October is my other favorite month

I used to hate October

When I was a kid, I hated October. I mainly associated the month with school, shorter days, the end of Daylight Saving Time, and the gateway to cold weather, my least favorite kind.

I’m a shorts-and-t-shirt kind of guy, and after months of dressing the part, at some point this month, my ability to leave the house dressed that way (and stay dressed that way all day long) on whatever outdoor adventure I’m enjoying will die, along with the spartina grass and the leaves of hardwood trees. And it’s the end to late-season bream bed fishing as well.

Now I love October

But I no longer have schoolwork to worry about, an act of congress moved the end of Daylight Saving Time to November, and the shorter days and cold – well, I’ve just come to accept those. These days, along with May, October is my other favorite month. This month offers more for my own favorite outdoor pursuits than any other.

Fishing for every saltwater and freshwater species is usually the best it’s been since the spring. Deer season is in full swing, some waterfowl are at least briefly in play in NC, we’ve still got shrimping and gator seasons in SC, a week left of dove hunting, and various small game seasons open. And that includes my favorite – squirrel season, which opens Oct. 1 in South Carolina, and Oct. 16 in North Carolina. And when it comes to grilling up some wild game, it’s as pleasant outside as it’s been in quite some time.

This month, fewer folks are on the water, as most are either deer hunting, watching football, or wrapped up in all those extracurricular school activities that at one time kept me out of the woods and off the water. Ahd having to compete with fewer people for parking spaces at the boat ramp, as well as fewer people to compete with at every school of surfacing stripers, is a big plus.

It’s nice to see you October, let’s make some memories.