March… what can be said?  The weather is frosty (for many of us).  If you’re a skier you are most likely getting in those final runs of the season I suppose.  It’s a great time if you love basketball as college and national teams begin to really wind up towards playoffs.  If you’re an outdoorsman though, what really does March bring?  After all, deer season is well over, small game nicely closed in most areas, and fishing season doesn’t open for another month.  Well, unless you’re one of the brave who ice fishes that is, but most of us are left with that feeling of it being all over… the void.  Or is it?

March is one of those months that can seem like such a limbo period for hunters, but there is much that is overlooked in this in-between seasons month of the year.  March is a prime time for many things.

Spring Turkey:

Opening day is right around the corner is it not?  Now is a great time to get out that turkey vest and do an inventory. Is everything there?  “Whew! Man! Glad I checked… forgot to wash that face mask before I put it away last year.”   “Oh yeah! There’s where I left that knife!”  You know what I’m talking about. We’ve all been there.

 It’s cold, agreed, but that usually means the range is less occupied.  What a great time to don some warm weather gear and take the turkey gun for some site in and practice.  If you are trying a new load this year or maybe if that shiny new 12 gauge chambered in 3” magnum needs breaking in, now is a great time to get some shots down range.  You have plenty of time to make some decisions on what to use and get it patterned well.

Have you practiced those turkey calls?  Got that yelp and purr down pat?  I am thinking of trying a diaphragm call this year instead of just a slate call. Now is a great time to get practicing!  As we all know, if you don’t use it, you lose it.  Better to practice calling ahead of time than to find you’re “rusty” when you make the first call to that nice tom you’ve been scouting.

Deer:

Now starts the time of preparation.  Maybe for some, it began several weeks ago, but now is a perfect time to keep tabs on those deer. The season may be over, but is scouting ever done?  Snow provides wonderful opportunities to note tracks and patterns, as well as bedding.  It’s not a bad time at all to be out in the woods checking things out. Granted, letting the deer ease some from the pressure of hunting is always wise, but by now the deer have been resting from hunting pressure for a month or even more in some states, some may even be settling into old routines and travel routes. Now is a great time to pin point some of those travel routes.   A stroll through the woods at this time of year can produce some great intel for next year’s season.  Take some time to plot out your thoughts on paper where next year’s stands might go, what worked and what didn’t this year, and do some real evaluating while it’s all fresh in mind.

Many use this time to take down stands and, of course, there’s always shed hunting. In many or most states, the bucks have shed their antlers by now, and they are just lying out there in the snow for you to find.  Perhaps they are deep in the thickets, but they’re there somewhere.

Food plots:

March is a great time to start planning for those food plots! Grab those soil samples and get them in. Be prepared with all you need to start prepping the ground as soon as it gets warm enough to do so.  Check to see if you have enough weed killer, make whatever arrangements you need for lime and fertilizer, and be ready with whatever seed you plan to plant. Whitetail Institute provides a great customer service and works with you to make the best decision on products based on your soil and your purpose for the crop. It’s good to talk with the manufacturer and get their recommendations on which of their products would work best for your location, purpose and soil quality.  Do this early so you can order the right product and have it ready to go in the ground the earlier in the planting time frame the better.

Family:

Finally, and one of the most important things we hunters can do, let’s not forget the families we spent so much time away from during the season.  These breaks are great for preparation and there is always much to be done, whatever the season or day of the year.  A lifestyle never ends, but we need to schedule in those moments with family and make sure that we value them as much as or more than our sport. After all, it’s their understanding that lets us spend so much time pursuing what we do!

So, March, the void… I think its a myth!  Enjoy the break, have diligence in the preparation, and thank those who make it all possible.

By Duane Taylor

TalkHunting Pro Staffer Duane "Duane72" Taylor was born in western NY. As the son of a pastor, he spent several childhood years in Wisconsin, then West Virginia where he graduated high school before landing in Rhode Island. Moving out on his own, Duane spent a few years in Texas before enlisting in the US Air Force where he served for four years, stationed in Germany and South Carolina, and took part in Operation Desert Shield. After, he returned to RI where he served an additional year in the Air National Guard and married his fiancé Desiree. He now works full-time as the Facility Manager of his church, as well as volunteer serves on the board of Deacons. Duane cherishes his life with Desiree and is the proud father of two boys.

Growing up in a family that, even though they were not opposed to it, had minimal interest in hunting, Duane had few, if no, opportunities to experience the world of hunting for himself. He has always had an enjoyment of fishing and holds fond memories of fishing the ponds and lakes of Wisconsin with his dad and siblings. Always having a deep interest in hunting though, he took it upon himself to get started the year after settling home in Rhode Island. Armed with nothing more than an ancient recurve given to him by an old man in his church when he was in his teens, and decked out in his Air Force BDUs, he plunged into what would soon become a passion, hobby, and lifestyle.

It was several years before Duane would arrow his first deer with a used compound bow he had "upgraded" to. But those first years brought with them many valuable lessons, mentors, and friends and were the foundations of the successful years that followed. Hunting also the shotgun and muzzleloader seasons, spring & fall turkey, as well as some small game and coyote, Duane spends a great deal of time in the woods or preparing to be there. His other passions are most importantly God, his family, and his off-season fix of motorcycles.

Comments(4):

1. You are so right!

   You are so right! We tend to get lazy this time of year but there is really so much to do! Thanks for reminding us...

   Sunday, March 06, 2011 Robert

2. march the void...or is it?

   very well written and truthful as how busy you can get in march. for me its spring thaw time and preparing for all you have written about above. just never seems to be enough time in march.. thanks duane for the reminders and great info.

   Sunday, March 06, 2011 brad

3. Great reminder...

   Whew I got toss my Vest in the washing machine and clean the calls etc.. Great job..

   Monday, March 07, 2011 Dennis

4. March

   Great article Duane! Well, for me, March means big fish time! The water starts to warm up and the big girls start moving into the shallows to make beds. It also means it's time to start working on the yard, the lease and spring cleaning in the house! So I try to fish as much as I can! LOL

   Tuesday, March 08, 2011 Anthony