SEPTEMBER OUTDOORS
In some parts of the country the first part of September can still be hot, muggy and buggy. Cooler fall days are coming though, if not already here, depending on where you live.
Summer crowds are gone now from local lakes and rivers and the fishing is great as they gorge themselves for the cold months ahead. It’s a great time to stock the freezer with fish for your winter enjoyment. It’s also a great time to paddle around the lake or float a river.
If you are a deer hunter it is time to get ready or go hunting. Bow hunting opens in September in some states as does teal and dove hunting. If you’re a western big game hunter the elk are waiting and so are the mule deer and antelope.
Camp grounds are a lot less crowded than summer days and hiking trails are too. September in the great outdoors is waiting for you, so get out there and enjoy!
DELICIOUS DOVE AND CRAPPIE TREAT
Dove hunting is a whole lot of fun and dove breast are delicious. The simplest preparation is to make kabobs with your favorite veggies. Let them sit for an hour in your favorite marinade if you wish but there really isn’t much gamey taste. A bunch of fried fall crappie fillets served along with them is a delicious treat.
BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW
Pound for pound, the hummingbird has the most powerful muscles of any animal.
FISHING IN YOUR HUNTING CLOTHES
I have seen anglers fishing in bright, colorful clothing under the fall sun and more often than not, they are not having very good luck. In most cases, that’s sometimes because of what they are wearing. Fish can see movement above the water and hide before an angler even realizes they are close to fish.
The wise fisherman will wear camouflage clothes while fishing in the thin water of fall. In fact, it’s a good idea to wear camouflage clothing year-round. Fishing clothing companies have figured that out too and are offering several choices of fishing camo that will hide you from the fish.
ROADS OF GOLD
The beautiful Goldenrods are the most common fall roadside wildflowers. Contrary to popular belief, they do not cause hay fever. Goldenrod pollen is heavy and sticky and must be carried from plant to plant by insects. It is the windborne pollen of the inconspicuous ragweed that is probably to blame for your runny nose and watery eyes.
EYES IN THE NIGHT
Early season bow hunters and even fishermen often spy greenish pin pricks of light in the glare of flashlights. That’s not dew they’re seeing. By September, young spiders born throughout the spring and summer have matured into adults. Many of these are Wolf spiders, whose large eyes reflect light with an eye shine not unlike that of a deer and other mammals.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“One word of caution, though, should you ever buy commercial worms. If you go into a backwoods gas station and find a large, rough-looking woman behind the cash register, don’t ask, “Do you have worms?” My friend Retch Sweeney did that a while back. He should get out of his full-body cast any day now.” ~Patrick McManus, The Horse in My Garage and Other Stories
