Inside The Outdorrs
September's magic

After the oppressive heat of July and August, September's cool, crisp weather comes as a relief to many. Weather is only one small aspect of this month's appeal.

September is a time of transition. Summer is slowly losing its grip on the landscape as winter begins to creep in. The landscape begins to die as trees trade their summer attire for the bright reds, yellows, and oranges.

September's icy cold morning temperatures are a shock to our bodies. As Katydids continue to chant their nightly cadence, the visible autumn changes are being reflected by physiological changes in the bodies of our wildlife.

Many migrant bird species have already retreated for warmer climates. Animals who tough it out and stay for winter are busy filling up on the bountiful supply of food.

Bears begin to feed heavily on white oak and chestnut oak acorns. Claw marks on deep furled chestnut oak trunks and broken limbs strewn around their bases are testimony to black bears that were too impatient to wait for this highenergy food source to drop on its own.

The elk rut peaks during September. For anyone who has ever heard the primordial bugle of a bull elk piercing through a foggy valley in the Sinnemahoning, the experience could not be described as anything short of a magical moment.

Throughout September their breeding continues, with bulls gathering their harems of cows. Battles of epic proportions develop over breeding rights. The winner gets the harem and the loser is lucky if he escapes no worse for the wear.

Deer shed their velvety antlers and replace them with bony white headgear. As they begin to rub trees, their headgear will take on various darker shades.

Meanwhile, fawns are in the process of trading their juvenile spotted coat for a solid graybrown similar to that of their parents. Adult whitetails also shed their reddish summer coats, trading them for the gray they wear during winter months.

Archers fine-tune their skill. A glimpse every now and then of a wide-racked forest monarch fuels hopes that he will still be around during the archery season opener.

Turkeys are especially visible in September. By now most poults are almost indistinguishable from their mothers in size.

Shards of hickory nuts littering the ground reveal the perfect location to take a firsttime hunter during the upcoming youth small game season. The sound of white oak acorns falling through the canopy like large hail reveals a fantastic early archery season location. A heavy crop of beechnuts, wild grapes, or cucumber magnolia pods hint at where the turkeys might be found on opening day.

September is our most magical month for outdoor activity, for the start of our flaming foliage and for the welcome relief to the sticky heat of summer.