Mid-January is about the time that I start to feel the winter blahs.

Psychology Today describes the winter blahs as when our moods dip with the weather and we start to feel more depressed, irritable and anxious for the longer daylight hours of spring and summer. We often see the effects of weather on people as the winter storms approach and cause us all to hunker in and prepare for the worst.

However, I have some suggestions for beating the winter blahs and getting ready for spring to arrive.

I like to consider myself as a proactive type of guy that works to head off problems or get a jump on projects when I can. As someone who enjoys the outdoors, I have found the winter months as the perfect time to do some things that I never have the free time to do when the warmer weather is upon us. I like to break things down and I have a simple formula to do so. The formula consists of: Hunting … Fishing … Planting … Conservation … Scouting and Learning.

Each of these areas take a great deal of time and sometimes money each year of my life and thus to ignore them would be a folly even in the off seasons. Hunting not only consists of trying to harvest game but in taking care of sporting arms, specialty clothing and boots, ammunition, optics and even myself. This is the time of year to go over all of your equipment and clean, repair and replace worn parts or products. Bolts and triggers need cleaned and lubricated, barrels need scrubbed and slings and swivels inspected. If you are like me, you will have more than one sporting arm to inspect and get into tip top shape before they are stored away. You want to have the entire year to be ready for the next day afield not the weekend before the season opener.

Fishing season is on for the ice fisherman but when was the last time you looked over your trout, pan fish, walleye and bass gear. Fishing tackle needs as much attention or more than your hunting gear. Rods get worn guides, stressed and need wiped down regularly. Reels take a beating with grit, sludge build up in gears and line foul ups with moving parts. Attention needs to be given to the line and it should be replaced if any symptoms of stress or wear is present. Nicks, UV light, heat and stretched lines will ruin your day of fishing as much as a bird nest in your reel. It is also the time to check and clean out the tackle box, replace/sharpen hooks and inspect lures.

This is also the time of year to start sizing up food plots, wild flower plantings and to take advantage of the PGC and Conservation District Seedling sales. You order the plants and trees now and they will be here in time for some wildlife plantings in the spring. Figure out where you want to be on riparian edges and give nature a helping hand.

My brother-in-laws planted some apple saplings years ago that give wildlife a bumper crop of apples nearly every year … awesome to see.

My wife reminded me that the bird boxes need some attention. That means cleaning them out, repairing weathered roofs and repositioning them on posts and trees. This includes blue birds, ducks, and squirrel boxes as well as bat houses. Cutting some brush and piling it up for rabbits and crappie fishing will pay off with dividends later. Plans for all type of nesting boxes are available from the PGC Outdoor Shop.

When the snow is on the ground you can learn a lot about animal trails, bedding areas and places to locate yourself during the next hunting season. It may change but not likely if the trails have been used for many seasons. This is the time to visit game lands and tracts of forest that are more desolate and you are not sure where to start looking for prime stand areas. The use of topo maps, water, food sources and cover will be more clear when you get the lay of the land.

Finally, this is the time to get educated and learn new skills for the outdoors. There are classes for fly tying, predator calling, trying new loads for your rifle, using GPS and range finders, making specialty game dishes, using smokers, and learning to call in that trophy gobbler. Learn where new trout streams are and make a road trip to search for whitetail or elk sheds. This is the time they are dropping antlers and you just might get lucky and find a beautiful rack for your man cave.

Until we meet again, I will catch up with you at the next outdoor show as we beat the winter blahs!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.