I spent just enough time outdoors today to shovel off the deck, say hello to my neighbor and bask in the warming breezes before it started to spit a bit of rain.

At 40 degrees, the snow is coming off the roof. I spent some time arranging and rearranging books that are for sale on my website at < www.davericheyoutdoors.com >. Some titles are once-in-a-lifetime acquisitions for any sportsmen and some are moderately priced.

It's obvious that not all sportsmen like to read books, and that is OK. They just don't know what they are missing. There are so many fine fishing and hunting books available and listed on Scoop's Books.

 Dave Richey looks over a book before buying it.

A hunter might ask: why buy a book on deer hunting? I already know how to deer hunt. Good question but a poor answer. Anyone who doesn't study deer regularly will know something about hunting these animals, but won't know enough about how to hunt them when the going gets tough.

Lots of people can cast a fly, but there are countless books available that can help with casting more accurately but also can teach us how to read the river, determine which insect is hatching, and which patterns will help fool the fish. Nothing is ever guaranteed except paying taxes until you die, but reading can broaden your horizons and help people learn new skills.

I'm constantly looking for fishing or hunting books to buy. I need to buy books in order to sell books, and I'm picky about condition but pay fair prices. So just what am I looking for and hope to buy from you?

Good question but a tough one to answer. The easiest answer is for you  to tell me the author's name, the title of the book, and whether it is a paperback or hard-bound book with a dust jacket. From that tiny bit of information, I can usually determine whether I may be or am not interested in that title.

 Contrary to popular belief, all fishing and hunting books are not scarce. Most also are not all worth big money. Many books I turn down are not worth $5, and I have no need for them. But for you, the potential seller, I will pay within reason what it takes to buy books in good shape that I want for resale.

Books with damaged covers, childish scribbles, underlined passages, highlighted sentences, damp-stained covers or those with other faults are not worth offering. I never buy musty, mildewed or ex-library books because they usually aren't worth owning.

I buy fishing and hunting books, and sell them, too. Need a gift suggestion? Contact me.

So, c'mon Richey, what exactly are you interested in? I seldom buy new titles. I never buy Readers Digest or condensed books. I prefer books that state 1st edition or 1st printing on the copyright page.

Topics of interest to me include Atlantic salmon, muskie, brook trout, tarpon, Pacific salmon, fly tying, bamboo rod building and other types of fishing books work for me. I crave good books on hunting ruffed grouse, deer, ducks, geese, upland game, wild turkey, woodcock and other hunting books. I have a mild interest in African hunting books but am picky about what I buy. I do pick up books on duck decoys.

There are certain authors I collect. Havilah Babcock, Larry Benoit, Bob Brunner, Nash Buckingham, Jack Burns, Peter Hathaway Capstick (first editions only), Russell Chatham, Wally Chodak, Eugene Connett, Ralf Coykendall, Henry Davis, George Bird Evans, William Harnden Foster, Percy Haver, Marv Heeler, Dana Lamb, Homer LeBlanc, John Lowther, Thomas McGuane, Art Moraski, Richard Nissley, Jack O'Connor,  Larry Ramsell, George Richey, Robert Ruark, Ernest Schwiebert, Louie Spray, Bob Swineheart, Robert Traver, Jack L. Turner, Ted Vogel, Alfred Weed and countless others. I'm always interested in any books written by Michigan turkey hunters like Denny Geurink.

Here some authors that I purchase. Let me know what you have,

People have nothing invested in offering me books for possible purchase. If I can't or won't buy your books, I'll be happy to explain why. If I do buy, know that I will give you the highest possible price, and hope then to be able to resell the books for a modest profit.

I've never cheated anyone, and don't plan on starting now. My reputation is excellent, and I sell books off my website and some by mail order sales. It's in my best interest to pay the highest possible price, and still realize a potential profit.

I grade books fairly, charge a fair price and pay a fair price when I buy. I've been buying and selling books for 42 years, and one doesn't stay in business long by cheating people.

Give me a try. Nasty winter weather will be around for another six to eight weeks. Dig through that pile of fishing and hunting books stashed in the attic, barn, basement, cellar, closet, garage or wherever, write down the author's name, the book title, and whether paperback or hardcover with dust jacket. If you can read this, you can certainly email me at < dave@daverichey.com > and tell me what you have for sale.

It's that easy. And who knows? The book you sell could be valuable or not, but the payment may allow you to purchase some fishing or hunting equipment. Try me and we'll see what happens.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

We still have two months of winter, all of spring and summer and one month of fall  before the autumn bow season opens, and waiting for the Oct. 1 opener is simply a case of mind over matter. What keeps me going during this lengthy wait? Well, it’s easy to stimulate my five senses on a daily basis.And, of course, memories of past hunts. I also savor the cooler air of the autumn woods, and knowing that soon the fall colored leaves will blanket the entire woods like a paintbrush, and then they will cover the ground like a blanket. Bow season means different things to all of us who hunt, and there are many blessings in each season and each day afield.

For me, bow hunting means sitting in a tree stand waiting for a buck. Shoot or don’t shoot — that’s always been a decision that only we can make. Chances are I won’t shoot in hopes of making my time in the woods last just that much longer.

Hunting a big buck in a thicket is great fun.

So, one asks, what will the upcoming bow season mean to me? It’s a bonanza of fall colors, ranging from gold through orange, purple, red and a brilliant yellow.

It also means the musty smell of the earth getting ready for winter, and the pungent odor of a passing skunk on a foggy night where visibility is minimal. It means sorting out the soft rustle of falling leaves, and identifying that distinctive sound of a deer moving slowly through dried leaves that crunch like old corn flakes underfoot.

It means continuous daily practice shooting at different angles and elevations with my bow, and taking test shots from elevated stands and at ground level. It’s hard to count the hours spent shooting from a cramped, sitting position to simulate an actual hunting situation. This is a big part of bow hunting, too.

It means fine tuning my bow and arrows for peak efficiency long before the season opener, unpacking, checking and repacking my backpack to make certain everything I may need is there, such as my compass, drag rope, knife, walkie-talkie or a cell phone, flashlight, extra broadheads and a spare spool of Game Tracker line.

I strongly believe the next sentence is true.

It’s said that hunting is 90 percent anticipation and 10 percent participation, and getting ready for the hunt is a major part of my anticipatory sport.

Bow season means more opportunities to watch deer and to judge their reactions to foreign odors, movement and sounds. It means watching bucks, does and fawns at various distances while they eat and travel. It means learning what movements or sounds should not be made while drawing a bow to avoid scaring deer.

October is a month of ecstasy, and obviously something I look forward to with a great deal of fondness. My senses are heightened by being outside after one of the world’s most wary game animals, and I live for this month and worship at the altar of bow hunting.

You see, I bow hunt for many reasons, and killing a deer isn’t the major one. I love venison and shoot deer every year, but the thoughts of tender venison chops and steaks isn’t the only reason I hunt. It’s just one part, albeit a big part, of the whole package.

I hunt October whitetails to avoid the people pressure of other fishing and hunting seasons, and I hunt because it makes me feel good. October is the loveliest of all months, and the chance to hunt deer during the year’s most perfect month, is a major reason why deer hunting has become so important to me.

I saw this buck three times one year but couldn’t get a good shot.

The hunt and the month just feels perfect to me. It’s a shame we must wade through the dreary months of April,  August and September to get there, and doing so only heightens our anticipation level. You’ll have to forgive me, but just thinking about the archery season has me so geeked up it’s probably a good thing I’m in my office chair rather than a tree stand.

I dread the day when rhis deeply felt anticipation is no longer there. That’s the day I’ll know my race has been run, and it’s time to cash in my chips. That is indeed a sad and sobering thought, but like it or not, it is as inevitable as the changing of the seasons.

Which is why it is so important to live and love every day for what the outdoors blesses us with, and for the wisdom to know what bountiful treasures we have and to use them wisely.

Possessing that bit of knowledge is a gift: share it with a loved one, and especially with a child. You’ll never regret that action.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

The truest form of respect for the animals sportsmen hunt is the ability to make a clean, killing shot, whether with a bow, muzzleloader, pistol, rifle or shotgun.One thing that many anti-hunters get made about are wounded animals. I have people ask hunting question, and some of them are ill-prepared for a shot. A bad hit is the result of jittery nerves, buck fever and the inability to shoot straight when an opportunity presents itself.

People who regularly hunt make killing shots. Most of them hunt with a bow, even during firearm seasons, but others also hunt with a muzzleloader or center-fire rifle. When they aim at a deer, and pull the trigger, the animal goes down and dies quickly.

A pretty but young buck. Don’t shoot him.

There is no long, lingering chases to finish off the animal.. There is no long hours spent blood-trailing a deer for miles. There are no cases of someone taking a hasty shot, and blowing off a leg.

These hunters have one thing in common: they can shoot straight, and they don’t miss. One man shot seven bucks in seven seasons. Five were taken with a bow and none ran over 75 shots, and four were heart shot and the fifth was taken through both lungs.

The other two deer were taken with a flat-shooting rifle with a 140-grain pointed soft point. Both deer were hit low behind the front shoulder, and both deer died instantly where they stood.

Another man shot a big 10-point this past fall after he had hunted the animal into December. The buck made a mistake, walked past the hunter, and one arrow killed the buck. It went just over 50 yards and tipped over.

Learn to avoid some of these mistakes.

What do these men have that other sportsmen don’t? They have the patience to wait for a clear shot, and the ability to put an arrow or bullet in that spot, every time.

They practice shooting all season. The centerfire rifle usually doesn’t come out of the gun safe until just a week before the Nov. 15 firearm opener. They may fire a dozen shots before the season opener, and are equally familiar with their bow or firearm. They know when the rifle’s cross-hairs center the heart-lung area that the deer is dead but doesn’t know it just yet.

They know that when they put the red-dot bow sight behind the front shoulder of a buck, that animal will go down. They shoot regularly, never exceed their shooting abilities by taking long shots, and they know how and when to draw and shoot. The deer they shoot are unaware of danger because the hunter plays the wind every day.

These men are not casual hunters. They work hard to learn as much about deer as possible. They know how and where deer travel, and soon learn when the animals will come near their stand.

Allow little bucks like this to walk away.

They never take hurried shots, and never take a low-percentage shot. They know that tomorrow may offer a better shot, and are willing to wait until all conditions are in their favor. They never make a mistake when shooting game, and they respect those animals they hunt.

They never brag about their prowess, never make the deer appear dumb or stupid, and they never show the animal any disrespect. Many have learned over time that hunting means more than just killing, and also know that the meat from these animals will grace their table.

They know that hunting is something more, much more, than killing a small deer with tiny antlers. They are willing to pass up young bucks, knowing that in two or three years that buck will be the trophy buck of their dreams.

They are hunters, 365 days per year, and that is why they are so deadly in the autumn woods. They know that patience and practice is what makes them the supreme predator.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Calling in a coyote offers sportsmen as much excitement as anybody really needs. Several years ago I was sitting high on a hill overlooking a dense patch of very thick brushy cover surrounded by open land.The wind was blowing uphill and downwind of me, and I suspected that was where the coyote would appear. However, I didn’t expect him to be as close as he got before I saw him coming.

I let out a screech with my portable caller, and let it run for about two minutes, and slowly turned down the volume. Fifteen minutes later, while sitting with my back to a tree and my wife’s .243 single-shot Thompson/Center rifle across my lap with an 85-grain hollow-point bullet up the spout, I slowly eased into another sequence of a screaming rabbit.

Coyotes often lay up on wooded south-facing slopes in winter.

The sound grates on your nerves. It is 10 times worse than someone dragging their fingernails down a blackboard. That though was going through my mind when I saw a movement 30 yards to my left. My rifle was across my knees with the butt stock to my shoulder, and I watched the old dog coyote slip through the last bit of heavy brush. He was coming in for the kill.

The safety was pinched off silently between my thumb and forefinger. i eased the volume up just a tiny bit to cover the sound of pulling the rifle’s set trigger. This rifle has a set trigger, and once it is set, breathe too hard on the other trigger and it will go off. It’s best to have the cross-hairs on the animal before touching the trigger.

I’m familiar with the rifle, and the coyote was focused on where the speaker was hid in some tall weeds and brush. It sounded like a rabbit dying, and the coyote was looking at the sound rather than me. I knew he would step out, and then streak in for the kill. My time to aim and shoot would be when he first stepped out and before he ran.

The coyote stared hard at the spot, and the rifle was up and the scope cross-hairs were centered on his chest. He took one step out, staring toward the sound, and a soft caress of the trigger sent the bullet on its way. The coyote flipped over backwards and lay still.

It’s important to be ready to shoot. Coyotes seldom offer a second chance.

I’ve been at this coyote hunting business for many years, and as soon as I shot, up went the volume again as the rifle was quickly unloaded and a fresh cartridge inserted into the chamber. Two minutes went by, and I was watching closely for another coyote.

Winter hunters know that in January and February coyotes often run together in pairs, a male and female. I soon spotted the other coyote, and its tail was clamped tight to its rear quarters, and it was 400 yards and sneaking out of the area.

Once, several years ago, my son-in-law, Roger Kerby of Honor, called up a coyote and shot it. He fired up the recording, and out stepped another coyote, and he shot that one as well. He then turned up the volume again, and out steps a third coyote despite hearing two shots.

He aimed at it, and decided against it. He had cross-country skied into the area over deep snow, and knew dragging out two coyotes and his rifle would be as much work as he wanted to do. He let that coyote walk off, and later, after skinning out both animals, he decided to go for a ride. Ten minutes into the ride a coyote crossed the road in front of him. and began mousing 200 yards out in an open field.

Roger Kerby of Honor, Mich. takes several coyotes yearly.

He could have shot that animal but decided that two coyotes in one day was enough excitement for one person. Make no mistake about it: coyote hunting is exciting, especially when one sneaks in close to the caller without being seen.

My first coyote was shot 45 years ago when I started hunting coyotes and foxes with hounds. I took that one with a 3-inch magnum 12 gauge with No. 4 buckshot at 30 yards.

These animals are hardy, and a flat-shooting rifle with a hollow-point bullet is needed to prevent them from running off. There is no shortage of these predatory animals, and hunting them is never easy. It’s as big a challenge as one can find during any time of the year, but especially during the winter months.

Don’t believe me, then take the coyote challenge. Anyone who takes a coyote by calling it, running it with houses or by stalking it, has accomplished something very difficult. Calling has become a popular winter pastime, and hunting hasn’t made a dent in the coyote population and it never will.

These animals have learned to live close to the area’s human residents, and they are well tuned to human way. Calling isn’t the surefire way to hunt coyotes as it was many years ago. These animals are smart, and hunter earns every one he takes.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors