Gathering is governed largely by nuts and other fruits, which trees and shrubs produce throughout the growing season.

The presence of turkeys, deer, squirrels and wood ducks mimics any abundance of nuts in prime feeding areas. The same is true for gentlemen nut pickers, guys and their wives, sometimes grandchildren, too, bucketing to hillside shagbark hickory trees or lowland black walnuts.

Famine, when it occurs, carries over into the winter, manifesting itself the next year with lean mothers and small litters and clutches. 

The following year can be worse until fruiting begins anew with copious crops, well-fed animals and happy hands in kitchens.

These fruit failures and triumphs are relatively easy to assess, even now: Look throughout the summer and early fall for apples, walnuts, acorns and filberts hanging heavy or missing from action.

It is unlikely 2018 will become a mast production matching 2017.   

Nut hoarding, seed germination, and fat building were prodigious beginning last autumn.

This year white oaks — swamp, bur and white — are not great but better than average. These are one-year acorns, dropping the same year of pollination. Red oaks — black, pin and red — are less than average, it seems, accessing last year’s beginning acors that will be dropping later after their two-year development.

Walnuts poor; shagbark hickory poor; hazels grand; and wild apples on the plus side. There is something out there for everyone, but not the best year for nut-studded Christmas cookies.

The soft mast, berries of various kinds, may feed turkeys, grouse, and others into this fall.

Situations vary greatly, so spend time assessing hunting and gathering locations, or find a different nut field before Sept. 15, when the seasons begin in earnest with buckets or bangs.

A few spectacular autumn mushrooms have already appeared. Many more will follow with recent rains. Sulphur fungi, including chicken-of-the-woods, can be as tasty as any spring morel. Once located one can be a full season of gathering. The orange color makes finds exciting, but deciding to grab a camera or cutting knife. This season goes on into October, but watch out for the gilled poisonous jack-o-lantern mushroom later is the season.

Many of the complex flower groupings, inflorescences they’re called, are blooming. Each bloom head on a thistle, compass plant, sunflower, bee balm or wild carrot is hundreds of individual flowers appearing as a single bloom. These plants’ purpose is the use many tiny flowers appear as one enormous bloom. It works and the pollinators are pleased, too.

A few autumn colors are beginning to show in the form of leaf changes, purple flowers, colorful mushrooms, and reddening fruits.

Another public shooting range opened last week, this one in Columbia County at the Mud Lake Wildlife Area between Poynette and Rio.  

This is a free range with 100 and 50-yard rifle ranges, 50-yard shotgun patterning range and 25-foot pistol range. Earthen backstops, side berms and overhead baffles on shooting sheds ensure safety. Visit dnr.wi.gov and search shooting ranges on the website.

A similar range continues to be available at Yellowstone wildlife area near Blanchardville.

This is not time to give up on various fishing endeavors, early turkey, squirrel and deer scouting or berry picking.

Cool mornings may mean fewer insects and autumn-like simulation.

— Jerry Davis is a freelance writer who lives in Barneveld. He can be reached at sivadjam@mhtc.net or at 608-924-1112.