#3 and I went into our hunt area this morning.
About half the leaves are still up and the temps were in the upper 50's
Our gun season opens on the 14th so this is typical for us to start the scouting process.
Lots and lots of fresh scrapes, but only a few rubs, looks to be a good year if the weather cooperates (upper 50's sucks for deer hunting up here)
We have two weeks to make the change from late fall to early winter. The best hunting up here is 2-3"of fresh snow, temps in the low 30's high 20's, overcast with little or no wind. Every now and then this happens, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
I never get excited about the hunt until I take this walk in the woods, then it all starts up, get the clothes out, sight in the rifle, make a list of the supplies needed and watch the weather forecast.
Even though my hunting lasts maybe 2 or 3 days, it still is exciting.