Hunting a hectic time in the forest

The fall colors are not at their peak yet, but close. The quaking aspen have turned bright yellow, and the leaves are beginning to fall, while the larch are half gold and half green.

Of course, bow hunting has been open for weeks, but camouflaged hunters with blackened faces aren't very visible and their numbers are relatively small.

Gun season is different. Orange-clad hunters are everywhere - on foot, ATVs and pickups. Most private property is lined with orange paint warning hunters to stay out.

The forest is seldom quiet as hunters sight in their rifles. Many shots fired at big game miss or require follow up shots. Some hunters even succeed with one shot.

So many hunters in the woods also causes the movement of all of the animals. Red pine squirrels chattering, deer and elk running or moving silently into thickets. No doubt, predators like hunting season nearly as much as the hunters. Ravens gather quickly on a gut pile, and bears respond quickly, too. I'm sure wounded ungulates get a lot of attention from wolves and other predators and are cleaned up relatively quickly.

Altogether, the general hunting season is a hectic time in the forest, and it can be dangerous as well as exciting and fun.

Some hunters don't respect private property and are unaware that if they shoot an animal on private property without permission they're trespassing. Penalty is loss of the animal they shot, hunting privileges for up to three years and a several hundred dollar fine. It's the hunter's responsibility to know where he's hunting. These penalties apply whether the land is posted or not.

Every year, there are human fatalities during hunting season. These range from normally sedentary folks not getting in shape to hunt safely. They fall, have heart attacks, and some of them die.

Worst of all is the accidental shooting of another hunter. Basically, these all boil down to stupidity. A hunter is responsible for every bullet that leaves his weapon. There is no excuse for "sound shots" or mistaking a man for a deer. Hunters need to think about how far a bullet will travel after it leaves the rifle. Be sure of what you shoot at and consider what is behind the animal you are shooting at.

I am far from the best hunter around, but like fishing, I feel the biggest joy is fishing, not necessarily catching. I hunt for the joy of being outdoors and alive. If I catch a fish or shoot my winter's meat, that's a bonus - but only if I don't hurt myself or someone else.

What do you think?