Happy Thanksgiving. And let’s get hunting.

© BRIAN WHIPKEY A cardinal eats sunflower seeds out of a feeder in Somerset County. The Audubon Society is looking for volunteers to participate in the Christmas Bird Count.

Happy Thanksgiving. It’s a great holiday to reflect on what and who we have in our lives.

As you enjoy your turkey today, I hope you take time to thank those who are special to you. After your meal, a hike in the woods is usually a good option (to avoid a nap).

The woods are a great place for reflection. Whether you are sitting in a tree stand waiting for deer, watching for birds or enjoying a campfire, Mother Nature can recharge our souls.

The next holiday for hunters is coming up in two days – the first day of rifle deer season, and there are some stories in the newsletter today for hunters.

I spent some time going over the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s regulations and put together a guide of what you need to know for the upcoming two week season. Check out the story here.

Also, I’ve written about how hunting is the best way to manage wildlife populations of big game animals. When you read the story below, you may be surprised at how many deer, elk and bear collide with vehicles each year.

On another topic, if you are looking for something fun to do outdoors over the holidays, check out the story about the annual Christmas Bird Count. You can spend part of a day with friends counting wild birds. The information is used by researchers who are looking for bird trends.

Speaking of birds, I have an update on the Game Commission’s pheasant program after the netting on some pens collapsed under the weight of a heavy snow. The story linked below explains what happened and how the agency is working to make sure all the places expecting to have pheasants will have more birds than last year.

The final story this week is for those hunters who were successful in finding a deer. Before last year’s hunting season, I spoke with a deer processor about what you can do to help you enjoy your venison.

I hope you have a great holiday, and I wish you luck deer hunting. If you happen to get a trophy buck, let me know. I’d like to highlight some of the large and unique trophy animals that are found across the state.

Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him with questions about thee outdoors or story ideas at bwhipkey@gannett.com or 814-444-5928. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Happy Thanksgiving. And let’s get hunting.