There are many benefits that can be derived from a hike in the woods, especially this time of year. The days are slowly getting longer, the daytime temperatures are forecast to be a bit above normal for the beginning of January and we can all use some fresh clean air that we can breathe without having to wear a mask!

Most folks these days have been tolerating being rather housebound for months and the exercise and fresh air would be very beneficial. In fact, I recently spoke with a Virologist who was very encouraging about the clean air that we all have available to us here in Northcentral Pennsylvania. As he explained, “About 80% of our immune system is used up in fighting all of the various things that are airborne and that we are usually exposed to every day – particularly in an urban setting.” Residents of Lycoming county and surrounding areas either live in the country or can quickly and easily travel to the country to spend time in this clean air environment while enjoying a winter hike. Yes, we did receive an unusually deep snow before Christmas, and it was later packed down by a deluge of rain. Now, the snow has been packed down and can easily be walked upon without breaking through a top crust with every step along the way. Going hiking this time of year simply provides a superior type of aerobic exercise.

One of the enjoyable side benefits of a winter hike is being able to come across the various animal tracks in the snow that allow us to discover what wildlife is active in our area and just where their current travel routes are. By discovering these travel areas, you will know just where to look for shed antlers in the coming months. For this, you might want to focus your time on south-facing hillsides, where deer trails cross low fences and where there are winter seeps or springs. In the coming weeks numerous days with fresh snows are predicted and even a light dusting of fresh snow will provide a look at new overnight activity by all sorts of wildlife. If you are hunting predators such as coyotes or bobcats, hiking in a fresh snow is an excellent way to discover recent tracks of your prey.

Before you know it, spring will be upon us and we will be caught up in planning and planting for the wildlife we hope to provide for on our properties. Once trees, shrubs and undergrowth leaf out in the spring, it can be more difficult to study and visualize the layout you hope to achieve in habitat improvement. So now, while everything is much more open and visible, take some time to make some initial plans for the upcoming springtime habitat work.

Finally, there is the idea of wintertime feeding of wildlife. It is a subject often contemplated by hunters and conservationists. Normally, deer, turkeys and other various game animals and birds are able to scratch or dig through layers of dry snow that are not too deep to get to clovers, grasses and nuts and seeds to help make it through the winter months. Many of the hunters I have talked to related that the deer that they have taken had a well-developed layer of fat to help see them through the winter. But something to consider is the deep snow that we just experienced that was followed by the heavy rain. The rain packed down the snow and the subsequent below freezing temperatures created a hard icy crust on top of the snow. This is the scenario that makes it difficult for any wildlife to procure food of any kind to help make it through the winter months.

If you have an area where you can do so, spreading scratch grain or shelled corn on top of the crust of snow and ice will provide some relief to game. Keep in mind that baiting deer is not legal in our state and the Pennsylvania statewide flintlock antlered and antlerless deer season is currently underway and will run until January 18. Thus, to avoid any conflict, you might want to wait until after that date to put out any feed of any kind.