The first weekends of B-zone are behind us and the reports are fairly light on the overall buck tally.
The warm weather does not help much as the deer stay very high to catch any breezes and are not yet beginning to get the swollen necks that signal the rut. Once the mating season begins the bucks are thinking about fighting other bucks for the attention of the does.
Watch for changes in the weather pattern, think rain and cold to get them moving around in the forest.
Wild boar are being taken in record numbers this year and it seems to have no effect on the overall head count, they are multiplying like crazy. The herds will begin rooting the forest floor as soon as the rains soften the topsoil. There are lots and lots of acorns in the woods, they are just beginning to ripen and fall. This will give the pigs plenty to eat.
 
Fishing
Most party boats are booking tuna trips right now, if you are a tuna catching guy get your reservations in early. For me, no way. I get seasick driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. The only tuna I plan on catching is in little round cans at the market.
On the other hand (or hook), I’m all for the striped bass action in the Delta and North Bay. The cooler weather this week should bring the bite back and the action moving in the brackish water. Check with the local bait shops before you head out to get the low down on the hottest spots and the best bait to use.
 
Diving
The sea was rough all last weekend, again, I stayed home, again. I have several abalone tickets to use up this fall. Let’s hope things settle down before the heavy storms move in. Fall is often the best time for near shore diving.
 
Mushrooms
Good friend and mushroom expert David Campbell recently appeared on a local foodie show, “View from the Bay.” The hosts repeatedly ask him about psychedelic mushrooms.
The recipe-demonstration is worth watching as are the typical questions of novice mushroomers. He and his daughter cooked a wild mushroom dish using fresh golden chanterelle. That tells you something, as they are typically the first mushrooms of the fall season. Check it out at www.mycoventures.com.

Bill Hanson is a Sonoma County native and a lifelong sportsman. He is past president of the Sonoma County Mycological Association.