Autumn has arrived precisely when we need it.

A major disease, disrupted schedules, employment changes, food shortages, and more seem to have turned Wisconsin’s communities, families, and governments chaotic at times.

Now lower air temperatures, lower dew points, light breezes, and of course seasonal flowers blooming, fruits ripening, and vegetative organs changing colors have come together to help us relax and use all sensations to breathe in autumn.

“This is the time when the non-hunting public, too, really gets out and enjoys outdoors,” said Doug Williams, at DW Sports Center, in Portage.

People are using all means of transportation, including walking, running, hiking, boating and driving to see what was once a grand green curtain, now turning red, yellow, tan, bronze or even purple overnight.

Those who sit in a tree stand, perch on a boat, truck or forest stump seat allow their minds to wander and drift but still comprehend the wonders of fall.

This season is different things to different people, but calm excitement is not a contradiction.

For those who peek at leaves and we all do whether we admit it or not, take time to examine the big and little colored patches. Game yourself by identifying the plant or animal that left a leaflet, feather or a pile of scat.

The area will help set the expectations, but caution self that when all ecosystems and habitats provide autumn displays, not all are massive, extreme and homogenous. The more diversity in the trees, for example, the less it all comes together simultaneously. Enjoy the small falls, too.

Photoperiod is the most important common denominator in initiating these events.  Weather, including rainfall, or lack thereof, nutrition, and the timing of these factors play key roles of ridding chlorophyll, uncovering, or manufacturing, other pigments.

In addition to deciduous trees, evergreens, including white pine, lose a portion of their leaves (needles) each fall. Before dropping, the needles turn yellow. Presently, white pine has younger green needles and older yellowing needles, which will fall in several weeks.

Tamarack, another conifer, drops them all after a buttery display.

The Department of Natural Resources deer registration spreadsheets are now updated weekly, after the weekends. Visit and seek the number of deer registered in each deer management unit (usually county) and by gender. New registrations are added to past totals but are kept separate by seasons such as archery, crossbow, youth hunt, and nine day gun deer season as they occur.

The last update shows the total deer at 12,593; 7,000 antlerless and 5,593 bucks. By county, combining crossbow and archery, Lafayette (82), Green (89), Columbia (172), Juneau (52/87), Adams (125/78).

Portage (288) and La Crosse (94) are a few counties from the site. A few counties are in two zones, shown separately, as are Adams and Juneau, whence there are two entries for Adams and Juneau in every hunt.

As more and more seasons are entered, all seasons are grand-totaled in the first spread, but kept separate lower in the spread sheet.

The long link is www.dnr.wisconsin/gov/topics/WildlifeHabitat?deerharvest.hmtl

A few Ruby-throated hummingbirds are likely to remain in Southern Wisconsin for a week or so, but are nearly absent in the north. Leaving the feeders until every last hummer is gone will not confuse them.

Goose and duck population migrations are building, while snipe and woodcock are currently moving through the state. Dabbler ducks, teals, wigeon, wood ducks, are present, while diving ducks lag a week or so.

Seasons are opening.

Crops continue to be harvested, providing fewer locations for deer, turkeys, squirrels and doves to conceal. As combines move in, wildlife will be chased from the fields and across roadways. A motorcyclist was killed last week when a deer hit his bike.

Fishing has been excellent, but so have the mosquitoes in some locations. Frosts will help us and deter them.

Kelly Maguire, at the State Game Farm in Poynette, reports that new stocking schedules and numbers are being added to the DNR’s web site.

In general, 70 sites, down from 92, will be stocked this year with the 50,000 birds raised. There was no day-old-chick program this year.

Last year 75,000 birds were released, in addition to half that many from the DOC program.

Stocking will begin the week of Oct. 12. The season opens Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. Stocking will be twice during the first two weeks of the season, then weekly, ending Nov. 16-20.

Eight properties will be stocked during a late December Holiday stocking. Twenty-one properties will again close, but at noon instead of 2 p.m., on weekdays Oct. 19 to Nov. 3, for stocking.

In general, stocking will be reduced by 1/3 compared to 2019, in addition to the 22 properties that will not be stocked.

These changes were necessitated due to staffing shortages resulting form COVID-19.

Another interesting autumn venture, for non-hunters, is to drive through a wildlife area on a town or county road and listen for rooster pheasants crowing and actually see a colorful bird, too.

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