Pace yourself: Hunting season is a marathon, not a sprint

Hunting season is here, ladies and gentlemen, and here's a friendly bit of advice: Pace yourself.

There are several months of hunting ahead, and to be technically accurate, July is the only month of the year that doesn't have some kind of hunting season somewhere in the state.

When most hunters think of hunting season, they think of fall and winter. Even narrowing it down to those months, it can still be overwhelming if you're trying to do it all.

By knowing when the prime hunting times are, you can schedule vacations and weekends around the best times for chasing your favorite quarry.

We've compiled a schedule for your consideration. Prime hunting times are determined by many factors - such as weather, migrations and hunting conditions - but this will give you some food for thought as you start planning your hunting season.

We've included some opening dates, but always check with the current hunting regulations. Opening and closing dates of seasons are different throughout the state.

Here's a look at some of the great hunting opportunities ahead:

AUGUST

The fall season actually starts in summer. Archery antelope hunting season started Aug. 15, and it lasts until Sept. 15. Check Idaho Department of Fish and Game regulations for open units.

Bagging one of these sharp-eyed, fleet-footed animals with a bow is a tall challenge, but if you're up to it, all you have to do is a buy a tag and go.

If you're a rifle hunter, good luck in next year's controlled-hunt drawing. That's the only way to rifle hunt antelope in Idaho.

SEPTEMBER

Upland bird seasons and archery deer and elk hunting get started in September.

Dove season opens Sept. 1, and it's the only month you can hunt them in Idaho. Dove season is a good opportunity to fine-tune your wingshooting skills or to find out how rusty you got during spring and summer.

Forest grouse season opens Sept. 1, and grouse hunting can add another element to your camping, fishing, hiking and scouting trips. They also make a tasty camp dinner.

If you're an archery hunter, mid-September is the height of the elk rutting season. Calling in 800 pounds of antlers, muscles and raging hormones is one of the biggest thrills in hunting.

There are also rut hunts for rifle hunters in some backcountry and wilderness areas.

Quail season opens Sept. 20, and it's a good time to find quail congregating near rivers, creeks or anywhere else you can find water near farmland.

Ditto for chukars. The season opens Sept. 15, and they often congregate around water in late summer.

It's also a tough time for hunters and dogs to climb the steep, rocky slopes in 90-degree heat. (See November for more about chukars.)

OCTOBER

October is the epitome of the fall hunting season. There's so much hunting available, people have to make tough choices.

It's a month when marriages are strained, bosses annoyed and pickups abused. Savor every minute of it. You can catch up on your sleep next month.

Duck season opens Oct. 11 in Southwest Idaho and the Magic Valley and Oct. 4 in North and East Idaho. Opening day is a great time to decoy local birds and early migrants, and hunt in T-shirt weather.

If you like to shoot teal, early season is the best time because they don't stick around long.

Deer season in Southwest Idaho opens Oct. 10. Although there are many different season dates in different areas, the October "any weapon" season is the most popular time for mule deer hunting. Check Fish and Game rules for season dates in different units.

Opening day is a good time to catch those young bucks standing and staring, and the weather tends to be sunny and warm.

The prime time for deer hunting is usually at the end of October, when rain or snowstorms make the woods quieter and animals start migrating out of the mountains.

Most rifle seasons for elk start in mid-October and last a couple of weeks. The prime time is simply when the season is open. Check the regulations for dates for your unit, because they vary across the state.

Pheasant season opens Oct. 18 in South and East Idaho, and Oct. 11 in North Idaho.

Because pheasants are usually found on private land, finding a place to hunt is usually as challenging as finding birds. Many hunters hit the wildlife management areas, where Fish and Game stocks pheasants.

NOVEMBER

You may be suffering from an October hunting hangover, and your mind may be wandering toward football and Thanksgiving, but don't succumb to the lure of the kitchen table and the couch.

There's still lots of great hunting available.

If you're a whitetail deer hunter, November is when the real action starts. Whitetails go into the rut, and bucks let their guard down when they start chasing does.

Cooler, wetter weather makes stalking easier, and leaves have fallen off trees and bushes, which means deer have fewer places tohide.

Many hunters head to the Clearwater and Panhandleregions for their prime whitetail hunting, but you can find them in most areas of the state. Check the hunting regulations, and if you plan to hunt whitetails in November, make sure you buy a whitetail tag instead of a general deer tag.

The whitetail tag allows you to hunt into November and some places into December, but most general deer tag hunts end on Oct. 31.

For mule deer hunters, many archery seasons reopen in November, which gives you a chance to hunt deer when they're rutting and migrating to winter range.

There are also lots of opportunities for a November elk hunt with a muzzleloader or bow and arrow. Check out the "A" tag seasons, which often allow early-season archery hunting and late-season archery or muzzleloader hunting.

Hard-core chukar hunters brave the heat in the earlyseason, but November is also a good time to chase the wily birds.

Cooler weather gives your dog a better chance to smell chukars and avoid rattlesnakes and heat stroke. It's also a great time to be in the Owyhee Desert, Hells Canyon and other chukar hangouts.

Snow often drives the chukars off the tallest ridges, which means you don't have to hike into bighorn country to find them.

DECEMBER

Think hunting season is winding down? Not even close. There still are about six weeks of good hunting and maybe Santa will bring more ammo.

When the weather turns frigid, duck and goose hunting heats up. Ponds and small lakes freeze and ducks and geese migrate to rivers and larger bodies of water, such as the Snake River and C.J. Strike Reservoir.

Chukar, quail, pheasant and forest grouse seasons remain open. This can be a pretty good time in the field if you can stand the cold. Many hunters have given up by now. If you haven't, you may have the fields to yourself.

JANUARY

Is it the end or the beginning? The hunting season is finally winding down, but it's also the beginning of a new year, so buy your 2009 license and go.

January can be a good month for waterfowl in Southwest Idaho because the late northern migrants stop here on their way south.

Winter often puts upland birds such as quail and chukars into large coveys. Find them, and you can get some good shooting. But the birds probably will be skittish after being shot at for three months.

Chukar, gray partridge and quail seasons remain open until Jan. 31 in Southwest Idaho. Seasons close earlier in other parts of the state.

January is also prime time to hunt predators such as coyotes and mountain lions.

Roger Phillips: 373-6615