Winter Blues from Guest Blogger, Chad Walker

Father and son have winter blues in ny state

The winter months can drag on between fall hunting seasons and the spring thaw that leads into trout season, and finally turkey and walleye season in May. In central New York, that means cold and snow. It can feel like the winter is eternal. A fortunate few are able to pass the time hunting rabbits with beagles, or even predator hunting. The opportunities in New York are what make it great. If you choose to, you can literally hunt almost year round. We’re lucky that way here in New York. We live in a sportsman’s paradise. For those of us that go on “hiatus” for the winter months, it is the ideal time to look inward, reflect on the season that just ended, and to start thinking about upcoming days afield. It’s a perfect time for reflection. There is no better time of year for quiet, and there is no better place to reflect, than camp. The silence of camp in the winter is unmatched. You can almost hear the snowflakes hit the ground if you really listen. The outside world disappears. Sometimes, that science is just what the doctor ordered. Turn the iPhone and the laptop off (if your camp is like mine, they don’t work there anyway!) and just listen. Let the trees and the birds talk to you. Unplug from the wireless network, spend some time at camp, and you’ll see how much better your connectivity is.

By guest blogger, Chad Walker, New York State Licensed Hunting Guide at Vision Outdoors Guide Service (Facebook.com/VisionOutdoors)