It's an easy thing to do. Most of us, including mysef, know that certain lists must be made and kept up to date. If a thought isn't written down down when we think of it, that thing is easily forgotten or never completed.

It has happened to me many times over the years. I'll make a list, be driving to my next assignment, and suddenly think of something else that has to be done to fix one of my ground or tree stands in the half-dozen different locations where I deer hunt.

Driving and writing notes isn't a good idea any more than driving and talking on a cell phone is so I delay writing down the thought until I start work. Someone then asks a question, or a problem needs to be solved or a quick something has to be handled, and the brilliant idea disappears in an instant. And it may never be remembered.

Planning ahead for spring chores with hunting stands means writing the ideas down. Individually! Some stands require very little care and upkeep, but others always seem to need some preseason attention.

As I've noted in the past, some elevated stands are enclosed coops on stilts while others are somewhat open box blinds built into trees. The stress of changing seasons from hot to warm to cold and back to warm, plus rain and snow and high winds, can take its toll on wood stands. And, as should be obvious, once a wood stand reaches a certain point, it's time to take it down before someone gets hurt. That someone more than likely would be me.

This points out the need of covering stand windows. Move, and if this doe is looking, she will spot inside movement.

We pay particular attention to wooden stands. We check to see if the wood is worn, if nails or screws are starting to pull loose, and whether the railing is stable. An unstable railing, and a slip and a snow-covered ste[, can throw a person against the railing. It could break or tear loose, and lead to a bad fall.

I climb into each stand and check the chairs or stools. We check the carpeting on the floor, and grab hold of a wall or shooting window, and push and pull it. We are trying to locate any squeaks. A loose nail or screw can lead to a creaky board, and that can lead to an unusual sound being made as a hunter comes to full draw on a good buck. Any weight shift in some stands can cause a creak or squeak, and that usually leads to a lost opportunity

My stands are as air-tight as possible, but that is difficult to do when windows must be opened to shoot. We check windows to see if they make noise when opened. We make sure that doors close tightly.

We double-check the wooden steps that lead up to an elevated stand. We test every step to make certain it is safe, and if an extra heavy hunter wants to hunt with me, they usually will hunt from a brand-new stand that is structurally as sound as possible. This doesn't mean that some stands are not sound; a new stand hasn't been through one or two or more hunting seasons. The chance of a problem is minimal with new stands.

All stands must be safe and secure and need checking yearly.

We make certain that all windows are clean, and we usually kill off any hornets or wasps long before hunting season begins. For some reason, these insects seem to love wooden coops on the ground or in the air. We also double-check to make certain that no bats have taken up temporary residence in any enclosed stand.

Our ground blinds get the same degree of inspection as elevated stands receive. It's difficult to fall out of a ground blind, but we make certain the footing is good leading to ground blinds. Years ago, we built a stand for a friend that used a wheelchair. The doorway was lower than our other stands, and I had to remind others to duck their head when going into or out of that stand. I keep thinking about painting a sign on the inside and outside of the door that says "Duck Your Head!"

Windows must be tested as well, and although some ground coops are built on the dirt, many have wood floors. We try to remove any loose-board squeaks. The doors must shut tight, and dark cloth curtains on the windows must be replaced almost every year because the mice get into them to line their nests.

Use caution when using wood steps to a tree stand in winter.

Think of it this way: If you are in a darkened coop, but a window is uncovered behind you, any movement made can and will be seen. Dark cloth prevents people from being skylighted and spotted by wary deer. Some of my coops used to have small peek-holes to look out, but I found that friends were constantly opening them up, usually at an inappropriate time, so I screwed the shut so the only window they can see out of is the shooting window.

Checking all of my ground and elevated stands is an ongoing spring thing. We test every blind long before the season opens, check them again when we start hunting, and look for any problem. We don't believe in leaving anything to chance. I've fallen a couple of times, and it's not fun and that's why I check my stands several times a year.

If I'm to err, it will be on the side of caution I urge all hunters to do the same. A safe stand provides a safe and successful hunt.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

It's an easy thing to do. Most of us, including mysef, know that certain lists must be made and kept up to date. If a thought isn't written down down when we think of it, that thing is easily forgotten or never completed.

It has happened to me many times over the years. I'll make a list, be driving to my next assignment, and suddenly think of something else that has to be done to fix one of my ground or tree stands in the half-dozen different locations where I deer hunt.

Driving and writing notes isn't a good idea any more than driving and talking on a cell phone is so I delay writing down the thought until I start work. Someone then asks a question, or a problem needs to be solved or a quick something has to be handled, and the brilliant idea disappears in an instant. And it may never be remembered.

Planning ahead for spring chores with hunting stands means writing the ideas down. Individually! Some stands require very little care and upkeep, but others always seem to need some preseason attention.

As I've noted in the past, some elevated stands are enclosed coops on stilts while others are somewhat open box blinds built into trees. The stress of changing seasons from hot to warm to cold and back to warm, plus rain and snow and high winds, can take its toll on wood stands. And, as should be obvious, once a wood stand reaches a certain point, it's time to take it down before someone gets hurt. That someone more than likely would be me.

This points out the need of covering stand windows. Move, and if this doe is looking, she will spot inside movement.

We pay particular attention to wooden stands. We check to see if the wood is worn, if nails or screws are starting to pull loose, and whether the railing is stable. An unstable railing, and a slip and a snow-covered ste[, can throw a person against the railing. It could break or tear loose, and lead to a bad fall.

I climb into each stand and check the chairs or stools. We check the carpeting on the floor, and grab hold of a wall or shooting window, and push and pull it. We are trying to locate any squeaks. A loose nail or screw can lead to a creaky board, and that can lead to an unusual sound being made as a hunter comes to full draw on a good buck. Any weight shift in some stands can cause a creak or squeak, and that usually leads to a lost opportunity

My stands are as air-tight as possible, but that is difficult to do when windows must be opened to shoot. We check windows to see if they make noise when opened. We make sure that doors close tightly.

We double-check the wooden steps that lead up to an elevated stand. We test every step to make certain it is safe, and if an extra heavy hunter wants to hunt with me, they usually will hunt from a brand-new stand that is structurally as sound as possible. This doesn't mean that some stands are not sound; a new stand hasn't been through one or two or more hunting seasons. The chance of a problem is minimal with new stands.

All stands must be safe and secure and need checking yearly.

We make certain that all windows are clean, and we usually kill off any hornets or wasps long before hunting season begins. For some reason, these insects seem to love wooden coops on the ground or in the air. We also double-check to make certain that no bats have taken up temporary residence in any enclosed stand.

Our ground blinds get the same degree of inspection as elevated stands receive. It's difficult to fall out of a ground blind, but we make certain the footing is good leading to ground blinds. Years ago, we built a stand for a friend that used a wheelchair. The doorway was lower than our other stands, and I had to remind others to duck their head when going into or out of that stand. I keep thinking about painting a sign on the inside and outside of the door that says "Duck Your Head!"

Windows must be tested as well, and although some ground coops are built on the dirt, many have wood floors. We try to remove any loose-board squeaks. The doors must shut tight, and dark cloth curtains on the windows must be replaced almost every year because the mice get into them to line their nests.

Use caution when using wood steps to a tree stand in winter.

Think of it this way: If you are in a darkened coop, but a window is uncovered behind you, any movement made can and will be seen. Dark cloth prevents people from being skylighted and spotted by wary deer. Some of my coops used to have small peek-holes to look out, but I found that friends were constantly opening them up, usually at an inappropriate time, so I screwed the shut so the only window they can see out of is the shooting window.

Checking all of my ground and elevated stands is an ongoing spring thing. We test every blind long before the season opens, check them again when we start hunting, and look for any problem. We don't believe in leaving anything to chance. I've fallen a couple of times, and it's not fun and that's why I check my stands several times a year.

If I'm to err, it will be on the side of caution I urge all hunters to do the same. A safe stand provides a safe and successful hunt.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Several people I know have small archery ranges in their basement, but they are narrow and limited in length.

One man I know has a 17-yard range in his basement, and it serves he and his wife well. They can go downstairs any time they please, and shoot a dozen or two dozen arrows at the 17-yard target. He cut a shooting hole through a plywood partition, and now they can now shoot 25 yards.

It helps keep their muscles limber, and their shooting eye in good working order. They can pick up their bow, and shoot standing up or sitting down. It offers them a fine way to practice.

Some archery shops have leagues, and that is another good way for winter hunters to continue practicing without having to go outside and wade through the snow. League shoots are fun because there is always some camaraderie among the shooters along with the competition.

This deer wouldn't offer a clean shot unless the hunter was behind and off to one side.

But one man I know has a 3-D course set up in his back yard. There is one tree stand location with two targets, and four ground targets. He goes over the area with a snowblower after every snow, and keeps the lanes reasonably open for he and his wife ir friebds to shoot.

Of course, during a winter like this one, it's rather hard to stay ahead of the snow. It's even more difficult to keep shooting lanes open, and the snow has to go somewhere. He's constantly moving his 3-D targets, and any miss means a lost arrow until spring arrives and the snow melts.

There is a distinct advantage to shooting outdoors during the winter months. Each archer is dressed in clothing similar to what they would wear during a December bow hunt, and they can learn to judge when fingers are warm enough to help them shoot straight. It also seems to toughen up their body, allows them to build up a tolerance to the cold, and makes them less miserable in cold and snowy weather.

Another friend has a long garage, and it has a small wood burning stove that he keeps going all winter. One corner of the garage is set up solely for the purpose of winter target practice.

His longest shot is 20 yards, and he has targets set at 10, 15 and 20 yards. He also has built an easily moved shooting window to replicate hunting from inside a coop.

He fashioned it out of a single sheet of plywood with braces at the bottom so it will stand erect. He has the shooting window positioned so it will be at the perfect height for taking shots while sitting down. He shoots all of his deer while sitting, and he can easily move his targets or the shooting window to make shots easy or difficult.

He also has a rheostat on his garage lighting system. He can make the garage as bright as noon on a sunny day or he can dim the lights to simulate those shots taken during the last few minutes of legal shooting time. One year he took his used Christmas tree out of the house on New Years Day, stood it up where a buck appeared to be coming out from behind a tree.

Taking a shot at any of these deer means knowing the exact distance. Winter practice can help.

It added a degree of realism to his target shooting. He even went so far as to build a ladder stand at one end of his garage, and could practice shooting down at targets from a height of about 10 feet.

Does all of this practice help these hunters? All of them shot bucks last year, and none of them missed a deer, and every one of these folks were able to bow-shoot a buck and place the arrow with enough accuracy that not one animal traveled over 75 yards before dropping.

Winter archery practice is important.

Is this taking things too far? I don't think so. I mentioned above that I shoot every day, but I do it inside where it is warm and dry. Shooting outdoors, from a tree stand, or inside a garage means these folks are as serious as a heart attack when it comes to shooting and killing a deer.

My hat is tipped to anyone who practices shooting during the winter, spring and summer months. Come fall, they are ready to hunt. And when a buck offers a shot, and they decide to take it, that deer's life is measured in mere seconds because they won't miss.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Hunting deer with a bow, someone once said, is the most fun you can have while wearing camouflage clothing.

If bow hunting is so much fun, is it any wonder that it is the fastest growing segment of deer hunting today? And if that is true, how do we tell the difference between a deer shooter and a deer hunter?

It's really quite simple. Hunters, like trout fishermen, go through three stages. They want to shoot deer on a regular basis; then they want to shoot the biggest buck possible; and the third stage is one of trying to outwit a deer in a one-on-one challenge of skills and keen instincts.

This is not a good shot and a true hunter would wait for the deer to turn.

The deer shooter doesn't understand the intricate sense of balance between them, the deer and the environment. They belong to that old and outdated group of hunter who subscribe to that awful philosophy: "If it's brown, it's down."

The hunter views the hunt as a wonderful event in nature where they can learn about deer, study the animals as they breed, feed, hide and roam at will. They have come to understand that the more they know about whitetail deer, the more successful they will become. And after a time, they progress to the third stage where the hunt becomes a very large and difficult challenge, one they know they will probably lose.

The shooter seeks the shortest distance between two points. There is no need for study because they know what a deer looks like. "Show me a buck and I'll shoot it" becomes their motto.

The hunter might complain about two days of east wind, but they are grateful for the opportunity to be afield and to hunt from a ground blind or tree stand. They know that many countries do not allow private ownership of firearms, and they see hunting as a privilege.

The shooter complains about everything: too much east wind, too much high pressure centers; too many bugs early in the season; not enough bucks; too many does; and they blame others for their misfortunate of missing a decent buck. They are into immediate gratification, and a dead deer is the only thing that gives it to them. To them, hunting is a God-given right, a thought that is not true.

Most shooters complain about everything, and blame others when something goes wrong.

The hunter studies the rut, knows that all bucks are not stupid during the breeding season, and they are wise enough to know that if you can fool the doe, the buck trailing behind is easy… if they decide to shoot.

The shooter seldom thinks about the doe but focuses solely on the buck. If they forget about the doe, and make any mistake, there will be no shots at the buck. They are impatient while hunters must be patient.

The hunter, thinking always of giving a buck an even chance, will pass up a marginal shot. He will remain still and silent, and allow a good buck to ease through if he is not 100 percent certain of his bow shot.

The shooter is a firm believer in the "Hail Mary" shot that may or may not make it into the vitals. They take a shot, often a low-percentage shot that only wounds the animal and often allows it to get away only to die in some secluded thicket. These deer have been wasted.

The hunter delights in a well-placed shot and shows the deepest respect for the animal they take. They are keenly aware of having killed an animal, and many may shed a silent tear for that  deer's death. They treat it with the utmost respect, even in death, and pay their final tribute to a beautiful creature by having it mounted.

A nice buck in the snow can be an easy shot in open terrain.

The shooter, if he scores, whoops it up and disgraces his killing act by talking about "happiness is a warm gut pile." The buck becomes nothing more than an ego stroke, a dead critter that grants them bragging rights over their buddies.

The hunter recalls each hunt, whether they are successful or not, with pleasure. They enjoy nature, marvel at beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and worship the areas where whitetail deer live.

The shooter recalls only the kill, and occasionally the miss, and could care less about the weather, the color of the autumn leaves and everything else about the hunt. For them, the kill is all they care about, and all that matters to them is a messy blood trail with a hair-covered corpse at the end of it.

There must be more to hunting than what the shooter sees. Hunters take in and thoroughly understand the magic of the hunt, where that outing with bow in hand becomes far more important than the kill.

Sadly, shooters seldom advance past that first level. They miss all that is fine and wonderful about the hunt, and revel only in a dead animal.

How sad!

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Every now and then my mind carries me back to the so-called "good old days." Everything seemed larger than life when we were kids, and first getting involved in bow hunting was a big deal to me.

I really can't recall my first bow hunt, but I had an old recurve that I used. It seemed as if that bow was as tall as me, but that is the fun part of remembering things from 50-60 years ago. Our mind sometimes plays tricks on us.

My thoughts take me back to an era when very few people hunted with a long or recurve bow. This was long before the first compound bow was invented, and I remember the problem of trying to find straight wooden arrow shafts.

Constant practice was needed to keep muscles toned for a quick draw, an even faster aim, and a sure release. There were no tree stands in those early days, and the only rubber boots we owned were four- or five-buckle Arctics that were only worn during winter's snowy months.

Bucks in the "old days" were often seen in the open once the snow fell.

The deer seemed much larger back then than now. Of course, I suspect that was because I was much smaller, and our size difference was a result of being younger.

Most of the hunting in those days came during the traditional November 15-30 firearm season. Blaze or Hunter Orange clothing wasn't worn in those days for one simple reason: it hadn't been invented yet.

Most of us wore green-and-black or red-and-black checked wool coats and pants. Ours were often hand-me-downs from an older brother, and sometimes we hunted in whatever clothing we had. We knew about dressing in layers, and often wore everything we owned to stay reasonably warm. A few people had some of the old WWII camouflage, which really wasn't very good.

We never worried much about human scent, and seldom took any precautions about hunting the wind. Many hunters simply walked into the woods, found a stump or uprooted tree to sit on, and would watch where two or three trails came together. If they happened to choose a downwind position, they might shoot a deer if they could sit still and not spook the approaching animal.

I was fascinated by whitetails in those days. I'd often go hunting. It soon dawned on me that if I was upwind of deer, I seldom got a shot.

One of the first things I learned was to hunt the wind. I learned that a hunter downwind of a whitetail buck was seldom winded. I learned to hunt deeper in the thick cover so I'd have a chance at a buck before the guys lined up outside of the cover would see deer.

It didn't take long for me to learn that a long bow or recurve wasn't made for long-distance shots, and found most of the bucks I shot at were between 10 and 15 yards away. I became an instinctive shooter because there were few sights in those days. I drew back, aimed down the arrow shaft at the buck, and when the sight picture looked right, I made my release as smoothly as possible. After time, those shots often killed that buck.

Early bow hunting meant getting back into deep cover away from other hunters.

There are memories of scouting for deer. It was easy to find the main runways, and I avoided other hunters as if they had smallpox. The more hunters in an area, the greater the chance of the accumulated noise and human scent spooking deer long before dawn arrived.

So I hunted deeper in the thick cover, planned my adventure with teenage expectations, and studied deer. I wanted to learn all I could about these animals, because deep down inside, I knew that the more we knew about whitetail deer, the better success we would have.

Weekends, holidays, days off from work, all would find me in the woods. I spent countless days studying them from afar, and many of those lessons I learned as a teenager are still being practiced today.

After all these years I'm still addicted to deer hunting with a bow.

Hunting deer is much more than a casual thing for me. It is something I happily admit to being addicted to. Spending time in the woods, studying and watching deer, is as much a part of my scouting procedures as it was 50 years or more ago.

Perhaps the bucks were bigger back then, and perhaps they weren't, but it makes little difference now. The good old days didn't occur six decades ago, they are here today. Lots of deer doesn't make the deer hunting better. Hunting one buck, and concentrating one's entire efforts on that single animal, is what makes hunting so much fun.

After all of these years, there is nothing better than going one-on-one with a whitetail buck. If he makes a mistake, you'll get a shot. If you make a mistake, chances are good you'll never know he was nearby and how close you were to getting a close and clean shot.

For me, that's what makes hunting whitetails with a bow, such a worthwhile endeavor. The one-on-one experience is still addictive.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors