BY BOB AND GINNY RIEGE

Off-season projects for the hunter make hunting season get here faster February is a difficult time of year for the hunter because the hunting season for most folks has become little more than a memory as the snow piles up outside and the time until turkey season grows longer by the day.

Fortunately for sportsmen, there are a number of off-season projects that can occupy their time during the month of February. For instance, waterfowlers can find plenty to do despite the fact that their season has been over for at least a month in some places. What’s there to do? According to the experts at Hunter’s Specialties, now is the time to prepare for next season.

Decoys take a lot of abuse throughout the course of a normal waterfowl season, as do decoy cords and anchoring devices. February is the perfect time for waterfowlers to take advantage of this downtime and to replace or repair any broken or damaged decoy cords and weights. To keep tangles to a minimum, it’s best to replace that old line with Tangle-Proof Decoy Cord from Hunter’s Specialties. Used in conjunction with the Quik-Rig Weights, this tangle-proof cord is strong, durable and will generally outlive the decoys themselves. And the dark green color of the Tangle-Proof Decoy Cord makes it the ideal choice for most bottom camouflage situations.

If your duck boat took a beating this winter put a new camouflage finish on that skiff with Hunter’s Specialties camouflage paints. Available in easy-to-use aerosol cans and gallon-sized buckets, H.S. Camo paints go on easily and are durable enough to last from season to season. Hunter’s Specialties camo paint kits come in four of the most popular camouflage colors – marsh grass (tan), black, rust and green. Detailed instructions and a durable plastic stencil make this a quick chore.

Is it ever really too early to start planning for this spring’s turkey opener? Hunter’s Specialties is also the nation’s largest manufacturer and supplier of hunting accessories. They offer these suggestions for getting your gear ready.

First, get organized with the H.S. Deluxe Sportmen’s Utility Vest. Originally designed with the turkey hunter specifically in mind, the Deluxe Sportmen’s Utility Vest has evolved into a do-it-all piece of equipment. Waterfowlers, deer hunters, trappers and anglers all find the vest, with its large game/carry bag and multitude of pockets to be ideal for carrying gear into and out of the field.

For those long winter nights prior to the spring season, nothing makes the time go faster than a copy of Hunter’s Specialties’ latest turkey hunting video, Real Strut Talk. Actual turkey sounds and all the turkey vocabulary taught to you by the real thing. When it’s time to start practicing those clucks and yelps, H.S. Strut follows up with two of the nation’s most popular turkey calls – the Lil’ Deuce II and the Raspy Old Hen Glass call. Both of these calls are easy to master, with the Lil’ Deuce II’s small size making it perfect for smaller hands.

So don’t let the winter doldrums get you down. Make of list of your off-season chores and start preparing for the seasons to come.