With all the leaves already down, the look of southeastern Michigan woods is reminding me of how it looks during gun season.

MAHFS photo by Mac Arnold

By Mac Arnold
MAHFS Editor

Not all seasons are the same.

Somehow I always forget this. Especially when the ease I had at dropping a buck the previous October is nowhere to be found this October.

And now October is over.

This is when I usually find my best opportunities in the stand -- from the 20th to Halloween.

I've often said if I'm going to make it happen, it's in that window of  12 days.

Gulp!

Hasta la vista.

Well, hold on here a minute. Before I catapult from this deer season into next spring's gobbler season, I still have two months left of prime time -- November's regular gun and December's muzzleloader, let alone two more weeks of archery, which is often thought to hold the best time of the rut.

I haven't witnessed it of late. Usually I prepare for a slow time in early November in Michigan until the orange army takes to the ridges and swamps.

And that's what I saw over the weekend. It may have been more related to the weather and Sandy's residual barrage.

High winds and sideways rain. Yep. That will definitely shut her down out there.

What I found equally intriguing was how the game predictor -- based on the full moon mostly -- liked the deer movement from Saturday to Tuesday. These days were expected to be "good" to "excellent." But the predictions couldn't account for the downright nasty weather that came busting through our state, with sustained 30 mph winds and gusts up to 60 mph that packed enough wallop to take off the roof on the dog's house.

Woof, woof. Rusty was quite happy to take a night off in the indoor kennel. I've never seen him so willing to go inside and curl up.

Don't let all this negativity fool you because I will not give up. Even though I've been at this long enough to know the percentages (I usually get two opportunities in early bow and I've botched both tries already), maybe there's a rogue chance coming the next time I go out toward the end of this week.

Never quit. Never quit. Never quit.