A hint of fall in the air

Published 8:00 am Sunday, July 31, 2022

There is a hint of fall in the air.

No, I’m not crazy. Twice I’ve woken up in the morning and walked out to my front porch in Lincoln County and felt a cool northern breeze blow. Unfortunately by the time the clock strikes 2 p.m. it is boiling hot outside and the humidity drowns you in sweat.

Another way to know fall is getting closer is the increased amount of mourning doves cooing in the morning. The deer have started to move more and rabbits are starting to run around.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

Young squirrels bark in the tree tops and crows caw. It felt like for a month I hadn’t heard the crows, as annoying as they are.

Daylight is starting to fade by a minute or so each day.

There is still growth in the fields with the rain we have had.

Blackberry bushes are trying to reclaim once cleared trails with new growth and honey locust trees bear fruit along field edges.

Foggy mornings over hayfields are a reminder of the soon to be hunting season. This September, hunters in Mississippi will have a chance to hunt legal bucks on private lands with archery equipment in hopes of harvesting one in velvet.

Cabin fever got me about a month ago. Bored on a Saturday I decided to get to work on clearing some overgrown vegetation and creating shooting lanes in anticipation of the upcoming season.

This past weekend I found a podcast called Deer University presented by the Mississippi State deer lab. Deer Lab Co-Directors Bronson Strickland and Steve Demaris spoke on subjects regarding deer management and habitat management.

The talk of deer makes me long for a crisp fall morning in early November. This week, I dreamed of all the hard work I put in coming to fruition with a harvest of a buck this season.

Can you feel a hint of fall in the air? I think it’s given me buck fever.

Hunter Cloud can be reached at hunter.cloud@dailyleader.com.