It's finally here.

Not early goose, not teal season. The real thing. The first north winds of the fall are finally starting to blow, the water's up in the timber, and the first push of the year is making its way down the flyway. You've been waiting on this morning since January.

You're standing in the dark with your back against a tree, a slight chill in the air, and the dog is shaking next to you. Not from the cold. He knows exactly what today is. Then the first greenheads work the hole, feet down through the trees, and everything you've been missing for nine months is right there in front of you.

When it's over and the strap's full, you lean the gun on the tree and your dog sits down next to it like he owns the place. He's not wrong.

This month's design is that morning, a black lab, a strap full of mallards, and the timber finally open for business. It's finally go time.