Fall Provisions

Fall is a very bittersweet time for me. I love the crisp air on a fall morning or the sweet smell of fog after a day of work, but fall is also the time of year that many of my hobbies begin to take a break for the season. Some of those hobbies and pastimes revolve around the outdoors, primarily the ample time and success of fishing in our lakes around the county. As fall progresses, the fishing season winds down. That is, unless we have a freak year like this one where fish and wildlife make some last minute changes.

Typically in October, I put away my fishing rods and pull out my firearms. Yes, salmon fishing is still going strong at this time, but I have attempted to fish salmon in the rivers for eight years now and still have yet to catch anything. So one might say I am discouraged by this point and thus the rods get hung up in the ceiling and set aside for next year. This year, though, things are different. Lake Padden, one of the lakes I heavily fish and that typically closes on October 31, has been reopened until January 5th and restocked with, what the Department of Fish and Game calls, “catchable fish.” So what did my fishing buddies and I do? We went fishing, of course.

This whole adventure is new to all of us. Sure, we went out for a late season troll of Kokanee with moderate success in September and, in all honesty, we slayed it this summer on our lakes, but this late? 

Not sure what we should do, we attacked the lake in multiple ways. We first trolled the center, to no avail, then moved to some spots where we’ve had great luck in the past. We were back in our prime hit zone, fishing in a manner that worked fantastically in the heat of summer, and we hit!

Ultimately, I pulled out four very nice sized Rainbow Trout that day and my friend pulled a good sized single trout to boot. This definitely wasn’t our best time out, but we didn’t expect to put any trout in our freezers this late in the year.

Normally at this time of year, I replace fishing with hunting.

So far, I have had a couple unsuccessful waterfowl hunts due to our long streak of good weather this year. For those of you who don’t know, a nice bluebird day is the worst day for a duck hunter. The clouds and rain help push the flocks lower, making them easier to call and hunt. But hey, the season is early and I’ll be going out many more times before it is over.

The other major season of fall for me is deer season. Unfortunately, due to life plans and demands, I missed all of the regular season but I was able to give it a shot in late season. Many times, people who don’t hunt, or even people who “road” hunt, will consider a hunt without meat a failure, but I see hunts in a different way.

When I hunt deer, I hunt deer. I can walk miles uphill and miles down, through the trees or on a trail. Basically, I have to hunt (or track) the deer. With this, you can have a really bad day and never seem to find a trace of deer, yet you can have one of the best experiences in the woods of your life.

If you can’t tell, I was not successful in bringing home a deer. Neither was the friend that went with me. But, we had an experience that felt rewarding. This was my friend’s first time hunting and his idea of hunting varied from what I took him on, to driving along forest roads hopping out of the truck and taking the shot. I don’t do the truck thing.

Did we see a deer? No. Did we come close? Yes, in many ways. We were hot on tracks all day– in the right place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, we even bumped one out of the area we were working. Now if you don’t know about hunting blackies on the west side of Washington, the ground cover is thick and sticky– thus, loud. But here is the deal, we were there, we were where they had been. You couldn’t ask for more, except for that one good shot.

I was worried that I made my friend hike 15 miles up and down about 3,000 feet of elevation gain all for nothing. I was worried that he would become dissuaded from hunting, but I was wrong. Yes, he wanted a deer, so did I, but he experienced that feeling of truly hunting for a deer that is so rewarding and makes it all worthwhile. It’s a crap shoot if you will get one or not, but that’s the point. Meat in the freezer is nice, but respecting and honoring that meat through your efforts is so much more important.

Now there may be some of you who don’t agree with the entirety of this post, or even a little, and I respect that. I grew up in a manner where we had to respect our meat. Many times it came from our backyard, but I know that is not the case for everyone. Personally, I find great enjoyment in fishing and hunting, just as much as when cooking my harvest for my family and friends.

I truly hope that my journeys to find nourishment from our surroundings are an inspiration to you, be it hunting, fishing, or foraging. The bounty of our earth comes in many ways and I hope that you will be out there finding your little piece of it.