I don’t know who is more relieved that it’s over, us or the critters. When JH picked me up at dark this past Sunday afternoon, he emphatically stated, “Thank the Lord, it’s over.” I just climbed aboard the four-wheeler and said, “Get me out of these woods.” From September 1 until now has been a relentless pursuit of something just about every weekend. The past 150 days have flown by. Granted, we can still hunt some small game species for another month or so and the deer residing in zone two down south won’t get full relief for another week or so, but for most of us it’s done. I know many of you have said the same thing and I guarantee you the spouses are glad it’s over.

I can’t help but remember and laugh at what JH said to me years ago on the last day of turkey season. I guess he was about five years old when I said, “I’m glad it’s over.” He looked up at me and innocently said, “Dad, do they make you go?” He had a very good point.

Even though we are through actually hunting, there’s still plenty we can do to prepare for next season. For many of us it’s time to get back to work and make some money to pay for our next season. Camp dues will be due before you know it. We’ll have to upgrade our equipment between now and September to be fully ready. Additional deer stands will have to be purchased for those spots we didn’t find until it was too late in the season to do anything about. Those slowly sinking decoys that have steel shot rattling around in them, from a cripple coup de gras, will need replacing before next November. The so hard to find “fastgrass” can be acquired before the rush sets in next fall. Do it now while it’s fresh on everyone’s mind. Rifles can be cleaned now to remove copper filings from the rifling.

If you don’t clean your own, now is the perfect time to take the firearms to the gunsmith. Many of us procrastinate until it’s time to start shooting. There’s no way the gunsmiths can get to everyone the same day. Make their jobs easier by giving them more time to perform. You’ll get a much more thorough job and this will keep them out of the turkey woods too. I’m sure Trey and Dave will love this.

One thing I like to do during the ‘off’ season is to buy my ammunition a little at a time starting now. Many sporting goods stores offer year-end specials before inventory time. Also, by purchasing ammunition a little along, the wallet doesn’t feel the wallop from magnum shells (no pun intended). There is always a rush on supplies right before hunting season. By gearing up early, you ensure yourself plenty of items to choose from, not to mention avoiding those long checkout lines.

While most of us are picking up the trail cameras from the woods, I’m putting mine out. Now is a good time to see if we have any bucks left and what quality. After all the gunfire I heard this year, I’m not sure what’s left. Not to worry though, if harvest decisions were properly implemented, quality and numbers should be okay for this next season.

This is the perfect time of year to take soil samples from your food plots. They haven’t gotten head high with vegetation and the snakes aren’t out. We have plenty of time to get the analysis back from the lab and prepare to add lime if we need to. Go make some more money, that stuff is expensive too.

I could go on and on about things we are still able to do in the woods. It’s a lot better to do them now and get out of the woods for the summer. By waiting until next fall to do these chores, all we do is stink it up more and that just makes those five-year-old bucks that much harder to see. As my dad always said, hunting season never ends, just the shooting. This really is true.

As the season ends, so do the weekly articles of “Outdoors in the Sun.” The weed and bug killing begins in earnest. I’ll talk to my editor about bringing stories to you during the months before we start all over again. Maybe I can work in some on spring gobblers or maybe some plants growing in our swamps. Who knows, we may find a whole new group of readers.

I have really enjoyed bringing stories to you from our woods and waters this season. I hope you enjoy reading them as much. Let us know if you have particular topics of interest. We’ll try to bring them to you. For now though, sharpen up those crappie hooks, bring out those topwater plugs and row up those gardens. Enjoy what the outdoors has to offer. Don’t take for granted what we have. Do everything you can to make it better for those following.

Get the kids out of the house and off of those video games and cell phones. Show them how to build and put up a box for wood ducks to nest in. Show them the difference between sumac and elderberry. Take them to the museum of natural science. Pick up an arrowhead and tell them the stories that go with it. There’s a wonderful world of outdoors to enjoy, don’t miss it.

Until next time enjoy our woods and waters and remember, let’s leave it better than we found it.