County Outfitters is based near Wellington on the shoreline of West Lake. Owner/operator Frank Dunlop is a born and raised “County boy” with deep roots in the area. His ancestors were Loyalists that settled in the County in the late 1700s. To date, County Outfitters has secured close to 10,000 acres of private land for their guests to hunt. “With a number of locations on West Lake and Lake Ontario, and over 15 blinds, if the ducks are not coming in, or if the wind changes, we can be up and running in an hour,” he says.

Frank is one of the hardest-working guides that I’ve hunted with, and has a win-win attitude towards helping his clients. “I pride myself on offering a variety of hunting experiences. If a group of hunters want divers in the morning, then I’ll move them to goose fields in the afternoon,” he said.

Prime time for divers is from the second week in November to the first week in January. Canvasbacks, redheads, greater and lesser scaup, goldeneye, bufflehead, and longtails are all available. Having hunted divers throughout Ontario, I would rate Prince Edward County -- a large peninsula south of Belleville extending into Lake Ontario -- at the top of the list. Minimal hunting pressure and lots of migratory birds add up to high success rates. There are also excellent restaurants and B & Bs, as well as local wineries that offer tours and tastings. I first visited the area known as “The County” more than 30 years ago, and have been back many times since.