I spent some time today outside listening to turkey talk as the snow quickly melted off the roof in near 50-degree temperatures. It was an immensely beautiful day to listen to the birds.

It's always been my personal philosophy to teach kids to hunt. My oldest grand-daughter, at the wise old age of 19 years, was asking me about turkey hunting. I took her out several times for whitetails with a bow, and although she didn't shoot a deer, there were opportunities.

"Are you interested in turkey hunting," I asked. She allowed as how she might be, and I allowed as how I might be talked into calling up a gobbler for her. That is, if she wanted me to.

Determining whether to hunt turkeys or not can be an issue.

That's when the questions started. And that's what I love about teaching children that really want to learn.

"Are you ready to shoot a gobbler if we go hunting," I asked. "We'd be sitting on the ground, and the bird would probably be within 25 yards. The heart-pounding action comes as the bird gets close enough to walk in front of the shotgun. Do you want to kill a gobbler? Hens are off-limits during the spring hunt."

"You've always told me that there is more to hunting than killing," she replied, nailing me to the spot.

"That's true," I said, "but calling a bird in close enough for a shot can spook the bird if they spot any movement. A spooked bird may not come to me again or to another hunter. You don't have to shoot if you don't want to, but turkey hunting is altogether different than bow hunting for whitetail deer."

"I'd like to shoot a gobbler," Jessica answered several years ago, "but I don't know whether I can or not. It's the moment of truth when I must choose to shoot or not shoot that I can't answer right now."

This was as good an answer as any she could give. I wouldn't want someone to shoot a big gobbler if they had problems with doing so. I also don't want to put enormous pressure on her, nor do I want her to think that I'll be upset if she doesn't shoot or if she missed a bird.

Seeing a big gobbler like this can give many hunters the shakes.

"Look," I said, "you have nothing to prove to me other than your willingness to go hunting. A turkey gobbler may show up, four or five might show up, and I just want you to be prepared for what can happen during a turkey hunt."

She faced her moment of truth with a big doe at 10 yards, and she was at full draw, and she later told me she wasn't ready yet to release the arrow. She is a good shot, but I'd rather see her wait until she was fully confident of her abilities, before she shoots an arrow.

The same principle applies while turkey hunting. Where we bow hunted from an elevated and ground stand, we'll be sitting outside on the ground with our backs to a tree, and willing that gobbler to come our way.

Sitting inside elevated or ground coop for deer is one thing. Sitting out, on the ground, and calling to a bird and watching him come — quickly or slowly — is a bit of heart-pounding excitement. The heartbeat races, the mouth gets dry, and the breath is sucking in and blowing out as hunters hyperventilate, and it's never easy to sit without moving while a gobbler closes the gap.

"Do you think I can shoot a gobbler," she asked. "Will I have to shoot a lot to get ready? How would I have to dress? Do you have a shotgun that I could use? Would you call for me?"

Beginning hunters can spend the next weeks studying turkeys traveling on the snow.

Of course I would call for her. I'd have a shotgun for her to use, and she could wear the same camo outfit she wore last fall while deer hunting.

"I'd love to take you turkey hunting," I said. "You'd have to shoot a shotgun enough to get accustomed to the recoil. The big secret to killing a gobbler is to wait for the gobbler to walk in front of your shotgun, and keep your head down on the stock while aiming and firing, and you can't move.

"A knee jerk, any twinge or twitch, stiff muscles, sore butt, all of it has to be ignored when a bird is coming. They have eyes like an eagle, and hear very well. Any movement at all will spook the bird."

She is eager but somewhat apprehensive. Trying to allay her fears of making a mistake wasn't easy, but it's my opinion that she has what it takes to shoot a gobbler once she sees a bird or two close enough to shoot. No one is a natural-born turkey hunter.

First-time turkey hunters must experience a gobbler at close range to know how they will react.

We all come to turkey hunting the first time without prior experience. That's where an older person can exert some influence, calm the hunter down, and be there for congratulations when they do everything right. Or to offer heartfelt condolences when it doesn't work.

After all, as Jessica reminded me, hunting isn't all about killing. It can mean simply watching the bird, but one must be prepared with bow or shotgun in hand, in order to properly hunt. One could hunt every day of the season without shooting a bird, but in the end, it must mean releasing an arrow or shooting a load of No. 4, 5 or 6 shot at the bird.

There comes, for every person who hunts, the Moment of Truth when people are suddenly faced with the prospect of shooting at the bird. Many can do it but there are some that can't, and it's best to learn early in a hunting career whether one can do it or not. There's no shame in not being able to shoot a deer or turkey, but from a personal standpoint, it's a point in a hunter's life that must be addressed.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

I spent some time today outside listening to turkey talk as the snow quickly melted off the roof in near 50-degree temperatures. It was an immensely beautiful day to listen to the birds.

It's always been my personal philosophy to teach kids to hunt. My oldest grand-daughter, at the wise old age of 19 years, was asking me about turkey hunting. I took her out several times for whitetails with a bow, and although she didn't shoot a deer, there were opportunities.

"Are you interested in turkey hunting," I asked. She allowed as how she might be, and I allowed as how I might be talked into calling up a gobbler for her. That is, if she wanted me to.

Determining whether to hunt turkeys or not can be an issue.

That's when the questions started. And that's what I love about teaching children that really want to learn.

"Are you ready to shoot a gobbler if we go hunting," I asked. "We'd be sitting on the ground, and the bird would probably be within 25 yards. The heart-pounding action comes as the bird gets close enough to walk in front of the shotgun. Do you want to kill a gobbler? Hens are off-limits during the spring hunt."

"You've always told me that there is more to hunting than killing," she replied, nailing me to the spot.

"That's true," I said, "but calling a bird in close enough for a shot can spook the bird if they spot any movement. A spooked bird may not come to me again or to another hunter. You don't have to shoot if you don't want to, but turkey hunting is altogether different than bow hunting for whitetail deer."

"I'd like to shoot a gobbler," Jessica answered several years ago, "but I don't know whether I can or not. It's the moment of truth when I must choose to shoot or not shoot that I can't answer right now."

This was as good an answer as any she could give. I wouldn't want someone to shoot a big gobbler if they had problems with doing so. I also don't want to put enormous pressure on her, nor do I want her to think that I'll be upset if she doesn't shoot or if she missed a bird.

Seeing a big gobbler like this can give many hunters the shakes.

"Look," I said, "you have nothing to prove to me other than your willingness to go hunting. A turkey gobbler may show up, four or five might show up, and I just want you to be prepared for what can happen during a turkey hunt."

She faced her moment of truth with a big doe at 10 yards, and she was at full draw, and she later told me she wasn't ready yet to release the arrow. She is a good shot, but I'd rather see her wait until she was fully confident of her abilities, before she shoots an arrow.

The same principle applies while turkey hunting. Where we bow hunted from an elevated and ground stand, we'll be sitting outside on the ground with our backs to a tree, and willing that gobbler to come our way.

Sitting inside elevated or ground coop for deer is one thing. Sitting out, on the ground, and calling to a bird and watching him come — quickly or slowly — is a bit of heart-pounding excitement. The heartbeat races, the mouth gets dry, and the breath is sucking in and blowing out as hunters hyperventilate, and it's never easy to sit without moving while a gobbler closes the gap.

"Do you think I can shoot a gobbler," she asked. "Will I have to shoot a lot to get ready? How would I have to dress? Do you have a shotgun that I could use? Would you call for me?"

Beginning hunters can spend the next weeks studying turkeys traveling on the snow.

Of course I would call for her. I'd have a shotgun for her to use, and she could wear the same camo outfit she wore last fall while deer hunting.

"I'd love to take you turkey hunting," I said. "You'd have to shoot a shotgun enough to get accustomed to the recoil. The big secret to killing a gobbler is to wait for the gobbler to walk in front of your shotgun, and keep your head down on the stock while aiming and firing, and you can't move.

"A knee jerk, any twinge or twitch, stiff muscles, sore butt, all of it has to be ignored when a bird is coming. They have eyes like an eagle, and hear very well. Any movement at all will spook the bird."

She is eager but somewhat apprehensive. Trying to allay her fears of making a mistake wasn't easy, but it's my opinion that she has what it takes to shoot a gobbler once she sees a bird or two close enough to shoot. No one is a natural-born turkey hunter.

First-time turkey hunters must experience a gobbler at close range to know how they will react.

We all come to turkey hunting the first time without prior experience. That's where an older person can exert some influence, calm the hunter down, and be there for congratulations when they do everything right. Or to offer heartfelt condolences when it doesn't work.

After all, as Jessica reminded me, hunting isn't all about killing. It can mean simply watching the bird, but one must be prepared with bow or shotgun in hand, in order to properly hunt. One could hunt every day of the season without shooting a bird, but in the end, it must mean releasing an arrow or shooting a load of No. 4, 5 or 6 shot at the bird.

There comes, for every person who hunts, the Moment of Truth when people are suddenly faced with the prospect of shooting at the bird. Many can do it but there are some that can't, and it's best to learn early in a hunting career whether one can do it or not. There's no shame in not being able to shoot a deer or turkey, but from a personal standpoint, it's a point in a hunter's life that must be addressed.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Every year I attend Jim Liska's Outdoor Expo Show at the Howe Arena in Traverse City, and each time it becomes more enjoyable — for many different reasons.

Each year it seems to be bigger than the previous year, and it's easy to measure the success of such shows. When  the same booths, and the same faces in those booths are present, year after year, it adds to the enjoyment. It also serves as an excellent indicator of the show's success. If the same people are there each year, the public learns that the show is being well run.

A hunting buddy, Arnie Minka and his wife Dzidre, will be there. They have two out-of-state hunts planned and will probably hunt Merriam's and Rio Grande turkeys this year. It will be a good time for them, and both are eager to try new hunting areas this spring.

The show is where old friends gather.

I spent some time talking with my old turkey call-maker buddy Dean Stratton last year, and bought another call from him. It is a slate call with a unique design, and I always look forward to seeing him.

He said he may discontinue this particular model, and since I didn't have one, I bought it and asked him to sign the call for me. Dean makes a wide variety of box calls, push-pull models and this slate model. He also makes deer, duck, elk, goose, pheasant and predator calls.

Two major announcements will be made to two deserving men.

It will be my pleasure to make two major announcements on March 20. One will be a presentation of a Legendary Guide plaque to Mark Rinckey of Honor. The plaque is presented to people like Rinckey, a fishing guide, of Legendary Guide status. It will be presented to Rinckey at about 1 p.m. on behalf of the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, which is located in Hayward, Wisc. He is one of only 56 Legendary Guides recognized by the Hall of Fame in North America.

A second announcement also will be made about Sgt. Mike Borkovich, the DNRE conservation officer for Leelanau County. He will be receiving the Guy Bradley Award later this month, for his untiring efforts to enforce fishing and hunting laws. He was chosen for this award over all other conservation officers in the United States and its territories. Each state can submit one name, and Borkovich was chosen from all entries. It is the highest honor to which conservations may aspire. Guy Bradley was  the first conservation officer in the country to be killed in the line of duty, back in 1905.

Another buddy of mine told me that he drew a first-season tag for Area K, and I became instantly jealous. A first-season tag is hard to come by in this turkey hunting area.

I hope to see retired conservation officer John Walker at this year's show. He's a friendly guy, and he has asked me to sell his books on my website. The books sell for $10 each or the full set of eight for $60. It's the same as paying full price for six and getting two free.

One time at this show I standing, talking with John Walker, and a man walks up to him and says: "Do you know Dave Richey."

"Yeah," Walker said, "I know Dave Richey."

I piped up and said I knew Dave Richey as well. He then said he tried to buy a book that I had for sale on Scoop's Books on my website, and it had been sold the day before.

"It's true, I did sell the book the day before you inquired about it," I said. "I'm Dave Richey."

He was surprised when I introduced myself, and we discussed (with tongue in cheek) how inconsiderate the other person had been to buy the book out from underneath him, and we laughed. It turns out that now I have two copies of that book. Such things often occur in the book business, and the only salvation is to make up your mind and buy it immediately. The old adage: If you snooze, you lose, certainly applies when buying scarce books.

Wandering the aisles is great fun as I look for needed gear.

I hope to talk to Jeremy Castle of C.P Oneida Eagle Bow Company from Marion, Michigan. Jeremy often does shows for Claude Pollington, and in the past has said the bow business is pretty good with strong demand for their new models.

This show, which runs March 19-21, is a great places for me to meet and chat with a number of great anglers and hunters from the area, and going to such a show is like going to a class reunion. It's often a chance for me to meet old friends that haven't been seen in years, catch up on each other's lives, and perhaps spend some money on some sporting items we need.

And that is my purpose at this upcoming show. My buddy will buy a Gator Jaw bow release from C.P. Oneida Eagle Bow Company, and I hope to pick up a new call from Dean Stratton and we will see what he has new, and I look forward to several good chats with old friends.

If everyone goes to the show, and buys something, it helps the local economy, and chances are very good you'll meet an old friend at the show. I can't think of a better way to spend a cold and windy day than talking fishing and hunting with good friends.

Take a break in a couple of weeks, and go visit the Outdoor Expo show at Howe Arena in Traverse City. It will be a fun way to spend part of the day. Hope to see you there on Saturday, March 20.

Come say hello to me and let's talk fishing and hunting.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Fishing and hunting has become more sophisticated these days. The people who participate often are well-schooled, have graduated from college and are accustomed to learning new things in their leisure time.

Many anglers and hunters strive to stay well informed. They want to read things they can learn from, and over many years, I've worked with many people to build an excellent outdoor-related library.

It's no brag, just fact: I have collected fishing and hunting books for more than 50 years, and am in the midst of compiling a major bibliography of fishing and hunting books published in the English language. This research book is only half finished, and the bibliography features some 1,300 typewritten pages that list between 25,000 and 30,000 titles.

I know what books are out there, I know what is needed to go into a research library for an angler or hunter, and I'm accustomed to doing research. A teacher friend wanted an obscure book to show his class, but didn't have the book and couldn't find it. He knew the author's name and book title, and asked for help. It took 15 minutes to find a copy.

It's not always that easy, but I've spent years searching for some rather obscure titles, and this is a service some people need. They need help determining which books to buy, learn how much the books will cost, and have someone do all the search service work.

One Man's Whitetail by Gene Wensel is rare. I've got a spare.

Other people want to have their present collection checked out, and determine its value for an estate sale, for insurance purposes, or to determine what the value is for a gift donation. I perform such appraisal work on a fee basis determined by what a collector wants to have done.

And work is the right word for doing appraisals. It is a laborious, long and time consuming task. There's nothing easy or quick about it.

Of the two, I most enjoy working with people who are just beginning to establish a collection of books on their favorite fishing or hunting topic. I've worked with some to build their collection of muskie fishing titles, and helped others who collect deer hunting or turkey hunting books, and some who specialize in Atlantic salmon, tarpon or trout fishing. One thing I don't do is stray out of my field of fishing and hunting titles.

Finding books for clients can be easy, very difficult, nearly impossible, or a thrilling challenge. The challenge topics are the most fun because it is like hunting for a diamond in a coal pile. It's dirty work but look how much fun it can be when you find one.

I just found 12 turkey books for a client. When we spoke, and I told him of my finds, he sounded just like a kid with his birthday present. He was happy, and now he want's me to find several others. Those will belong in the challenge category.

Before we start I try to sit down, or next best, via email or a phone call, and discuss what the client wants or needs from a particular genre. I've helped a few collectors locate some very scarce and rare African hunting books, but each collector is different in his or her needs. A few want fancy leather-bound editions while most people will be thrilled to have a paperback 2nd edition.

Find an honest bookseller and stick with him or her.

But find a key book, and their joy is similar to taking a first-time trout fisherman out and putting him or her into a 10-pound steelhead. It's fun for me and for them.

There is, as is true with all types of work, some expenses involved. Doctors and attorneys have been good clients, and their busy fast-paced work life doesn't leave much time for looking for books. They give me a list of titles, or ask me to prepare a list, and I go to work.

I'm helping a turkey-book collector finish up his collection right now.  Well … finish it as far as the major books go. There are countless turkey books published by various states, and some are impossible to find. Many of the books are fairly common; some are hard to find; a few are most difficult to locate, and several are nearly impossible.

There is a general theme to my advice for budding book collectors. Try for the hardest books first. They are very difficult to find now so get them while some are still available on occasion, and fill in the collection of lesser valued books as time goes on and money becomes available.

I buy fishing & hunting books, singly, as a group or a collection.

Many people I've dealt with provide me with a value guide that tells me how much they can spend over the period of a year, and I begin looking for key books within that range. In every genre, there are cornerstone books that are very important acquisitions. I always suggest a new collector decide which books they want first (with some advice from me), and we work toward that goal. Of course, many collectors just grab anything as it come available and that's OK too.

One of my collectors wants only books written by some of the gun writers from 50 years ago. Guys like John Jobson, Elmer Keith or Jack O'Connor. Many of their book will range in price from $50 to $400. Those $400 books this year could be $600-700 in two or three years as the demand for them rises while the supply dries up.

And this fact is so true. The law of supply and demand is important to understand in the fishing and hunting book business. I've got a duplicate copy of Gene Wensel's One Man's Whitetail at $250, and it hasn't sold yet but it will soon. The book. shown above,  is genuinely rare.

I sold a copy of Beneath The Ice last year, and it was snapped up fast. Good books sell!

I've learned that although there are many people who are interested in deer hunting, there is a plethora of titles to choose from. I determine which authors and titles are most collectible. I edited and published a book two years ago in an edition of 26 copies, lettered from A-Z copies, and those books are the scarcest deer books ever published. Of course, they are $200 each. That price will rise when 26 people own and won't sell their copy. Again, the law of supply and demand.

Books — good books — appreciate at 10-12 percent yearly, and sometimes as much as 15-20 percent for some titles. I would never suggest that people collect fishing or hunting books as a means of making money, but only a fool would ignore the fact that good books increase in value while poor books do not.

My thought is to help a new collector pursue this hobby with an eye toward acquiring very difficult books whenever possible. I urge them to enjoy the books while they are alive, and when they pass on, the books will probably be sold. I can lend assistance in planning ahead to this unfortunate day when the beloved books will eventually pass into someone else's hands for a tidy sum of money.

Planning ahead is what makes precision collecting not only a hobby, and provide good reading while allowing the sportsman to acquire more angling and hunting skills, but in the end, provide loved ones with a significant investment if they choose to sell.

I buy fishing and hunting books, sell them, and will help collectors get started or improve their collection. Anyone with a batch of muskie or turkey books for sale will find me interested.

If you are interested, drop me a note at < dave@daverichey.com > or phone (231) 492-7038 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. I'll be more than happy to help. Touch base with me.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Anyone who tells me they never make a deer-hunting mistake has probably never went head-to-head with a big whitetail buck. Anyone who hunts often is bound to make an occasional mistake.

Making a mistake, and learning from it, are two different things. I try to sit down, dig deep into my memory bank, and recall past hunts. Do it often enough, and be honest with yourself, and everyone will find one or more occasions where they messed up and it cost them a good buck.

I got caught with a phone call just as I was heading out the door one afternoon two years ago, and I had to talk with the person. What should have been a five-minute chat turned into 15 minutes of conversation.

I parked near my spot, started walking 200 yards to my stand and bumped into a buck already on the move. Had my call lasted only five minutes I would have been in my stand and ready to shoot that deer.

Make one mistake and the big buck runs off.

Can that problem be fixed? Sure it can. Limit the call to five minutes, and hurry. The other obvious alternative is to not take the call, and return it after the hunt is over. That really makes the most sense.

A friend was hunting elsewhere, and was almost to where he would park when he had a flat tire. He didn't want to change the tire in the dark, so he jacked up the car, removed the flat, put on the spare, and headed for his stand.

A buck was standing directly in front of his tree stand, and each one spotted the other at the same time, and the buck ran off. An unseen doe blew and snorted for 30 minutes, and he never saw another deer that night. It's all about timing.

The solution is obvious. Change the tire in the dark. Deer hunting is about priorities, and hunting ranks high above changing tires or anything else that comes in second place.

Think and plan ahead before leaving home. Try to eliminate those costly mistakes.

Another mistake I made one time was spotting a buck back in the alders, and its rack was lost in the dark twisted branches. It was easy to pass on that buck because it didn't have a big body. Small body, small deer. Right?

Wrong. It's true that most big people have big bodies and big feet, but it's also true that small people have small bodies and big feet. The same thing applies to deer. Small bodied deer can have small feet and a big lusty rack.

I've seen several heavy-antlered deer that simply look small because their body is small. Chances are it's a 2 1/2-year-old buck, but I've seen a few deer of that age with very impressive antlers.

The buck I had dismissed as being small turned out to be a small-bodied animal with a great big rack. Apparently this deer used enough protein to build as big a body as it needed, and any excess of protein and trace minerals went into building a trophy rack.

It's not a giant buck but a nice one. No human errors were made this day.

It happens. Not often enough, but just often enough to fool a hunter when it stands back in the tag alders and the antlers are difficult to judge. I've replayed that missed chance dozens of times.

The thing is that mistakes happen to everyone. We have an error in judgment, a lapse in our thinking process, or we simply are caught daydreaming about something else, and the opportunity for a shot at a big buck comes and goes. Deer will seldom wait for you to get your hunting act together.

It's easy for me to preach to the choir. You know, pay attention, don't get distracted, be ready for a shot at all times. We've all heard the choir sing before, and still we make occasional mistakes.

We're human. That's all there is to it. We do make mistakes but should try to minimize their number.

The biggest thing to do, and also the hardest, is maintain full and complete attention to what is happening around you. Don't daydream, don't be messing with your bow, don't put the release in your pocket, and don't lose your primary train of thought. Keep your focus!

Be alert, and if you can't do that every minute of every hunt, remember that I've told some stories about miscues I've made. Stand tall, and tell your buddies how you messed up.

The whole world needs a good laugh these days.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors