One day you’re chasing walleyes on Lake Erie or sitting quietly in a treestand. The next, snow is blowing sideways, ice is everywhere and your driveway looks like a Nordic ski jump.

Welcome to that part of the blizzard season when it’s too blustery to go ice fishing and we are at the long pause between “last cast” and “opening day.” So what’s a summertime angler and fall deer hunter supposed to do when the outdoors looks more like a snow globe someone keeps shaking?

Plenty, and none of it requires frostbite. First, there’s the sacred winter ritual of reel therapy. This is when fishing reels come out of hibernation and onto the kitchen table (to the delight of no one else in the house). Gears get cleaned, old grease disappears and suddenly that reel you swore was “junk” spins like new. Add fresh line, replace tired leaders and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’ll be ready when Lake Erie finally exhales its last chunk of ice.

Next comes the lure confessional. Every tackle box has hooks that are dull, rusty or bent from “the one that got away.” Winter is the season of redemption. Replace hooks, sharpen others and tie fresh jigs in colors that look suspiciously better than anything the fish saw last year. Bonus points if you tie enough jigs to survive three seasons — because optimism is part of the sport.

Now is when you wax the bowstring, check cams and limbs, and dream of leaf-covered forest floors instead of ice-covered sidewalks. Visit indoor archery ranges that become winter sanctuaries — warm, well-lit places where arrows fly straight. Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher

Hunters aren’t off the hook either. Winter is prime time for firearm cleaning and inspection. A careful wipe-down, light oiling and a good look over ensures everything is ready long before next season. It’s also the perfect excuse to organize the gun safe, rediscover gear you forgot you owned and promise yourself you’ll remember where you put it this time.

Archers, rejoice. This is when you wax the bowstring, check cams and limbs and dream of leaf-covered forest floors instead of ice-covered sidewalks. Indoor archery ranges become winter sanctuaries — warm, well-lit places where arrows fly straight and nobody needs snowshoes.

For those who enjoy precision with a little noise, indoor shooting ranges provide a winter escape. It’s controlled, warm and far less slippery than a frozen parking lot at dawn. Practice sharpens skills and shortens the countdown to spring.

And then there’s the time-honored tradition of catalog browsing. Outdoor catalogs and websites get studied like graduate textbooks. Replacement parts get ordered. Gear upgrades get debated. New gadgets get admired, justified, and sometimes — mysteriously — delivered to your doorstep. Winter is when wish lists grow legs.

Of course, winter also allows time for planning and storytelling. Maps get unfolded. Waypoints get marked. Fishing logs get reviewed. Hunting stories improve with each retelling, especially when told near a warm stove while the wind howls outside.

The truth is, this so-called boring time of year is actually the season of preparation. It’s when sportsmen quietly get ready — fixing, tuning, dreaming, and laughing at the weather while it does its worst.

Because when spring finally breaks through the ice and snow, Western New York sportsmen won’t be scrambling. They’ll be ready.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

Jan. 20: WNY Environmental Federation, quarterly meeting, Knights of Columbus, 36 Pierce Ave., Hamburg, Open to the public. Free. 6 p.m. start.

Jan. 20: Children in the Stream, Youth Fly Fishing program, free, Costello Room, Rockefeller Art Center, SUNY Fredonia, 7-8:30 p.m., 12 years old and older, info: 716-410-7003 (Alberto Rey).

Jan. 21: Erie County Fish Advisory Board, monthly meeting, Bison City R&G, 511 Ohio St., Open to the public. 7 p.m. start.

Jan. 22: Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, monthly meeting, Elma Con Club, 600 Creek Road, Elma, 7 p.m. start.

Jan. 31 to Feb. 1: NY Musky Expo, Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, Celeron, small admission, kids under 12 are free, Info: Katia Rivers, 585-668-2550.

Feb. 1: Lakewood Rod and Gun Club, Winterfest Banquet & Drawing, dinner — 3 p.m., Music by “Ion Sky” 2-6 p.m. Info: 716-763-3955