The snows have given way to the heavy rains in recent weeks and the last thing on most people's minds is hunting season.

I was invited to attend Fur, Fish and Game Night at Moniteau High School this Friday and it made me think about my 2008 plans.

Many who will attend this event have a great interest in the great outdoors. A few will be trying their best to round up opportunities to hunt for more exotic game and fish. This includes my buddies, who have been trying to get me to commit to a number of hunting experiences, but I'm just not biting on their offerings this year.

Caribou, bear, moose and elk are being tossed right over my shoulder, yet I still couldn't resist planning my fall deer hunting adventures

I know it doesn't seem to be much of an adventure to be deer hunting when you could be in the Yukon chasing moose, but I have my reasons.

For several years, my brother, buddies and I have hunted for deer in several states and enjoyed the experience. The cost has been reasonable and we never had to learn another language — if you don't count some of the backwoods folk.

Another reason is that travel time is cut significantly, so if you are self-employed or have a limited number of vacation days, you can still swing a trip.

The key to a successful hunting trip is planning ahead and learning about the hunting license nuances.

It's funny how nuisance looks so much like nuance. For example, we hunt West Virginia every year and the opening day of rifle season usually is one week before Pennsylvania's opener.

We usually buy our license when we arrive or a week or two in advance, at best. Two years ago, I wanted to participate in the spring turkey hunt and I never gave it a thought that my license was valid for spring gobbler hunting.

Lo and behold, the West Virginia hunting license runs from January through December. In the space of a month I would have needed to buy two out-of- state licenses due to poor planning.

This year, I decided to make a fall hunting plan that included buck and bear hunting with inline black powder rifles in Virginia, the rifle opener in West Virginia, the rifle opener in Pennsylvania and late season hunts in any of the three states.

Although two out-of-state licenses might be costly up front, it is nowhere near the expense of a western or out-of- country hunt.

I am extremely excited about hunting in the George Washington National Forest that lies along the mountainous borders of Virginia and West Virginia. The deer and bear populations are good, and the thought of hunting for both with my Thompson/Center Triumph has me invigorated.

Remember to do a little research for your favorite hunting dream and check out each state or province's seasons, license deadlines and application nuances.

If you don't, your recreation goal quickly can become a nuisance and ruin the whole idea of an outdoor adventure.

One item that is important to consider is hunting land access. A state can have great hunting, but can you get to the public lands?

Don't wait until you are there to figure out how to get onto huntable lands. Remember that some states don't sell out-of-state licenses, and if they do they use a lottery system or, in extreme cases, an auction for a few prized tags.

In a few areas, you are required to have a licensed guide accompany you on the hunt. If so, make sure you check their references.