Deer season is in the air; Dad, ROA's most dependable and top photographer

    Fall foliage appears to be a few weeks off in southeastern Michigan, but I captured a few colors Sept. 13
    from the canoe on the River Raisin in Monroe County.



ROA photos by Mac Arnold

The mast appears to be on track

 so far in Sanilac County, Mich. 

By Mac Arnold
ROA Editor

It is officially fall.

There are so many things I would like to do hunting-wise but as always there may be limits.

This past Wednesday, Sept. 18, found me under an oak in hopes of ambushing a flock of turkeys coming back to find their roosts after milling about in the fields all afternoon.

That was my first day afield as well.

It won't be long and the 90 days of insanity will kick in.

I can feel it.

The trees have the look of deer season in them. The air is getting crisper. The aroma of fireplaces has begun to waft throughout the countryside.

Yes, it won't be long.

When I speak of "deer season," I am talking specifically of the onset of Oct. 1, which is the Michigan archery opener.

This is when I most prefer to take a nice buck.

And not with a crossbow.

Not just yet. Eventually with two repaired shoulders it will likely come to pass that this will be my instrument of death, but as long as I can confidently and with command pull back a compound bow, that is how I intend to get the job done. I haven't accomplished what I've wanted to do yet with a compound, which is to take a significant antlered deer with standard equipment.

This isn't the first time I've blogged about this on here. It's certainly my own personal goal and mine alone, although other readers may have a similar preference.

So once again, sound the trumpets, the battle call has been unleashed.

Maybe this will be the year, I can only hope.

***

In addition, I will be dedicating this hunting season to my father Robert V. Arnold, who passed away in his sleep at the age 81 on Monday, Sept. 9.

Dad was a pilot, not a hunter. He did appreciate the outdoors. And he was this blogger's most formidable and reliable photographer, which is only fitting. 

As in most aspects of my life, he was my No. 1 supporter. Although I think at times some things about my passion for hunting baffled him, yet he never failed at being there to snap off a shot of me with the latest trophy from the great outdoors. (His last work was on here -- May 12 post "One up, one down" -- of the turkey I shot this spring.)

Despite him being slowed by gimpy legs and a cane, we tried three different backgrounds around the yard until we settled for the one with the turk hanging from the wood fence.

For those loving the photos on this blog, do not despair, it won't be long before the new No. 1 Mac Arnold supporter and ROA photographer takes over.

She will have big shoes to fill but I'm sure she'll be up for the part.

***

In another previous post -- "Fall on the water," Sept. 2 -- I talked of taking one more trip down the River Raisin when the colors would be changing along with the cooler temperatures igniting a bite from the shallows.

The trip did indeed happen on Friday, Sept. 13, but neither items above transpired as I had thought.

I did find one small section of red maple leaves and included that and one of the two better bass I managed to put in the canoe for a couple of pictures.

Oh well, I guess I'm destined to make yet another canoe trip.

  

ROA photo by Mac Arnold

I didn't hook into a couple of nice ones on the River Raisin until around 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13.