I had a conversation with a fellow pheasant hunter last night that included us both revealing bouts of depression this time of year.  It’s a form of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) I suppose, but not because it’s miserable outside-because the hunting season is almost over!  You wait for fall to roll around for 9 months out of the year and it’s just about to end.

The archery deer season ends on Tuesday (12/31), while the end of the pheasant and grouse seasons end on Wednesday (1/1/14).

All those evenings in the backyard with the dummy, making retrieve after retrieve is a step towards the real thing on a crisp October morning.  You browse the aisles at your local sporting goods store, shouldering the latest shotgun to hit the market, wondering how it fits and how you can hide the purchase from your bookkeeper.  All important preparations for the time of the year when the leaves drop and the birds flock up.

Now it’s about to end.

You might suffer from the same symptoms as myself, but I’ve found the cure:  Finish strong!

Then start ice fishing.