February is a great time to be wandering in the woods. Depending on the snow depth, snowshoes may or may not be required. Woods wandering is often a slow relaxing endeavor and snowshoes can sometimes slow your passage further. The slower one walks in the winter woods, the more that can be seen.
Since there are still small game seasons open in February (squirrels and rabbits), a wander is a good excuse to “take your shotgun for a walk”. Not an imperative, but certainly an option. During the winter season it is a best practice to also have some survival gear with you. Things like a compass, food, water, and a cutting tool are routine year-round; but other equipment is also prudent. Items such as a lightweight tarp, fire making tools, cordage, a metal pot, and a wool scarf are examples of potentially necessary winter goods.
There are many stories that can be read in the snow, especially if the snow is fresh. Animal tracks and paths are much more obvious in snow. In the right conditions you might see evidence of an owl or raptor catching a meal. It is also a chance to practice your skills, such as tracking or building a fire in wet conditions. And it is a prime opportunity to simply commune with the natural world. There are so many possibilities that almost any inclination can be indulged.
Woods wandering in February is a time to stave off the onset of “cabin fever”, that malaise that can sap us of all ambition and desire. We have occasion to shake off the encroaching winter idleness and give our mind and body an experience that is probably sorely needed. Go ahead, get up and get out. Wander the woods to see what is happening there. You may never be the same.