The Changing of the Colors
The color shift of the deciduous trees of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan represents many things to the people of the Midwest. There is the obvious transition from summer to fall with its characteristic shift to cool comfortable weather. This cool respite after the summer’s intense heat and humidity will give way to bonfires, plaid flannels, and the occasional cup of warm cider, or perhaps a glass of whiskey for those who enjoy the stronger stuff. The fall colors also signify the impending approach of winter and its blustery winds, heavy snow, and icy countenance which are welcome to some but despised by others. Perhaps more importantly than anything else it signifies another color change. Khakis and navy-blue polos, blue jeans and grey t-shirts, or brown blazers will be exchanged for blaze orange vests, hats, jackets, and gloves!
As fall is announced, so too is the beloved hunting season that will be enjoyed by sportsman and sportswomen alike. Time afield with friends and family or personal adventures in the woods will present ample time to relax and find adventure close to home or farther away. For those few who choose to take the pilgrimage to distant places in our beautiful country to chase their favorite big game animals, their journey begins now. They will pack their trucks or suitcases and set off in pursuit of an adventure in new places with new faces and old friends, challenging themselves to embrace the uncertainty and thrill of the hunt.
Those that are traveling any distance will find themselves slowly funneled together with other hunters over the miles of interstate highway until a steady stream of blaze orange clad brethren approach state lines or perhaps The Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. While passing each other on highways or in airports camouflage wearing hunters will exchange a friendly wave, good natured thumbs up, or a tip of their cap as they acknowledge their mutual interests and goals. There will be typical questions of each other around local gas station pumps and coffee pots alike. “What unit are you hunting?”, “Ever been out there before?”, “Any advice for a greenhorn like me?”. All the while they will be secretly wishing the stranger good luck, as long as it’s not as good as their own. Deer camps, lodges, and cabins across the country will fill up with eager participants as the excitement of the season rises to a fevered pitch.
As I dive deeper into big game hunting in our beautiful country this ritual has quickly become a favorite of mine. After hunting whitetails in North Carolina, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and my home state of Ohio, I can say that running the roads and seeing the hunters amass state to state on the way to opening day is as much a thrill as the hunting itself. Of course, it comes with its fair share of anxiety when you realize that those folks are probably in competition with you for the same big bucks, bulls, and boars but you must respect and appreciate that you are not alone in your passion for the outdoors and the hunt. As I travel more and explore America’s wild places, I hope to see this trend stay strong. To be able to share in the life-giving changing of the colors and don my hunter’s orange is a privilege and joy that I hope persists in these uncertain times. So, if you are watching the colors change around you, go grab your license, throw on your vest, grab your bow or rifle, and enjoy the fall colors while they are here. God Bless.
