Fall, for most outdoor enthusiasts delivers the broadest and most productive palette of options of the year.

Bass and other warm water species go on the hunt for protein in an effort to bulk up before winter. They feed, at times, with reckless abandon which can make for some pretty fast fishing.

There’s upland game bird hunting. Stalking pheasant and other tasty fowl through fields and canyons with your trusty bird dog by your side.

There’s no shortage of salmon fishing opportunities. Whether it’s late-arriving silver salmon or bay-bound chinook, there are dozens of great opportunities to choose from.

Of course, big game pulls enthusiastic hunters out of town and into the backwoods in all directions across the Northwest. Hopefully, you’ve spent time scouting, tuning your body and mind up well in advance of the hunt.

Cutthroat trout fresh from the sea can be found in a number of coastal rivers. They’re largely overlooked and grow big and thick in these streams. Fly fishing is effective but so are spinners, spoons and bait.

Sometime in early October, you can watch schools of kokanee salmon, crimson red, some with pronounced humps and kype, stage in front of Trapper Creek at the west end of the lake. Thousands will charge into the creek on their short migration upstream into a peat pool where they’ll spawn.

Crabbing’s in full swing too. The last blog entry goes into considerable detail on how-to crab and various where-to ideas as well.

It’s a microcosm of their ocean-bound cousins, the sockeye salmon, running from the ocean into rivers to spawn. It’s a natural wonder well-worth the trip and daytrip to witness at least once.

Duck and goose hunters eagerly await the fall months to get their first crack at their favorite targets. Some have spent the summer months carefully cultivating fields of corn and millet that will be flooded and ringed with blinds, home to hunters and their dogs.

There’s plenty of camping options to tap into. The crowds are gone, leaves are in full color and it’s a perfect time to retreat to some lonely stream or lakeside campground.

Fall is that perfect time to get a hike in before the temperature drops and the weather turns wet for months. It’s also an ideal time for photographers, still or video, looking to capture vivid colors and scenes that come to life for a few weeks and are gone.

What’s your plan? The escape is there, it’s ready, and delivers some of the highest quality experience to be found. There are plenty of tools to tap into like The Sport Shows Facebook page for current info. If you spend a little time researching ideas you’ll find something tailored to your wants and needs. Don’t wait too long…by November the weather gets increasingly iffy but there’s still plenty of opportunity to tap into, just bundle up.

Safe travels!