As the whitetail deer season has wrapped up here in my home state of Alabama and the rest of the deep south, most hunters and landowners are washing hunting clothes and staying around the house until the start of turkey season. But don’t let some of the best times spent in the outdoors pass you by! Below are some of the reasons February can be the most enjoyable time for landowners.

I must admit after a deer season that starts on October 15 and ends on February 10, it does feel good to oil the rifle and put it in the safe for awhile. But it also starts a time of year when the time in the woods seems to have a much more relaxed feel. It’s a great time to bring the entire family to the farm. It starts by not needing to rise at 4:30 a.m. to get in the stand on time. This alone will bring a smile to the kids’ faces. From there you can convince your spouse to come along by putting on a little Old Spice deodorant instead of wiping down with a blackened tarsal gland and spraying her with doe pee every time she fixes her makeup.

The kids can ride ATVs and play without the worry of messing up a nearby hunter. And it’s a perfect time to get them out of the world of I and into a world of Q. Let me explain, get them away from the iPhone, iPad, iCloud, and “idontcare.” And into a time for them to ask questions, hear the quietness the woods can provide, and hopefully spend quality time with family. It gives them a chance to learn hands-on about the environment around them and the work required to be a good steward of the land. And you get to be the lead instructor and a star in their eyes. Be prepared to let them get muddy, sweaty, and exhausted! Pack a sandwich and plan a lunch by a lake or creek. It may be the most enjoyable meal your family has all Winter.

The older I get, the more I enjoy property management. I like seeing how we can make things better for the wildlife and timber habitat. This time of year in the deep south offers many benefits for management activities. It’s the time of year for control burns while the sap is still down in the pines. It’s a great time to put in new roads while the leaves are still off the trees and vision is much better for your line of sight. These new roads can also serve as fire lanes to control the size of your burn blocks. Putting in new shooting lanes, erecting new shooting houses, and marking trees can be done with the knowledge fresh on your mind of where the deer traveled the previous season. Those of us in the deep south don’t have to endure the scorching Summer heat and humidity this time of year. The snakes are still relatively inactive and mosquitoes are still a few weeks away.

The time is right to get out and fully enjoy your property! Take the family and the dog to your own part of the great outdoors, but leave your worries behind! Teaching your kids to shoot, catch a fish, and drive an ATV all while you’re secretly managing your timber, scouting for turkeys, and surveying trail cams for next year’s hit list. This may be the ultimate outdoorsman multitasking opportunity! Go out and enjoy being in the woods in this beautiful deep south weather, just don’t let it slip by!

Land Professional licensed in Alabama and based out of our Tuscaloosa, AL Office.

Clay Rice comes to National Land Realty through our merger with Black Belt Land and Realty LLC in Tuscaloosa, AL. His knowledge of the area and love for the outdoors makes him a wonderful addition to the team.