We are headed into the quiet time of year

The hunting seasons are coming to an end and the ice isn't thick enough to safely support anglers, or at least it is iffy. What's an outdoor-minded person supposed to do?

First of all, there is no real downtime for outdoorsmen. The majority of the hunting seasons will end by Jan. 20, so take advantage of the last few days. But then, after the 20 th, there won't be many reasons to venture outside the front door.

This is a time for studying various outdoor activities, by reading a book or watching a DVD. Think about investigating an activity you have never tried before.

Dutch oven cooking

An example would be Dutch oven cooking. You may have seen demonstrations before, but don't own one and don't want to mess with all of the charcoal briquettes, which, admittedly, tend to be messy.

History side note here: Did you know the Kingsford Company was formed by Henry Ford and a relative with the last name of Kingsford in the early 1920s? The briquettes were made from wood scrap from the Ford Motor Company.

However there are ways to use a Dutch oven without using charcoal. The Camp Chef Company has designed the Dutch oven Dome, which acts as a convection oven. First a heat diffuser plate is placed on a gas stove burner and the Dutch oven is placed on the plate. The dome fits over the oven and allows the heat to be trapped and circulated up and around the oven, leaving by way of a hole in the top.

Most beginners start with a 12-inch oven, which will feed a growing family of four easily. A 10- or 8-inch oven holds enough food for two people, such as Garnet and I. Plus the smaller ovens are lighter and, therefore, easier to handle. Two of the smaller ovens, with domes, would allow a meal, plus desert, to be prepared at the same time.

Camp Chef also makes disposable Dutch oven liners. The liner fits in and can be removed with little effort, so cleanup is a snap. If you have yet to try Dutch oven cooking, this is a good chance. Plus there are many videos on the Internet showing how to cook with this oven.

Fly tying

This is a good time of year to fill the fly box. If you don't know how to tie a fishing fly this may be a time to learn. A few basic techniques should be gleaned from a person who knows the art, such as a friend. Once those procedures are learned, the beginner can have fun replenishing the fly box.

Be careful, my beginning fly tying friends, the art of tying flies can be addictive. Before long there will be pieces of elk, deer and moose hair in the inventory, along with feathers of ducks, goose, pheasants, Huns, quail and on and on and on.

Wildlife viewing

One activity fits well into the cold winter weather; wildlife viewing. This is the time to take the family on a day trip to Steamboat Rock State Park. First make sure the roads are safe from travel. Next, pack a lunch with plenty of coffee, hot chocolate, sandwiches or hot soup.

Drive Highway 17 to Coulee City and then head north toward Grand Coulee Dam. Along the way keep a look out for bald eagles, they may be on the ice of a lake next to the open water, or in trees along the road. Golden eagles have been spotted along this route, too.

Also watch for deer and other critters. The state park is a great place to see deer. It is possible to see several on a drive into the park and back out.

Bird feeder

Wildlife viewing at home is possible by adding a bird feeder to a tree in the backyard. This is a super way for youngsters, even some very young children, to begin identifying birds while using a bird book.

There will be several species visiting the feeders filled with sunflower seed. Special fun will result in the purchase of a thistle feeder and the birds hanging upside down to get the seed.

One caution: When you have many birds feeding in your backyard, a hawk may show up. Of course, this large bird is looking for food, too. The first indication of a hawk present is the absence of other birds. When this happens, look all around the yard. The hawk may be on a fence or in a tree. The next bird to visit the feeder may be his supper.

The hawk may grab the bird and fly away, but most likely it will kill the bird on the ground. Youngsters should be advised of this possibility, which will be a life lesson.

Quiet time

Just because this is a slow time of year for outdoor-minded people, don't think there isn't plenty of activities and goals to accomplish. Try a new interest or learn a new outdoor-related skill, which may enhance your total outdoor experience.