Photo by Tom Evans

By Tom Migdalski

The end of the holiday season marks the beginning of New England's harshest weather. By now, inland waters are frozen, open fields are snow covered and blustery northwest winds are raking the region.

During the coldest winters, severe freezes cause coastal marshes and launches to ice over to the point of being inaccessible by waterfowlers. On the other hand, mild winters will leave shoreline marshes wide open, and those will be shot out or hold only a few well-educated birds. In either scenario, the marshes probably aren't the best bet at this time of year. But when the puddle duck scene is slow on bright, calm January days, conditions are ideal for venturing off the coast for some red-hot sea duck shooting.

New England's sea duck season ("sea ducks" include three species - scoter, eider and old-squaw) is still open this month in most regions. These hardy birds fly and feed on schedule regardless of fluctuations in weather patterns. In fact, light winds, flat seas and cloudless skies - poor conditions for marsh hunters - are not only much safer for sportsmen, they also make the decoys more visible and the gunning better on the open ocean.

Another advantage of sea duck hunting is that the season is usually still open for a few weeks after the dabbler season closes, making these challenging divers a great way to extend your days on the water. Other bonuses include the availability of hundreds of thousands of unmolested birds that dot the coast from Maine to Long Island, light gunning pressure and liberal bag limits. And when breasted, marinated and cooked properly, they aren't bad eating.

"Last year in Maine," said Brad Allen, waterfowl biologist at Maine Fish and Wildlife, "I would say the sea duck season was very good and will probably continue to improve. Good numbers of all three species of scoters, eiders and old-squaws were abundant through the season."

Allen said that getting a reliable count on reproduction results is difficult because sea ducks nest throughout the reaches of the Arctic. But breeding conditions are thought to have remained favorable. Maine does have its own nesting eider population, and their numbers have been excellent in recent years.

Public-access sea duck hotspots in Maine are far too numerous to cover - any water you can reach by boat is fair game. But one place that is frequently recommended by waterfowl biologists is the Casco Bay region, which offers some of best sea duck opportunities in southern Maine. This area offers easy access to water, plentiful birds and good local accommodations for duck hunters. Harpswell Sound, which empties into Casco Bay, is one of many good bets here.

From Cooks Corner outside of Brunswick, follow Route 24 to Bailey Island. Once at Orr's Island find Cobwork Bridge, where a small launch is on the Harpswell Sound side of the bridge. From the ramp, motor beneath the bridge and head eastward to Pond Island, where there are many rocky structures that shelter rafts of sea ducks all season.

Yarmouth is a second favorable access place for Casco Bay. You can put in at Falmouth Foreside at the town landing on Route 88 or try the Royal River off Route 1. Eiders often commute among the nearshore islands, which provide decent gunning.

However, in balmy weather conditions, hunters are likely to encounter better flights toward the outer bay and the open ocean.

For a closer look, check out the Casco Bay region on maps 5 and 6 in DeLorme's Maine Atlas and Gazetteer.

If you don't have a seaworthy duck boat, a shore-bound gunner can hunt from the jetties on both sides of the Saco River mouth. A small parking area and cartop ramp is at Camp Ellis on the northern side of the river entrance. To get there, take Route 9 east from Saco to the northerly portion of the river's mouth. Be sure you have a dog to retrieve downed birds and be mindful of the strong currents that course through the area at peak tidal flow.

For 2004-05 regulations, dates and bag limits, visit the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Web site at www.mefishwildlife.com.

To purchase a (mandatory) state waterfowl hunting stamp, contact the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, Augusta, ME 04333; or call (207) 287-8000.

For visitor information, contact the Maine Publicity Bureau, P.O. Box 2300, Hallowell, ME 04347; or call (207) 623-0363. If you are unsure of your open-water skills or the seaworthiness of your equipment, you'll have an excellent chance of success by taking a guided trip, which can be arranged through Maine's Professional Guides Association at (207) 785-2061.

In addition to a New Hampshire hunting license, you'll need a HIP permit and state and federal duck stamps. For more information and updated regulations, contact the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department at (603) 271-3211 or visit the department's Internet Web site at www.wildlife.state.nh.us.

A good place to start is Lynn Harbor. The lengthy coastline from Lynn to Plymouth is excellent sea duck territory. Visitors may get ramp site and sea condition information from the Lynn harbormaster at (781) 592-5821; or see DeLorme's Massachusetts Atlas and Gazetteer, Map 41 (C-29).

Information on accommodations may be obtained from the Lynn Chamber of Commerce at (781) 592-2900, or the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce at (508) 830-1620. See maps 58 and 59 in the Gazetteer for particulars.

The Merrimack River and its connecting coastlines of Plum Island and Salisbury Beach also offer several top gunning options. Sea ducks fly in and out of the river mouth here making any of the tidal ledges inside the river entrance good spots for action. A public ramp is on the north side of the river at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation.

For more information, contact the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, 100 Cambridge Street, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02202; or call (800) 447-6277.

Hunting regulations, bag limits and directions can be found on the MassWildlife Internet Web site at www.state.ma.us/dfwele/.