Minnesota North Outdoors

This is a tough time of the year for those of us who love hunting and fishing - especially when winter just won't go away.

The ice-fishing season is all but done and even though crappie fishing is always open there's very little reason to risk your life on the ice at this time of year. And good luck getting your boat on the lake!

Turkey hunting season isn't quite here yet and the walleye opener isn't until May. The snow is melting from the hilltops at local ski resorts and from the groomed snowmobile trails across most of northeastern Minnesota. Of course, that doesn't mean it's time to get the wheeler out. It's too cold, for one, and even if can find some trails without snow, chances are they are muddy and useless. And unless your Minnesota North Outdoors blogger Zach Johns, hunting or hiking right now is out of the question.

So what's a guy or gal suppose to do between April 1 and the walleye opener in May? How about get some deer stands ready and do a little brushing? Yes, I said get deer stands ready even though the archery opener is still six months away and the rifle opener is even further down the road.

Spring is a perfect time to get out into your deer woods and build those new stands you thought about all of last deer season for a number of reasons. Some of them include:

• No mosquitos. Between now and June the chances of running into any of Minnesota's famous blood suckers is slim to none. Oh, you might encounter one here or there, but for the most part you won't have to worry about getting eaten alive out in the woods. Nothing sucks worse - no pun intended - than trying to work outside in the summer heat with swarms of nasty mosquitos tearing you apart.
  
• Not a lot of vegetation. Spring is a great time to scout for stand locations or build at sites you mentally marked last fall because the conditions in the woods are going to be very similar to what they were the last time you were there in November or December - no leaves or other greenery. Now, this can change quickly so you'll want to get out there sooner than later. But what this allows you is the ability to put up a stand or position it in the best possible spot. If you try to put up a stand in the summer or even September you're not really seeing what you'll see when you're out there hunting and not being familiar with your surroundings puts you at a great disadvantage.
• Seeing the trails. If you get out early enough, when there's still a little snow on the ground, it gives you an opportunity to really see where some of the well worn trails are. Keep in mind that deer will use different trails in the dead of winter than in summer or fall but what you're looking for here are ALL the trails and ins and outs around a potential stand position. And the wet ground, or a little leftover snow, will lay those trails out in a way that's easy to see compared to what you'd be dealing with when the vegetation is lush and closes the forest up until October. Combine what you are seeing at this time of year with what you observed during the deer season and you've got a good start at finding the best place to locate a stand.
• Do not disturb. Perhaps the best reason to build stands and do brushing and lane clearing in the spring is because by doing it now you are giving deer six to eight months to get used the change in their surroundings. While deer are naturally curious animals, they are also extremely cautious and when you start chopping down trees and knocking down brush in September and October it tends to set off alarms. The really smart ones - you know, those trophy bucks - are wise enough to realize there has been a change and to avoid that area as best they can. But if you do your redecorating now, by the time you return to the area, you won't even remember what changes you made. And it'll give new bucks a chance to move into the area none the wiser. Another advantage: If you get some brushing done in the spring - removing winter's damage - you'll have less to do come fall after summer storms have wreaked havoc on your favorite trails. That leaves more time for scouting and hunting come September!
  

These are just a few reasons to get out and put up your stands and do your brushing now. Besides, what else are you going to do in April? Shovel slush and snow blow your front yard like your insane neighbor?

Hell no! Get out in the woods and get to work and if you're lucky you'll come across a antler shed or two while you are out there.