With snow on the ground, it is a great time for all hunters to check out their favorite stands. You just might be surprised to find that the deer are traveling 30 or 40 yards away from your hot spot. If you are a bow hunter, 30 or 40 yards is on the fringe of your best shot area. If this is the case, you should move your stand closer to the trails that the deer are using.
If you are a firearms hunter, see where your best shooting lanes are. All of you should check to see which branches and trees or any other obstacles are in the way of your line of sight.
Fishermen should be ordering their new lines, lures, rods and reels so they will be here in plenty of time to practice with before the season open. Even though you may have plenty of experience and think you don’t need to perfect your casting ability, think again flounder lips—we all need to pick up a rod and cast a few times to get back in the groove so to speak. As a deer hunter needs to practice with his gun or bow, fishermen need to toss a few lines to get the creaks out of the old arm after a winter of just tossing a few beers.
Most of the bass fishermen have already set up their schedules for the year as tournament permits were drawn back in December for Maine clubs, and on January 2, for New Hampshire clubs. The bass clubs have to arrange their tournaments far in advance so that they can attract sponsors for these events. Monies raised will go to send kids to conservation camps, to charities, to run their programs for the year, for kids fish derbies and many other projects. For example, last year, the Northeast Bassmasters of Eliot, sent two kids to conservation camp, co-sponsored a kid’s fish derby with the Southern Maine Fish and Game Club, donated money to the Great Works Regional Land Trust, voted to purchase an air conditioner for the local sportsmen’s club, conducted a two-day bass fishing seminar at Portsmouth High School and a one-day seminar at Portsmouth’s Middle School. A very active and kids oriented club.
Trucks with boat trailers are beginning to run up and down the highways as their owners take them in for a spring tune-up. This is a great time of the year to have your boat worked over as the rush to get the boats in the water hasn’t started. Make sure to have the lower unit oil changed, replace any worn tires on your trailer, have your batteries checked and, if needed, replace and change your spark plugs. While it’s there have the boat re-conned so when you pick it up it is ready to be launched.
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