By: Xander Russell

As winter sets in, the days are getting both shorter and colder, and, as the new year is coming around, getting outdoors and being active is getting harder and harder. Many regard winter as the best time of the year, because of holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. However, a very overlooked part of winter is all of the fun and exciting things to do outdoors in the snow and chilly weather. 

     Many people see winter as just cold, slippery, and, overall, not a good time to be outdoors. So, The Squire interviewed Eisenhower’s own Derek Guiher to see what he thinks makes winter so cool. Guiher is an active kid who likes to spend his time outdoors, unlike many kids his age. We asked him what he likes to do in the winter, and replied, “In the winter, I enjoy basketball and snowboarding.”  He also told us he prefers winter over other seasons because of snowboarding. In fact, Guiher shared, “My favorite memory involving winter is probably when we rented a cabin at Peek’n Peak and spent the whole weekend snowboarding.”  

     There are many other things to do in the winter as well. If the season involves snow, some great options for winter fun include building snowmen, sledding, skiing, and having snowball fights during the winter months, but there are many other things to do in the winter as well, like ice fishing and hunting.  

    Many people believe hunting is closed in the winter, but it is not. Pennsylvania rifle season ends December 14, but, starting December 26, there is another time to hunt deer, which is late season archery and flintlock. Although it is not as popular as rifle season, it can be just as good for hunting. Deer start to become very focused on food and tend to group up in the winter. The deer also start to go back to their regular patterns after rifle season and become less weary. Hunting with flintlocks can be hard because they don’t always go off, and, when they do, they are delayed from when you pull the trigger. It can also take upwards of a minute for even the most skilled hunters out there to reload. Many avid hunters enjoy the challenge flintlocks offer, though, and look forward to some late season activity. 

     If you ever become bored of being inside the house all winter, remember this article.  Go have some fun in the snow and don’t let the weather slow you down!