Kevin Tate

Mississippi's hunting seasons draw thousands of residents and visitors into the woods and fields each year, and for most of them, the path into the field starts the same way:

Overhead, limbs and needles of 30-year-old planted pine darkened the sky. They swayed atop long, straight trunks. They towered above a riverside hollow that lay below a cotton field's edge. The land ran down to the waterside and was stiff with briars and cane. Too thick to easily admit predators, it teemed with cottontails and swamp rabbits alike. The Old Man buttoned his denim jumper up to his chin and leaned his way through, pushing down ropes of prickly branches as he went.

For a hunter without a lease or an invitation to private acreage, Mississippi's public land offers something increasingly rare: real, affordable access to good ground.

Getting a family out into the woods for the first time doesn’t require expensive gear or wilderness expertise. A little preparation goes a long way. Here are the essentials to

Getting a family out into the woods for the first time doesn't require expensive gear or wilderness expertise. A little preparation goes a long way. Here are the essentials to get everyone from the driveway to a good night's sleep under the stars.

The first thing you notice is you're descending, into a deeply-worn path and into the footsteps of time.

W e walked through semi-packed snow, enjoying a great swath of the West set aside for Scouting a long time gone. Leaving civilization behind, we were arriving at strengths within ourselves, the sort of journey to nowhere that moves maturity a long way forward nonetheless, and no matter what each hiker's age.

With deer season ramping up and football on every Saturday, plenty of Mississippi outdoorsmen put the fishing rods away this time of year. Crappie anglers know better.

Tupelo's troops of Boy Scouts have been elemental to building the leaders who have, in turn, built the community.

I t's often been my pleasure to consider the relationships of outdoorsmen across a certain divide of seasons.