August is full of options

It’s time for transition

August may seem like just another summer month in the Carolinas, but it’s a transition month for at least half the state of South Carolina.

Deer season starts this month in South Carolina’s Game Zones 3 and 4.

Game Zone 3 opens for gun and archery hunting on Aug. 15, and Game Zone 4 opens for archery. Many hunters swelter in their stands hoping for a trophy in velvet, while many other hunters throughout the Carolinas have weeks and even months to wait before they get their chance at a deer.

Fishing is still foremost in the minds of a good chunk of Carolina outdoorsmen, and that’s not a bad thing.

Endless options

Many saltwater fish are just beginning to feel a slight cooling in water temperature, which they feel every year quite some time before anglers feel it in the air. This cranks up what, by most accounts, has been a very good bite all summer long.

Most bass anglers are hitting the lakes early in the morning and late at night, choosing to stay out of the heat of the day when bass are known to hunker down in whatever shade they can find. The same can be said for most anglers chasing bream on the lakes, although some good bream fishing remains in numerous rivers throughout the day.

Crappie anglers, at least those with the right electronics, continue catching their quarry even in the heat of the day, as long as they’re willing to stick it out.

For anglers that head to the mountains, wading for trout and for smallmouth bass, as well as numerous panfish species, get a break from the heat the old-fashioned way, and enjoy some very good fishing at the same time.

Hunters are scouting for dove and teal, with their opening days approaching fast.

Other seasons

And one of the most unsung of all hunting seasons opens Aug. 1. North Carolina’s crow season. If you haven’t participated in a crow hunt, you’re missing out.

Another hunting season that gets relatively little attention from hunters in the Carolinas is the early Canada goose season, which opens in early September in both Carolinas, with expanded hunting methods and limits allowed in many areas throughout both states.

And for those deer hunters whose season doesn’t start for some time yet, it’s a great time to sight in your rifle scope, get some archery practice in, make final preparations on your deer stand, and closely study the travel patterns of the deer showing up on your trail cameras.

August is a hot month, but it’s got something for every sportsman. Don’t let it go to waste by sitting in the air conditioning the whole time.