A chill is in the air as the bright yellow maple pulsates in a blustery autumn wind, shedding its leaves to the ground. The burning bush shines pinkish-red, the Japanese maple brilliant scarlet when the sun peaks through the billowy white clouds racing eastward. Down the road a piece, a harvester levels the cornfield to stubble.

Yes, the hunters’ moon has passed and it’s again that time of year when the reports of scatterguns can be heard emanating from the highlands and swamps, the croplands and shores, producing fall table fare.

The archery deer season opened Monday, the waterfowl season opened Wednesday and on the same day the pheasant trucks got rolling from the Valley District office in Belchertown, stocking game birds for Saturday, opening day.

That day, everyone and his brother will be out enjoying the fresh air, the exercise, the bird-dog’s enthusiasm, and the challenge of bringing a flying bird to the bag. It sounds easier than it is, but try it sometime and you’ll soon learn that there’s nothing easy about it. You have to remain quick, alert and always ready to scoot around an obstruction to get off a quick, clean shot. And when that’s impossible, you have to shoot through a screen, sometimes thick, learning over time how thick is too thick.

The majority of the upland bird hunters will flock to pheasant coverts, which have gotten quite crowded in recent years. Too crowded, in fact, particularly on opening day and every other Saturday. If you learn how to hunt the periphery, refuges where escaped birds congregate, you can still find a pleasant hunt, but don’t count on it opening day, when the stocked birds, hunters and dogs will be stuffed into small places at public coverts and Wildlife Management Areas.

I think I’ll pass and visit a secluded site in search of partridge and woodcock. If they’re there, they’re there. If not, well, you can always read deer sign and check the mast crop for future reference.

It’s not about putting food on the table or proving your manhood. It’s about being there, on their turf

So that’s where you’ll find me on opening day. On their turf, and mine.

Gun in hand, I shy away from crowds.