Minnesota's recent string of unusually warm autumns hasn't gone unnoticed:
• Deer hunters bring plenty of ice to deer camp to ensure their venison doesn't spoil.
• Pheasant hunters carry water bottles in their hunting vests to hydrate their canine partners.
• Duck hunters often bring bug dope or sunscreen to their blinds — and not as a joke.
• And dove hunters, well, some wear shorts when the season kicks off in early September.
What's going on?
It's the heat.
For 15 of the past 17 falls, Minnesota's average temperatures from September through November have been above average, and often well above average, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last fall and fall of 2002 were the exceptions, when colder-than-average temperatures prevailed.