Openers, openers and more openers. Yes folks, September through November tis the season of openers. Deer, bear, grouse, woodcock, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, one by one they come down that conveyor belt of season openers for the sporting public to enjoy and share. Like a roller coaster ride, the seasons are slow getting up the first crest that sends the ride roaring out of sight. Personally I become a waterfowl and upland bird hunter.  

My Springer spaniel Ellie and I love to plow through golden marsh grass and dark muck for ducks and geese or labyrinth of willows and alders for woodcock and grouse. Every now and then we pause to soak our aching feet in cool pond water or a chilly trout stream. All around us the woods and fields take on hues and aroma of fall. If we are lucky we’ll have feathers and freshly cleaned birds in our game pouch to tuck away in the cool corners of the truck for the trip home.  

Can’t forget about western openers: ring-necked pheasants on some windy Dakota country field, ducks in the prairie potholes, early October antelope and a cow elk tag that holds much promise for early November, both inWyoming.  

In a flash openers become mid-season and sadly, much too quickly, the closer. The first to go and the one I miss most is trout season inWisconsinandMinnesota. It’s the sorriest day of my fall outdoors calendar. Fortunately,Iowatrout streams remain open year round. That is a good thing because more people ought to be fishing them, then insisting that  the State ofIowastep up efforts to preserve and improve these  rare coldwater resources like neighboring states, and more public accesses to fish them. 

We’ll open that debate  later this winter, after the “closings” close in on us.  

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