Top 5 NH ‘Leaf Catching’ Targets

October in New Hampshire means it is 'peak season' for one of my favorite activities. Leaf catching. Here are 5 examples of windfalls that will earn you one point per catch.

The rules of the game are very simple. You catch a leaf, or a bunch of needles or a pine cone, you get one point.

The first one to score twenty one points wins.

My nephew Connor is such an elite leaf catcher that he generally spots me fifteen points and I still lose by two or three.

Since social distancing is of utmost importance, my nephews have figured out a clever way to stay 6 to 8 feet away from me at all times, by basically playing deep in the outfield where the more difficult leaves such as maple and beech end up.

My safety zone is much closer to the woods where the larger and more predictable oak leaves are sure to fall.

This is Caleb, who is seen here shaking the branches, which breaks the only rule in the 'Leaf Catching' manual. Since many of you are new to this sport I wanted to illustrate 'How Not To' catch leaves and, since my days of tree climbing are but a distant memory, I appreciate his effort in setting an example of what 'cheating' looks like.

I feel I must warn you. Once you catch your first leaf, it's very difficult to stop. You want to catch just one more, then another and before you know it, hours have gone by and you have nothing but a stiff neck from looking up and a hand full of mulch.

Heed this warning and have fun!