Saturday (Sept. 28) may have been the official National Hunting and Fishing Day, but for Pennsylvania sportsmen, October is Outdoor Month. Not because anyone has officially proclaimed it as such, however.

No, it is because October is not only the recognized start of hunting season but also offers many opportunities for sportsmen. If it has fins, fur or feathers, there is a good chance you can hunt it at some time and in some method during October.

Come October, most outdoors people start looking towards hunting, but more about that later because there is still fishing to be done. Most species are still in season, including the extended trout season that opened after Labor Day. But today marks the start of the fall/winter stocking.

Although this second stocking provides far less trout than the traditional spring stocking, it nonetheless offers anglers another shot at some beautiful trout. For those anglers willing to travel, Lake Erie’s steelhead will start their annual run into local tributaries with gusto.

It’s time for what most people have been waiting for: hunting. Deer are the main focus, and plenty of opportunities to fill a tag early. Archery, muzzleloader, and the particular junior/senior rifle season are all open this month. They provide the perfect chance to get out and bag a trophy before the woods are flooded with November’s far more numerous rifle hunters.

But deer are only one side of the big game coin. Bear, a favorite in the northern tier, will also be out and about fattening up for a long winter nap. First, hunters can bag a new rug with a muzzleloader, archery, and a special junior/senior hunting.

Small game hunting is not as popular as it once was, probably because of the competition everyone faces for their limited free time, but it offers an excellent chance to get out and scout while taking home a few tasty treats. Woodchucks, squirrels, rabbits and pheasants are all open during October. The latter will be supported by stocking over 237,000 birds, with 31,780 in the Northcentral Region alone. While you are chasing a small game, you will also flush some upland birds.

Do not fret. They are in season, too. Ruff grouse, wood cock, Wilson snipe, gallinules, and rails are all in season this month.

If you are like me, waterfowl have been on your mind for months. Every time I go fishing or kayaking, I see ducks, geese and brants rafting up, just relaxing in the sun, knowing they are safe. But this month, the tables turned. Resident geese, ducks, brants and snow geese are all on the menu. They are perfect with a side of wild mushrooms or fiddleheads.

The severe trapping season only happens in late fall, but that does not mean October is a bust. Coyotes, foxes, opossums, raccoons, striped skunks and weasels are already in season or will open on Oct. 26, just in time to make them part of the October bonanza.

Oh, and I can remember the falconers. Although they are not as numerous as other hunting groups, their numbers and seasons are growing. October marks the opening day and will be one of your only chances to see a majestic bird swoop from the sky, snatch its prey and dutifully return to the handlers.

By now, it should be obvious that October is not the in-between seasons month but one that offers more opportunities than any other month during the year. Walking pheasant fields or sitting in a duck blind may not hold the prestige annual deer or bear camp holds, but each offers what is most important to sportsmen — a chance to get out and spend time with friends or family enjoying the great outdoors and all it has to offer.