The Drive To Hunt

September is an exciting time of the year. Each color change upon our beautiful landscape stirs a longing for the forest.

As the September air grows crisper with the passing days, my mind begins to think about hunting. Perhaps just as the shortening photo period initiates changes in the bodies and behaviors of wildlife, the shortening day length brings about a change in the hunter, as well.

I am a firm believer that God didn't create man to live in an office. He created mankind with a need and desire for the wild. He created man to be a part of creation. It has always been my feeling that those who live every day of their life in the fast paced hustle and bustle of the city and suburbs are a little less human.

They have either suppressed the natural human desire for contact with the wild or have been brought up in a life where they were never given a chance to uncovered those desires hidden deep within their souls. To me, such a life is oddly barbaric, and I have a hard time connecting with such people.

I find myself escaping to the woods to hunt, fish, or hike primarily for one reason. These activities give me a connection to the land and to natural things. Through spending time doing these activities, I am able to keep sane in a world that is quite often insane.

As I think about the last several hunting seasons, several good memories stand out. I'll never forget last December during rifle season seeing a deer traveling through the snow covered laurel patch way in front of me, then grunting and having that deer change directions to come in. As he approached I finally picked out his wide rack. Somehow I calmed myself enough for a shot, and the rest was history.

Another unforgettable memory was the previous year on the Monday before Thanksgiving. I can still distinctly hear the faint crunching of leaves growing louder as whatever made it drew near. Soon black materialized out of the laurel patch sixty yards away. I remember the shot, but don't really remember coming down the tree stand. The next thing I knew I was with the bear, admiring its beauty.

That wasn't the first bear taken by our group of eleven hunters that day, nor would it be our last. By noon four of us had bears and another had missed a bear. It was a truly unforgettable day.

I'll always remember last year during the second week of archery season waiting to leave my stand until after dark. On my way out of the woods, I was walking up within a few feet of a rattlesnake before he cautioned me to come no closer. It wasn't the first time I've walked up on a rattlesnake in the dark, but with it being October I was completely caught off guard.

But to be honest, even more memorable than these specific events were the times I spent hiking and scouting in the woods.

All of the late winter walks, the all day hikes, the bounty of wildflowers discovered in some isolated hollow during spring turkey season, and the numerous brightly colored brook trout -- the sum of all of these nature experiences and countless others I hold in higher regard than the short moments when I've had successful kill.

It is the entire experience of being in the woods that draws my heart toward hunting. Every outing there is something new to be learned or discovered. And the more I learn, the more I realize that there is so much out there to learn for those who are willing to pay attention to subtleties.

There is so much to experience outdoors and so many places to explore in the woods. Being an outdoorsman is so much more than heading into the woods a couple times a year to try to bring home some meat.

And I believe that is what attracts hunters to their sport. I believe it is the same thing that attracts hikers to the woods and attracts nature lovers of all sort, for that matter.

So this fall when you are afield, take a moment to just enjoy it all. Take it all in and enjoy every moment out there. Make it a point to try to learn something new each outing. And introduce others to the wonders of nature.

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Next Friday and Saturday is the 2006 Elk Expo up at the Elk County Fairgrounds just outside of Kersey. I would highly recommend the event for taking the whole family. I've attended the last three years and it has been an informative and enjoyable experience each time. Of course it would have been a little more enjoyable if my name had been drawn for an elk tag.

There are numerous interesting vendors, displays, and activities. Plenty of experts are on hand to talk about habitat improvement, game calling, and biology. There are also entertainers and children's activities, so it really is an event for the whole family.

Also, running Monday through Saturday of next week is the 2006 September Elk Hunt being held only in Management Unit 1, near St. Marys. This is the first time a September hunt is being held. Ten tags were issued for this hunt, eight cow tags and two tags for elk of either sex.