roth

Freelance Writer

Ducks and geese are aptly pulled under the collective title of waterfowl for a reason; they live, feed and congregate on the water. While you can find ducks and geese in cornfields or on grassy fields, filling their craws, these birds will always retreat to the security of water when they are done with their meals. Knowing this, scouting out prime waterfowl spots centers on finding prime bodies of water, and this part of the state is loaded with them.

To begin with, The Basin, located in North Auburn, is probably the best all-around duck spot in the region. The Basin has the romance of a big, grassy marsh, a shallow pond with abundant coves and inlets and an open water lake that sees large rafts of ducks of every variety.

The Basin consists of a chain of three ponds. The southern part of the basin, accessed from a rough boat launch on the Holbrook Road, is primarily open water. At the southern end of the pond, a dam drops water into Lake Auburn and has a marshy corner that serves as a shelter for gunned-over ducks in midmorning. The northern tip of this pond is also covered with lily pads and draws ducks in to hide amongst the low-growing pads.

Heading north, the next bay has more weedy spots around the shoreline, along with three islands that serve as hiding spots, as well. Another draw of this second pond are the inlets and coves that hold ducks all day long making this bay a prime spot for afternoon jump shooting by canoe.

The upper pond looks just like a Midwest prairie pothole. Oak tress cover the northern shore and draw wood ducks by the droves and tall grass offers concealment for ducks and hunters alike along the southern shoreline. This is the spot for wood ducks, pockets of mallard and black ducks and geese. I have hunted this shoreline when the acorns are dropping off the massive oaks and it sounded like it was raining!

While the Basin is best suited for duck hunting, geese make their way into and through the waterway. A few years back, I accompanied Matt Tufts of Lewiston in his duck boat for a try at the geese that we saw landing in the upper pond during midmorning. We drove his well-camouflaged boat into the tall grass and waited. Sure enough, two flights of eight or so geese went over and gave us a look. They did not like the looks of something, so they passed by, but to be so close to them gave us reason to plan to give it a try again. Matt bought grass mats for the side of his boat and plans to be so well hidden that even the wariest gander won’t be able to spot our lair.

Mallards and black ducks are very common on the Basin, and so are wood ducks, but teal are appearing there every season in greater numbers each year. A few opening days back, a group of friends set up shop along the shoreline of The Basin. They were intent on the abundant wood ducks and mallards that they had seen during frequent September scouting missions. Among the group were three recruits to the sport on their first duck hunt. After setting up decoys for wood ducks and mallards, a pair of teal paid an early-morning visit to their spread. Once the sun came up and the ducks saw where they were sitting, it was too late as one of the neophyte hunters bagged his first trophy, a plump hen green-winged teal.

Just down the road from the Basin lies Lake Auburn. Lake Auburn is also a traditional host to these same species of ducks, along with several other breeds. Whistlers make their appearance in mid-October and often spend their days in large groups in the middle of the lake. Wood ducks are also a common sight along the wooded shores of Lake Auburn as they search for fallen acorns. By setting up on any of the secluded coves on the lake, hunters can usually expect a mixed bag of waterfowl to greet their calls and decoys.

Avid waterfowler Matt Tufts also concentrates on Sabattus Pond in Sabattus with great success. Launching from a nice launch located on Martin’s Point just down the road from the town hall, Tufts motored up to the northern part of the pond where snarled, uprooted trees provide some concealment from the birds.

Matt typically bags an assortment of mallards and black ducks, and huge raft of common mergansers not uncommon. The pond gets shallow in October, so hunters need to be careful with their motors when they near the north end of the lake, but this shallow muddy pond draws feeding ducks like a magnet.

Waterfowlers after the traditional mallards and black ducks of October will do well to visit the Androscoggin River, as it plays host to thousands of visiting waterfowl each season. The Androscoggin River runs through this region from Livermore to Topsham and with all the tiny islands and back coves that it flows through, there are countless numbers of places for the early morning waterfowler to set up.

The Androscoggin River also has a wide variety of cover and food sources for waterfowl. Some of the slower-moving sections in Auburn off of the North River Road are lined with oak trees and draw wood ducks in by the dozens. Hunters in east Auburn and Turner will find abundant cattail growth that draws feeding ducks and provides ample concealment for a canoe or makeshift blind.

The islands that dot the mighty Androscoggin also provides hundreds of quiet backwaters that resting black ducks utilize, especially during the latter part of the season when they migrate through Maine.

Access to the Androscoggin is simple if you own a canoe. By carrying in to the water’s edge, the canoe hunter can explore all of the river’s meandering shoreline. With all these nooks and crannies, the Androscoggin River is a great place to practice the age-old art of jump-shooting ducks and the skilled paddler can put themselves right on top of resting ducks, with a little patience and practice.

Boat hunters can launch their craft at several places along the river. Hunters wishing to concentrate on the South Auburn and Durham portion of the river can launch at the Auburn-Durham town line on Route 136. Hunters wanting access to the northern portion of the river can obtain access in Turner on the Center Bridge Road.

No matter where you choose to venture, October is a splendid time to enjoy this region.