A place where I striper fish on Casco Bay is loaded with eiders in the summer. They are amazingly gregarious and even somewhat friendly to wading fisherman. I also never knew how vocal they are- noisy even.
There is an easy way to prevent having to repair anything from Cabelas- don't buy it in the first place. What little quality remained there has been thoroughly destroyed by Bass Pro Shops.
My son is a guide who lives in Bozeman but specializes in the Yellowstone. His outfittter guides all over. They are very helpful folks and can also arrange non-fishing activities. Tell them Marshall's dad sent you.
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If you think winters are tough on Kodiak, move to Wyoming. The wind blows, incessantly... Wyoming also has the highest suicide rate per capita in the US. I like the badlands, but not sure I would want to live there.
While I have not used it on a duck boat, I redid half of the transom on my 19' Seaway with CPES and West 6/10- easy and bombproof. Plus, a conversation with Steve the Rot Doctor is a great experience.