Southwest Missouri in the fall can dish up some great walking and hiking opportunities where I live and call home. Just a few miles from my drive are some of the most extreme wilderness areas to be found in the central United States. Rolling hills through which primitive paths wind for miles and miles.

Today, I elected to pick a narrow hunting trail just off a main access highway that meanders from Forsyth to Proteim. It’s really not much of a trail. There’s a small spot to park just off the highway and then the path wanders in a more or less straight manner on about two miles into the wilderness area. At this time of year, the ground including the path is covered with leaves and since it hasn’t rained for over a week, they are dry and brittle. If you a hunter, this makes sneaking up on game like deer a challenge. Today, I’m not after deer even though the season is in full swing. No, I’m into walking this trip but I’ll be mindful to wear hunters orange just to be safe. I do have a firearm with me. It’s a Ruger .22 mag six shooter that is great for plinking or even maybe a squirrel or two.  My real objective is really not to kill anything; it’s too much like work. No, I just want to get out today and commune a little with nature. Maybe even spot a turkey or two.

After parking my Jeep and making sure it was locked (a hangover from my days living in Chicago), I grabbed my backpack and got it slung onto my back. Today, I have it loaded with some snacks and camera equipment. The snacks consist of a peanut butter sandwich and a salad while the camera is a Canon Rebel. Once I get a ways into the woods, I hope to find myself a good spot to rest and see if I can spot any game. I would really love to locate a flock of turkeys. They live in these parts in pretty good numbers. I’ve spotted them in the past but never had the chance to bag one. (The closest hunting season ends in October, I think. What with Thanksgiving happening in November, I would think they could move this season a little closer, but that’s just me).

One item that has not worked well for deer hunters but which is perfectly okey dokey with me has been the weather. Just too darn warm. Temperatures as warm as they are today make for a cool, but not cold outing.  I like this but deer hunters realize that any deer that get shot need to be dressed promptly. Yeah, this time of year can be problematic for many. The mornings can be in the low forties and then it will be 65F by midday. In order to deal with this, I always dress in layers that can be added or subtracted depending on how I feel at that moment. On this hike I have a t-shirt and an over shirt on. My boots are insulated and a hunters orange hat that keeps my head warm. The winds are pretty brisk out of the southwest, but here in the woods you don’t feel them very much. When I checked the radio, it was only 58F at 12:30 PM but that was plenty warm enough for me after hoofing it for a mile or so up the trail.

On this outing, I did not see any game, but that was not really surprising. The best times are either very early or very late in the day when many critters are on the move. At this time of day, most all animals are going to stick to wherever they’re at. I hope to get out earlier in the next day or so, but I will have to be careful if I do. The hunters are also active during those hours also. The weather service is calling for much colder weather starting tomorrow after a cold front makes it in to the area. By Thursday night the overnight temps are supposed to get down into the twenties and that is much better weather for the deer hunters to be out in.