| Calhoun and the regional area has signs of a really good mast crop this year.
Wildlife should fare rather well this winter.
In just a few short weeks the cool, crisp mornings will make the hot, sticky days of the long hot summer just a memory.
The fall hunting season is coming.
During the 2009 fall season, much of the state experienced a mast failure and this caused deer and other wildlife to spend much more time feeding in clearings and food plots.
Experts said it was the worst mast crop in over 30 years.
The deer population thinned with a lack of food, but the upside is that the herd is likely more sturdy.
The WVDNR says acorn mast is much more abundant this fall. Deer in particular will change their feeding patterns and almost seem to disappear, as they spend much more time back in the forest cover feeding upon the highly nutritious acorn crop.
This year's hickory crop is very scattered, and squirrels will also be found in oak stands feeding upon the abundant acorn mast.
The DNR says many species of wildlife change their behavior and daily movement patterns in response to the availability of food.
Hunters who take the time to search out and find abundant sources of hard and soft mast may greatly increase their odds of tagging the "big one."
As oak mast begins to drop to the forest floor, bear, deer and turkeys start to spend more time in the oak forests.
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