THE CHANGE
by Doug Campbell
We all seem to get stuck in a rut occasionally and a lot of the time we have to be drug out of it by force. For almost a month I had been hurrying home from work practically every night to jump into my hunting gear and rush to the woods. Occasionally something memorable would happen, like a nice buck sneaking in behind me or a flock a turkeys feeding through. But mostly looking back it seems to go by in a blur with a few highlights.
This last weekend we were forced into one of the changes that I dread every year. The return to Standard Time! Every fall I hate to see this coming because it pretty much eliminates my hunting during the week, leaving only weekends. I have to go through withdrawal pains from not being able to get into the woods every day.
The weekend has finally gotten here, and this morning has been worth the wait. I got up at 5:00 A.M., got ready and headed out in the dark. I could tell things had changed. There was a different almost musky smell to the air, and there were a lot more leaves on the ground than last weekend. I made my way to my stand as quietly as possible, this was made much easier since the leaves were damp from a shower last night.
I climbed into my stand and sat for twenty minutes in the dark, as the woods slowly brightened I started looking around in wonder. Where last weekend everything had been shades of green, now only an occasional cedar stood out. I was surrounded with a mass of oranges, yellows, reds and every color in between. The oaks and hickories were really putting on a show this year. I know I see this every year, with some years being better than others, but I never seem to remember how spectacular it is until I see it fresh each fall. The slight breeze was causing the trees to give up their color and add it to what would become a solid, thick carpet on the ground in the next few days. I felt pretty naked in my tree without the protective leaves, the trade off being a much better view. As far as the hunting goes this doesn't do me much good since I don't intend to shoot over twenty yards, but it makes the scenery much more appealing.
I wrack my brain trying to figure out a way to photograph this beauty, but I know from experience that my limited skills and equipment just can't do it justice. I kind of wish there were some way I could share this with others, but at the same time I know that experiencing the solitude is part of the beauty of the forest. The squirrels and birds are scurrying around in an urgent rush to put up stores or put on fat for the coming winter, I don't feel any such urgency at the moment. I think I'll just kick back and soak in my surroundings. Who knows maybe a nice buck will sneak in behind me. Hmmm I wonder when the first good snow will come this year.
Topic: THE CHANGE - by Doug Campbell (Read 2478 times)
