Here we are stepping into the month of September and so far the weather has been almost ideal.

I know there are some who want to hang on to those toasty summer days as long as possible but fall has always been my favorite season. The change of colors that occurs in the fall has always been special to me, and then there is the unmistakable smell that only fall can produce. If I close my eyes and use my imagination I can still smell the vegetables that were stored in the breezeway of the house that I grew up in on north Bridge Street.

My mother used to pick the vegetables out of the garden and store them there until they could be canned or were ready to eat. Each fall the dying vegetation has a smell all its own which to this day still gives me goose bumps whenever I smell that smell. It’s almost like taking a step back in time to those backyard football games we played as youth on those cool, crisp autumn afternoons.

My uncle, Lloyd, had a special fondness for the fall, especially Halloween. Maybe it could have been the fall colors or even the ghosts and goblins associated with the day that was his favorite, but that’s another story for a later column.

Most outdoors folks associate fall with hunting, which is great and there are already some early seasons underway. Early goose season is now open along with mourning dove and bear season. The early season goes until Sept. 22 and reopens with the rest of the waterfowl season on Sept. 24. The deer hunting archery season opens on Sept. 17 and goes until the last day of December. Pheasant season opens Oct. 15 and the special youth deer hunt is Oct. 20-23. The deer hunting firearms season opens on Nov. 5 and the muzzleloader season opens on Nov. 26 and goes until Dec. 11.

When the people of the state of Minnesota voted in favor of the Lessard-Sams bill to improve our outdoors habitat, preserve our heritage and the arts, it was a very positive thing. Each year the politicians try to tinker with it but for the most part it is as we voted and is doing much good for the state of our outdoor’s heritage. Wildlife Management Areas are crucial to ensuring that hunting and fishing will be there for generations to come.

Each year there are fewer and fewer hunting and fishing licenses being sold in Minnesota, so preserving land and giving the public accessibility to it is important to promoting and preserving these sports for future generations. I know that there is less and less private land being made available because there are fewer landowners, but they own more of the land. The days of a farmer having 180 acres to raise some crops for selling and a few cattle, hogs and chickens for food has pretty much gone by the wayside.

This scenario has made it harder for the average hunter to gain access to private land and this why WMAs are so vital to preserving the sport. In Freeborn County alone there are 11 such areas ranging in size from 14 acres in the upper Twin Lakes WMA north of Twin Lakes to 855 acres in the Pancium Prairie (Grass Lake) WMA southwest of Gordonsville. Being able to hunt or even visit one of these areas is a good thing. If you are not a hunter but enjoy being out in nature and just enjoying a little outdoors adventure there is plenty of public land right in our area. I probably wouldn’t advise going for a nature walk in one of these areas on opening day of firearms deer season but at other times it can be a great outdoors experience.

Not only Freeborn County, but every county in the state has WMAs set aside for public use, and if the Lessard-Sams bill is allowed to function the way it was intended there will be more land added in years to come. There is an 86-acre plot of land with 140 feet of lakeshore on Big Too Much Lake in northern Minnesota. This land is actually right across the highway from our cabins’ driveway and has been donated to the Department of Natural

Resources for a scientific and natural area which is similar to a state park or an AMA, and it will be for public use. Donations are just another way that the state acquires land for public use and with this particular piece of land being a natural area, I would assume that it would require little maintenance after the initial trail and parking areas are installed.

There’s still plenty of fishing to do so don’t put away those fishing poles just yet. Actually, some of the best fishing is yet to come and I’m getting anxious to wet a line soon.

Musky Talk

The September meeting of Crossroads Chapter 54, Muskies, Inc., will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Eagles Club in Owatonna. Our guest Speaker will D.J. Debates from the Waterville Hatchery.

Our Oct. 12 meeting speaker is Ken Bachman from Bubba Tail Lures. Our Chapter 54 fall outing will be on French Lake on Oct. 16. Winner takes the traveling trophy. Watch for details.

Our meetings are always the second Wednesday of every month and include guest speakers, updates, door prizes and a raffle. We center our programs around guides, lure makers and helping our members catch more fish with musky talk tips. Our goal is to improve musky fishing in southern Minnesota. Check our Website at www.michapter54.com. Anyone interested in Muskie fishing is always welcome and need not be a member to attend. Bring a friend and check us out.

Until next time do a little fishing, take some time to relax and get out and explore our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the coming year.