White: ’Tis the season for gorgeous autumn scenery

Colorful trees add to a fall hike along the trail.

Ken White | Special to the Daily Mail

The recent cooler weather has stirred interest in taking walks on the wild side.

Autumn walks in the woods are a rare pleasure in itself — with jacket unzipped in a perfect cool afternoon, sunlight flickering through brightly colored branches and, the rich smell of fresh fallen leaves crunching beneath your feet. And then you see it. Just beyond that fallen tree covered with fungi, a doe twitches her ear, turns her head toward you. Both of you are still for at least three seconds, at most. Then she turns and is gone in two powerful bounds, but the memory is still with you to this day.

Such an encounter doesn’t happen on every nature walk, but there are many sites along trails in the area where wildlife sightings of deer, turkey and small game are far from unusual.

The best time for spotting many species are early morning and evening, rather than mid-day. To avoid startling animals before you get close enough for a good look, remain quiet and use binoculars.

This fall, there are a lot of excellent spots to get away from it all — with many wildlife areas in the state, including one that Don Martin, of St. Joseph has visited each fall for more than 20 years.

Martin said, “Each fall hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl visit the area and give visitors a chance to see snow geese, bald eagles, ducks and even white pelicans on their annual trip south. Not only are there plenty of migrating birds, there are many species of wildlife, including deer and pheasants among others.

A fall family hike in one of the many trails around Stockton Lake can be an interesting adventure.

Ken White | Special to the Daily Mail

Continued Martin: “Each visit is an adventure. You never know what you might see. It has gotten to be a family-annual trip, with relatives from as far away as Denver gathering each October to see the wildlife and enjoy the (typically) great Missouri fall weather. This year will be no different.”

As the days get shorter and the weather is crisp, colorful displays of fresh fall produce appear at roadside stands, apple orchards and pumpkin farms throughout the state.

Sunny days, cool breezes and forests burnished in hues of gold and red ­— autumn in Missouri is a great time to treat yourself to a break from your daily routine. Cross off a few days on your calendar this fall and head out of town to the countryside, to the lake and or woods. Take a stroll through the fall colors, toss a fishing line, enjoy a leisurely lunch, relax on the deck with a good book. You will be convinced that fall is a great time to squeeze in a bit of vacation.

Pictured: Catch-and-keep trout anglers at Missouri’s trout parks. The season ends Oct. 31, but winter catch-and-release season will open later.

Ken white | Special to the Daily Mail

For the outdoorsmen and women, fall has a lot to offer. Hunting seasons are opening and, the fall forecast looks good this year for most species. Water in fishing lakes and streams is cooling off and the fish are active. Campers can get in some good camping trips without too big of a crowd. It’s a great time of the year to enjoy the outdoors.