As you explore by boat, look for very small plains areas on the map. If you find shallow water marked as plains, you can raise the ocean, make yourself your own island, surround it with wooden walls and grow your onions, flax and barley unmolested.
If a skeeter is too close to use the bow, i swing my sword earlier then late, hold so you get all 3 swings. One of them should hit it.
But you are much better off if you find a copper rock in the forest, right on a mountains border. Listen for wolves, one will often come down when you are picking at the copper. Good way to get wolf fur and meat before heading up the mountain. You want silver based armor and weapons before you march off into the plains...