Got an interesting situation at work and will be traveling up to ND for two 5 days chunks this fall- likely mid October and mid November. I'm hoping to squeeze a few duck hunts in while I'm there. Due to it being a work trip scouting time will be limited. I absolutely still plan on scouting before hunts though make no mistake. I just need to maximize my time doing so. Are there any general rules for flight patterns in ND based on time of year/temp/etc? For example, I've read that when water freezes ducks don't fly till later in the day. So does anyone have any general advice such as scout in the afternoon to hunt the next morning or vice versa types of input. I'll be taking 4 dozen floaters and a layout blind and leaving them at the worksite storage if that helps guide any responses.

Mid October I would be scouting the various PLOTS areas that contain water or the waterfowl production areas. Lots of walk in opportunities on these and they are usually pretty easy to glass with binoculars. Mid November will be more weather dependent. Could be locking up or could be sunny and in the fifties and sixties. When it gets cold ducks will often fly later in morning as they wait for sun to rise to help keep open the water they worked to keep open that night.