There are outdoors possibilities for hunters and anglers in West Virginia during the dark days of winter. However, one has to be pretty hard-core to try and lure trout with feet of snow on the stream bank. It’s equally distressing to try and call in a coyote when the wind is howling and the temperature is near zero.
Wintertime is typically downtime for sportsmen. Generally, there’s a long list of household honey-do’s around the house that have escaped your notice and need immediate attention to stay out of the doghouse. But once you’ve fixed the broken handle on the kitchen cabinet, replaced the wax ring on the downstairs toilet, cleaned all of the lint from the dryer, and painted the guest bathroom, you should have built up enough points to score some trout fishing time in April.
Winter is the time to repair and maintain your outdoors gear. Hunters and fishermen may have thousands of dollars tied up in their equipment. Failing to properly maintain it is pointless, especially now that you have time on your hands to handle the task.
GUN CLEANING We all know we should swab the barrel of the rifle, shotgun, or pistol after every use and wipe it off before storing it away. However, this is the time of year when you need to give it the once over.
Take firearms from your cabinet one-by-one and give each a thorough cleaning. Take them apart. Disassemble everything and go over carefully. Remove all fouling and powder residue. Pay special attention to the trigger mechanism. This is a hiding place for grit that if left unchecked can actually lock up the gun down the road.
There are plenty of commercially available oils and cleaning solvents that will break up the powder and give you a well-protected firearm to last for years to come.
CLEANING YOUR FISHING REELS Every winter, I take my fishing reels apart one-by-one and thoroughly clean and oil them.
A suggestion for this exercise is to make sure you’re sitting down. Use a large, clean surface that is preferably white. There are dozens of little shoulder screws and parts that can easily fall off while you’re disassembling your reels. Hunting for those in the floor is a tough proposition and slows the pace considerably.
Another suggestion is to draw a rough diagram of the reel as you’re taking it apart. Lay the pieces in an order you’ll remember when you go to put it back together. Few things are more frustrating than not remembering how something goes back together.
Remove all of the grease packed in side the reel’s cogs. A piece of sand stuck in the grease can do more damage than you could ever imagine to a metal gear. Replace the grease and oil all moving parts. Quantum has grease and oil product I use called “Hot Sauce” which is very effective.
KNIVES Most sportsmen have an array of knives they use for various applications during their hunting and fishing travels. It’s worthless to have a dull knife.
Carefully examine your blade for chips, nicks, and rust. The rust can be removed with fine grit sandpaper. Use a whetstone to restore the edge that you no doubt dulled when you hit the bone while gutting or butchering your deer back in November. Add a thin coating of oil when you’re done to protect against rush.
BOATS I have a fiberglass fishing boat that occasionally seeps water while in use. It’s frustrating to have to bail the boat and worry about what’s getting wet. Any marine store can sell you the fabric and fiberglass patching material. It’s surprisingly easy to use and apply if you follow the manufacturer’s directions. Remember to use a mask, due to the fumes and fiberglass dangers. Also make sure you’re working in a well-ventilated area.
GARMENTS I know I have invested literally hundreds of dollars in comfortable and high tech gear. Gore-Tex is my brand of choice. It’s pricey, but it works and to keep it working for many years to come, I wash all of my Gore-Tex garments after every season. Generally this requires a trip to the laundry mat since my home washer can’t handle the bulk of the load.
The one key that most sportsmen never know is Gore-Tex needs to be rejuvenated. The material can be restored to its first day effectiveness with a little work. The first thing is to spray it liberally with a solution called Rejuvex. It’s actually made by Gore-Tex for this very thing. Then toss the washed garment in the dryer. The heat of the dryer allows the solution to impregnate the material and actually restarts the chemical process that makes Gore-Tex the fabric that it is.
FISHING GEAR Fishing tackle is something we depend on, but generally don’t pay much attention to until we are on the water. When the bass are biting well is not the moment to notice you need to add a treble hook to the back of your favorite plug. You recall the fierce battle you fought with that musky last fall, but you’ll fail to remember he broke two of the points off your favorite lure in the process.
Sharpen the points and replace any that don’t meet surgical standards.
Check your fishing rods. Look for nicks and breaks in the ceramic guides. If you’re looking to replace your fishing rods, Skate The Fly fishing gear is really well priced.
CAMPING GEAR Think back to the last camping trip of the summer. Did the tent leak? Were there any broken stakes? If so, you can often patch a leaky tent roof with a commercially available patching kit. Stakes are as cheap as a trip to Wal-Mart.
Check your gas lantern. Clean it thoroughly and replace the mantle is if uses them.
These are only a few suggestions. I’m sure as you assess your gear, you’ll come up with others. However, you have time on your hands now with little hunting and fishing to do. Take advantage of the opportunity and take care of the little things now. That way you won’t have your next outing ruined by equipment failure.