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(Jerry Smyly write this outdoors column special to the Demopolis Times.)

The rain and cooler weather have finally arrived to our small corner of West Alabama. The last several days have actually felt more like October than August. All of September and several days into October saw brutal heat, in many cases even record breaking. Drought accompanied this heat also, but hopefully that’s all behind us now.

With cooler weather arriving, rain for the plots, and archery season starting on Tuesday, Oct. 15, life is good! Unfortunately I have been so busy lately I’ve almost let it slip up on me. With another out-of-state hunt planned I have lots of things to get in order. Equipment, camo, stands,  etc. … all need to be in order. My friend who I will be traveling out of state with texted me a few days ago and asked if I was packed for Illinois yet. My response was, “Man, I ain’t even packed for Alabama…much less Illinois!”

One of the most important things to do when planning a hunting trip is making sure you have the correct tags and licenses. This is true whether you plan to hunt out of state, or even here at home.

With baiting being legal this year, it is important to remember to purchase a baiting privilege license; if you plant on hunting with the aid of bait. It seems some folks are having trouble keeping up with some of these new seasons, rules, and regulations. I would like to encourage everyone to pick up the free hunting digest provided by the state and study the laws. It’ll make your hunting trip go much smoother. Most rules and regulations can be found online. This will be especially helpful if you plan an out-of-state trip.

We’ve all been sitting around for the past several months complaining about the heat! October is usually one of the most comfortable months of the year here in Alabama and I encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy it!

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, October 16 issue of the Demopolis Times.)