Get outside. It’s as simple as that. If you come across Joe Pesci defending a pair of kids in a court of law, he might refer to them as “the two yutes”. Those same youth might phrase it as “touching grass”. I stretched for that one, admittedly, but you can guess which 90’s classic movie I watched recently and had a good chuckle about. The grass part is what I especially want to highlight, particularly given the changing seasons and time for many of us to shift our focus away from fishing to other activities. Don’t get me wrong, fishing in the fall and winter months can be tremendously fun and also yield quite a bite if you know what to target, where to target it, and when to do so. Some might make an argument that it's the best time to go fishing, given the abundance of baitfish swimming around and the reduced number of anglers as the temperature drops. That aside, I’d like you instead to think about the wind on your face, the sound of birds calling one another from a distance, and the rustle of the trees and grass as animals follow their trails. Here in Montana, Fish, Wildlife & Parks' slogan, among others, is that “The outside is in us all”. Whether that be on the water fishing for dinner, hiking a trail, or hunting, we shouldn’t shy away from enjoying the outdoors even when the temperature begins to dip.
Hiking
To those fortunate enough to live near a mountain, or at least a small hill, hiking has to be one of the “go-to” activities as the calendar flips to fall and winter. Early in the fall, the air is crisp, and a light coat or even a t-shirt can be more than enough to keep you comfortable while exerting yourself up thousands of feet of elevation. Like many aspects of the outdoors, the payoff is often found in the culmination of the hike. Reaching the summit. Getting to the top. Climbing the mountain. Being able to take a few minutes to soak up the sights from a mountain peak is something that everyone should experience with some level of regularity. If not an everyday or week type of trip, certainly one that should be done annually. And what better time to do it than when the colors start to change, a light snowpack covers the foreground, and a beautiful mixture of early descending sunsets shines just perfectly on the horizon with the moisture in the air. As many of you know, I am fortunate enough to live in Montana with what are certainly thousands of trails scattered throughout the state. In just my hometown, I can take an afternoon hike up nearly 5,500 feet and over 36 trails. It’s a palace I’ve been to many times - with my dog, with my kid, with my brother. Sometimes with a goal of reaching the top and other times just to see how far I might get and who all I might say hello to as I spend some time with the rocky gravel beneath my feet. If you have not explored a good mountain recently, take this as your sign to do so.
Hunting
I’m sure many of you circle particular days on your calendar. Birthdays, holidays, celebratory events, or sad anniversaries get a little easier as time goes on. One day regularly circled on my calendar, in fact, even added as an event on my work calendar, is opening day for bird hunting. Like clockwork, that second Saturday in October comes around, and pheasant season is open to any hunter with a 12-gauge and a good hunting dog. Similar to the hiking experience, those who partake are going to be putting some mileage on their bodies, most likely. The combined benefit of a good cardiovascular workout as you trek through varying terrain cannot be overstated. Many times during those early-season hunts when I’m not quite in shape, I’ll noticeably feel the strain in my quads and hamstrings after having kicked around cattails taller than I am for 3 hours in pursuit of a rooster. Maybe hunting small game isn’t your thing. That’s fine, too. For those who enjoy filling a freezer, the start of hunting season can mean adding some precious wild game to your diet for the coming months. Nothing quite tastes as exquisite as a good elk steak… except for maybe some elk burger. And, of course, deer are an abundant resource to be harvested along with herds and herds of pronghorns running along the freshly cut farmland. If you’re looking for a surefire way to make or keep friends, sending some fresh venison jerky or a few pounds of frozen elk is a quick way to do it. Like the experience of hiking the mountains, hunting provides a level of solitude that cannot be matched or described unless you’re fortunate enough to experience it yourself.
The Triple Threat
The solitude and reflection, I think, are what make all three of these fall and winter activities as special as they are. Whether hiking, hunting, or, of course, fishing, we get to experience something in the moment that many others yearn for. Connection with the outdoors. Time away from the hustle and bustle of “real” life. The chance to think about how we fit into the bigger picture of life and the world. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll get to do all three in these next few months.
