By Micah Hanks

If you’re a recent visitor to the southernmost states through which the Blue Ridge Parkway runs, you will have noticed that the rough majority of the trees here in the Appalachian Mountains are taking their most golden hue. Nonetheless, the oak trees—a strange bunch in their own right—are just beginning to reach the brink of change, having held their summer green longer than most other species. It is within these oak trees that one of fall’s finest quarries, the gray squirrel, makes its home. Not only do squirrels live in oak trees, but the rich food source they provide also attracts deer, as well as a variety of other wild animals seeking food as the weather grows cold.

In addition to feeding season for many wild animals, in many parts of the country, the mid-to-late fall marks a special time of year for “foodies”; the time that wild game begins to become available at dinner parties that, unlike other times of the year, call for a special pairing of beverages to meet the unique meats being served.

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