With the annual big game hunting season looming on the calendar, it is time for all woods walkers and similar outdoor travelers to be aware and dressed accordingly.

Hunters should avoid areas that are highly trafficked by hikers to avoid any potential user conflicts. Dogs should be leashed and fitted with a bright collar while in the woods.

If a dog is disruptive, the proper procedure is to notify the state Department of Environmental Conservation and provide information on the incident. It is important for the dog, the deer and the owner.

Hunting is a traditional outdoor activity that requires participants to develop the complete use of all their senses.

Primarily, the hunt is pursued for consumptive purposes, to put food on the table. Hunters often claim the experience of being totally immersed in the hunt provides them with a unique opportunity to clear the mind.

While on the hunt, it is important to be totally tuned into the surroundings, with constant attention focused on every sound, scent and movement.

While the annual big game hunting season provides enthusiasts with an opportunity to legally harvest a whitetail, there has been a growing interest in “digital hunts.” This allows hunters to shoot a rifle fitted out with digital scopes that captures an image of the shot as viewed through the cross hairs of a digital scope mounted on a rifle that is capable of shooting only blank rounds.

Catch-and-release hunting is not legal in New York, but it is gaining popularly in other areas of the country. It provides hunters with the thrill of the hunt, without the hard work of dressing, dragging and butchering up the take.

While such digital hunts may serve to bring more enthusiasts to the sport, I’d prefer to hunt the real deal than a digital image. I believe the authenticity of the hunting experience is diminished when a hunt is reduced to a digital reality.

There is a tangible sadness in the heart of most hunters when they “tip one over.” There is a moment of exhilaration with the accomplishment, but there’s also a certain sadness that comes with the take. I’ll stay with the real deal, there’s already far too many opportunities for digital in my daily life, and I certainly don’t want it in camp.

Hunting can be a captivating and all-absorbing experience. It is an activity that requires no rush, no schedule, no deadline. It is also requires participants to utilize the most basic of human instincts. It is a process that requires slow, careful and conscientious safety practices on the part of all participants.

Learning how to adjust the proper hunting pace is actually one of the most difficult aspects of the hunt, whether you are practicing it yourself or teaching it to others. As it relates to hunting whitetails, the pace of travel is variable and subject to constant adjustment.

Birders, anglers and nature photographers are user groups that have a firm grasp on this concept. They know how to stalk and when to move. These are basic skills that are only achieved with practice and by spending a lot of time in the woods.

Similar to hunters, birders learn all they can about the habits and habitats of their prey. They know how to mimic the various calls, and they understand the feeding and breeding behaviors of the birds they seek. Nature photographers are essentially “non-consumptive” hunters who choose to practice a form of non-invasive catch-and-release hunting.

Every hunter will eventually develop his own pace in the woods. It is a process that will require a good deal of practice, which can only be accomplished through a process of trial and error.

There is a major difference between a hiking pace and a hunting pace. A hiking pace is intended to cover ground, while a hunting pace is constantly adjusted to allow hunters to see what’s been covering the ground, and where it’s headed.

The best advice I’ve heard on the subject of a standard pace for hunting whitetails is to move infrequently and as slowly and rarely as possible without falling asleep. In short, hunters should only move when it’s absolutely necessary. Accomplished hunters realize it is more effective to wait for deer to come to them than to chase after them.

It is an activity that allows participants to interact with the natural world in a manner that is difficult to achieve through any other means. It is an all-natural pursuit that requires the participants to tap into a variety of deep-seated, basic instincts that are the residue of the long human history of existing as hunter/gatherers.

Participants are often exposed to a variety of natural interactions and reconnections. It should come as no surprise since humans functioned as hunter/gatherers for the majority of their time on this planet.

The urge to hunt is a component of our genetic composition. It is a pursuit that often provides participants with a deep spiritual connection to the land, the wildlife and the tradition of the hunt.

Although a harvest is the ultimate objective of the hunt, it is often the attendant activities that provide participants with the greatest satisfaction. This concept is best explained with the familiar refrain, “It is not the kill that I seek, but rather the thrill of the hunt.”

Although the primary purpose involves the eventual harvest of wild game, it is the process of the hunt that will allow participants to exercise and refine one of our most basic instincts. In the process of achieving this natural recalibration, we often rediscover the natural senses that are buried deep within all human animals.

Hunting provides the participants with an activity that combines solitude, stress reduction and a variety of other natural activities. It also provides numerous opportunities to refine our navigation skills, enhance sensory awareness and increase our strength, stamina and determination.

While many hunters prefer solitary hunts, traditional deer hunting is an outdoor activity that often involves the company and companionship of others. There are very few activities available in the vast outdoor recreational spectrum that offer the authentic sense of community and shared responsibility that are hallmarks of the hunt. The tradition of a “hunting camp” is a concept that is still considered a sacred rite in many corners.

A hunting camp is a place that provides the average man or woman with an opportunity to stay in shape, interact with and learn about nature, get plenty of fresh air and vigorous exercise, while enjoying the company and camaraderie of a group of like-minded folks. If you’ve never been there, you’ll never know the difference.