Ciekot: It's way too hot for fall, and for hunting season on the Shore

Hey there, summer, didn't you get the message? Your time is over. Move along. Get packing. It's fall now, time for cool temperatures, ducks on the wing and sika stags screaming in the dawn. Mid 80s and sunny all afternoon? There may be some fishermen or beach bums somewhere who like that, but they had their time in July and August. It's our time now, we hunters, and we don't like you very much. Scram and take all these silly hurricanes with you when you go.  

It's been meteorological fall for almost a month. True, on the calendar, fall started Friday. It's October  next week for Pete's sake! True, we may long for a visit from you come late January, after a few snowstorms, but now it's your departure we want. Our eyes are all on the next big cold front at the end of the week.

It's time to get in a tree stand, work on duck blinds and spend time in the woods. It's time for it to actually feel like fall and it can't get here fast enough.

For the hunters out there, well, get ready. October is soon upon us. The most hectic month. Early duck seasons, good bowhunting action, early muzzleloader hunts in both Delaware and Maryland, the sika rut, the whitetail pre-rut and, for the lucky few, even the bear hunt in western Maryland.

And trips? Oh my. For waterfowlers the prairies beckon. Big game hunters are looking westward to the Rockies. Upland hunters are thinking of falling leaves and rising grouse up north.

Can we fit it all in? Who knows, but we're going to try. Work? Bahh, there's time for that later, it's almost October. C'mon summer, hurry up and get out of town, it's time to get hunting season rolling.   

MORE CIEKOT:Hunters, keep a sharp eye out for diseased deer

Maryland trophies 

There's a new organization forming to recognize the really big whitetail deer, sika deer and black bears taken by hunters in Maryland, as a recent press release announces the formation and kickoff of Maryland Bucks-Bears-Stags.

The announcement says, "Bucks-Bears-Stags was established to recognize the accomplishments of Maryland hunters and to showcase the quality of Maryland's abundant wildlife species. BBS offers hunters the opportunity to have their Maryland whitetail bucks, black bears and sika stags scored for a planned 2018 record book."

There has always been a Maryland Trophy Deer Contest that recognized the best antlered whitetails and sika deer taken in the state, but other than a website with the top 10 in each category there wasn't much info to be had from that. There has also been the knock that to get deer scored for those records you had to go to special events on the western shore, within a certain time frame of taking the animal.  

The new BBS records hopes to address those issues with published record books of all entries, inclusion of previous trophies and scoring events held around the state.

The inclusion of bears in the record keeping is a big deal, too, as that species grows in popularity and numbers on the western end of Maryland. Whether you've taken a big animal or just like looking at them, check out BBS at bucks-bears-stags.com.  

More:Anglers, keep your eyes open: Fish secrets can be revealed in unexpected places

Outdoor Calendar

Sept. 23: National Hunting and Fishing Day

Through Sept. 25: Virginia and Delaware early Canada goose seasons

Through Sept. 26: Delaware early teal season, six daily.

Through Sept. 30: Maryland and Virginia early teal seasons, six daily. 

Through Sept. 30: First segment of Delaware mourning dove season

Oct. 5-7: 38th annual Mid-Atlantic Surf Fishing Tournament, Ocean City, 410-957-4516

Oct. 6-14: Delaware early muzzleloader deer season

Through Oct. 14: First segment of Maryland mourning dove season

Oct. 14-21: First segment of Maryland regular duck season

Oct. 19-21: Maryland early muzzleloader deer season

Oct. 21-22: 18th annual Rocktoberfest Tournament, Bahia Marina, Ocean City, 410-289-7473

Oct. 23-28: Maryland early muzzleloader antlerless deer season

Through Oct. 29: First segment of Virginia mourning dove season

Through Dec. 20: Chesapeake striped bass season, main bay and all tributaries, two fish daily, 20 inches minimum, only one over 28 inches.