The fall outdoors is not all about hunting; anglers are still out in the rivers, and in the Lake Champlain Valley they are trying to hook an incoming salmon.
This is also a great season for wildlife watchers, as the great southern tide of birds peaks near Lake Champlain. There are a number of public access vantage points to view the spectacle. All you need to take along are a pair of binoculars and possibly a camera.
Let's start with Lake Alice off the Ridge Road in northern Clinton County. The area has been groomed for waterfowl, with man-made potholes that surround the lake itself. Access is easy; just park in the designated lot and walk to the lake. No hunting is allowed in this area, and the best time to view incoming geese is near dusk when they come in to rest before flying south.
Moving south like the migration, we stop at Ausable Point Campground. Ausable Point is rich in all kinds of wildlife because of the abundant wild food growing there, but ducks and geese and other shore birds are dominant now. Along the road toward the campsite and parking area is one spot to stop and observe migrating birds, a designated parking area with a small deck, but here, you may get lucky and see a bald eagle or an osprey.
Our final stop is Wickham Marsh Wildlife Management Area in northern Essex County, just north of the Port Kent to Burlington ferry dock. Hunting is allowed in Wickham, and there will be waterfowl hunters and deer hunters there at this time of year. But if you stick to the trail (DEC sign marks the entry spot) and go in a short way, you still should see some ducks.
For anyone hiking or observing during the fall hunting seasons, there really is little to worry about from hunters as to your own personal safety. If you are still hesitant, wear a bright orange vest, available at sporting goods stores. After all, why miss one of nature's great spectacles; the great southern migration happens only once a year.
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