Jackson County, at the easternmost end of Alabama's portion of the Tennessee River, has three more public areas noted for providing duck action. Mud Creek WMA has 8,193 acres near Scottsboro; Crow Creek WMA covers 2,200 acres near Stevenson; and 7,000-plus-acre Raccoon Creek WMA lies along the east shore of the river near Flat Rock.

Normal rainfall is critical to success at many of the north Alabama WMAs. Last year, for example, many great duck ponds, like those in Crow Creek WMA, were left high and dry. Hunters in that area had to scramble for alternate destinations.

West Alabama's public-land hotspot is the Demopolis WMA near the junction of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers. This reserve spans nearly 7,000 acres that lie in portions of Sumter, Hale, Marengo and Greene counties.

Farther south, a duck hunter could get lost in the expansive trio of WMAs in the marshy crease between Baldwin and Mobile counties. The newer Upper Delta WMA near Stockton encompasses 35,795 acres. Another 58,321 acres of marsh lie in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta WMA, and an additional 15,000 acres of shallows grace the W.L. Holland WMA.

To learn more about the regulations at these individual tracts, visit the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Web site at www.outdooralabama.com. Next, follow the link for Hunting; then follow the links through Where To Hunt, Wildlife Management Area Maps and Permits to the specific WMA in which you are interested.

Keep in mind that in addition to the state hunting license, HIP card and state and federal duck stamps, you need a $15 WMA license to access the state-owned tracts.

Also, since the regulations generally allow shooting at specific times, you can check the sunrise and sunset times for any area in the state by logging on to www.aa.usno.navy.mil/data/ docs/RS_OneDay.html