Off-season Tips for Outdoors Enthusiasts, part 1

Hello Outdoors Sports Fans.  It's the Mr. here.  This will be part one of a series I will be doing on tips for outdoor enthusiasts.  So stay tuned to learn more about hunting, fishing, camping and survival.

Well winter is upon us (sort of) in Minnesota and unless you are an avid ice fisherman, our outdoor experiences are pretty much on hold for now.  If you’re like me, you're itching to get back into the swing of things as soon as possible, so here are a few tips to feed your outdoor cravings:

Clean your firearms. There are very few things that makes a man feel more like a man than when he cleans his guns.  So grab some Rem Oil, take apart your firearms, and give them a good cleaning.  It will be enjoyable and your firearms will thank you.

Organize your hunting and fishing stuff.  I re-organize my tackle boxes at the end of every year, and always find something out of place or something I don't need that can be thrown away.  Loosen the drag on all your reels, and take off all the line from your rod eyes for storage.  One of THE most important keys to fishing success that is vastly overlooked is sharp hooks.  Sharp hooks ensure a good hook set and can lead to an increased number of fish.  Many anglers go through seasons without sharpening their hooks.  This can spell disaster, especially if you fish muskies.  So get a good sharpener at your local store and have at it.

Use a trail camera to spot animal activity.  Continue looking for deer on your hunting land during the winter and spring months to track patterns and activity.  Take a stroll through the areas to see why you are either seeing activity or not seeing activity.  Check for tracks and scraps.  You may even find a new trail you didn't know was there, or even a shed deer antler or two.  What's the food source like, what's the cover like, are there wolves or coyotes that are pushing other animals out of the area?  These are questions you will need to find out from doing your homework.  Knowing the patterns of the animals you hunt throughout the off season will increase your chances of success in the fall because you are more aware of what is or isn't out there.

Join some blogs or chat rooms. It never hurts to gain more knowledge from other outdoorsmen to find out about your favorite lake.

Decide on a food plot.  If you're like our family and plant crops on your hunting grounds (corn, soybeans, alfalfa, etc) you like to plant food plots for the local habitat, but also want to enjoy some of these high grain prices.  Decide on how much you want to plant, but also decide what you want to harvest and what you want to leave.  This will determine where and how you plant because you want the crops you leave to be close to travel areas.  Research shows that big bucks feed later in the year after firearm season in order to store up for the winter.  So if all your crops are out, you just reduced their food supply.  Take this winter and spring to do some research on the variety of crops you want to plant, then decide on how much you want to leave.
 

Prepare for the upcoming season.  If you like to keep up to date on all the latest gear and equipment, start browsing the stores and online companies to see what’s new, what’s trending, and what people are saying about your favorite camp site or recreational area.

Don’t forget to tune into fishing or hunting shows.  I always learn something new when I watch something on TV or listen to a podcast.  It also gets me excited for the next season.   

Stay tuned for future tips…..