August 2008 Almanac
This Month: It’s the Sultry Month, But There’s Still Fish to Catch
August means blistering, humid days much of the time, but mornings have a crispness reminiscent of early fall, and at times, cold rains make biscuits and chowder a good choice for dinner — hot comfort food.
And, who can miss the scarlet leaves on an occasional red maple in a bottomland where, for some reason, nature decides to paint a little color early?
Bow hunters, rifle hunters, shotgun enthusiasts and black-powder nuts practice a lot in August, polishing their swing, trigger squeeze, string release and so forth. People who never practice shooting at other times of year really get into in August.
Early mornings attract folks into forests for scouting deer and bear. Folks with bird dogs work them in the cool air shortly after dawn, too. By 10 a.m., it can be hot enough to cook an egg on the hood of a truck, so by then, running dogs can be injurious to the feather finder’s health.