Some Early Winter Thoughts

Snow is just around the corner, and speaking only for myself, my wish is not to get buried in snow like last year when we had 216 inches of the white stuff. Being something of a logical gent, I could easily get along with 50-60 inches as long as it gets cold early and freezes up our local lakes for safe ice fishing.

 Early winter is a breathtaking time of year for me. Cool breezes, bright sunny skies, and glistening snow as far as the eye can see provides a brand of outdoor pleasure only for those willing to spend the time outside to enjoy it.

There are countless things that tap into my winter moods, and from now through late-March, we be thinking winter all the time. Still, in the coming months, there are ample opportunities to make use of our five senses. Winter is made for nature lovers, and outdoor sportsmen can reap the greatest benefits during this period.

These personal delights are just a few of many that will tempt sportsmen over the next few months.

*I relish the sight of straight-as-a-string fox tracks moving across freshly fallen snow and find them mesmerizing. Each track is deeply set in the snow, and they are dark indentations that show pad marks under a bright sun. They move forward, stop, meander from one side of a hill to the other, and then moves on  again as the animal endlessly searches for food.

 *A good buck, its antlers gleaming and polished in the winter sun against a snow-covered cedar, is a beautiful sight. And a person doesn’t have to hunt to enjoy the image of the deer’s haughty attitude once the hunting seasons end.

 *The distant and forlorn sound of a coyote pack on the move send shivers down my spine. Listen to each voice, and determine how many animals there are. Some yip in a shrill manner like a youngster’s voice changing during puberty. Others have a rapid yapping style and some seem to yodel or howl like a wolf. Each voice is distinctive, and it’s easy to tell when they are on the hunt because the sounds continue to move rapidly. Coyote hunting as grown by leaps and bounds as people realize that these are alpha predators.

*The distant smell of a wood fire after a long afternoon of bow, muzzleloader or rifle deer hunting is tangy to the nose. It is the smell of wild places and a home hearth. Nothing fires my belly faster than a sniff of wood smoke drifting on the winter wind.

Count your winter blessings.

*Most folks take vision for granted but for some like myself, who only have one eye that works, we count our blessings when we see snow devils swirling like dervishes on a winter wind or across a broad expanse of unblemished snow. A line of snowshoe tracks by a sportsmen going over a hill and out of sight makes me wonder what may lie on the far side. The sight of white snow buntings flying low and zigzagging over an open field is an enjoyable winter sight.

 *Snowshoe hare hunting is a major winter challenge for me and many others. Watching a white hare run across a white blanket of snow can be a lesson in frustration. Hares can be difficult to see until one learns to look for the black eyes, black ear tips and tiny puffs of snow kicked up by the animal as it dodges in an out of thick cover.

*Kids always used to stick out their tongue to taste falling snowflakes. At age 70, I hardly qualify as a kid but my tongue still catches an occasional flake. It’s just one way to taste the outdoors, and that taste is one that will linger as long as I live. However, I do draw a line at sucking on ice sickles. Why? No clue.

Ice fishing is great winter fun. 

*There is a special magic that comes over me each winter as I auger a hole on a local lake, rig up a bluegill jig on one-pound monofilament, and bait it with a wax worm.  Keep the jigging motion very short and try different depths. A 10-inch ‘gill is a prize beyond compare, and small limber rods and tiny reels require spending a few minutes fighting that fish to the hole where it comes splashing out with water droplets sparkling like small diamonds.

*Touching winter-hardened trees, the soft fur of a downed cottontail or coyote, the cold steel of a shotgun barrel or snow dropping from a cedar bough to trickle down our neck are other treasured reminders of our human status and our ability to enjoy the beauty and splendor of the outdoors during the winter months.

All the pleasures of nature are there for those who will expend the energy required to enjoy a winter day outdoors. And deer hunting on Thanksgiving Day will be my day to again remember why I spend my leisure and work time outdoors as the winter months pass slowly into tomorrow as we chase away thoughts of yesterday.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Buying-Selling Fishing and Hunting Books: Part II

The late Clyde Harbin, unless you happened to be a lure collector some years ago, was hardly a household name. Clyde, over many years, amassed a huge collection of fishing lures and wrote several notable books on Heddon lures.

He was called "The Bassman" by all who knew him, and he was a wise investor in fishing lures. He and I knew each other fairly well, and he had a profound saying that he applied to buying and selling lures, and it's one I've never forgotten: "Ain't nothin' worth nothin' 'less somebody wants it."

It also applies to the buying and selling of fishing and hunting books, which I do a good bit of, and almost anything else of value. You can't sell me your books unless you have something I want, and I can't sell my books if no one wants to buy them. Somewhere during the buying and selling process, Clyde Harbin's southern drawl and his comment always comes home to roost.

Book buying & book selling calls for honesty.

I have bought and sold books for more than 40 years. I've missed some sales because people dislike selling books to a person they don't know, but people like me cannot buy books sight unseen. I try to tell potential sellers that I am honest, but need to see what is for sale before I spend my money on it. Verbal descriptions, unless the other person is in the book business, often are not very accurate or reliable. The reason; many people don't know the terminology.

I've had two sales this week. The money made is hardly enough to send me joyfully on an Alaskan hunting trip. But those two people trusted my name and reputation, sent me their hard-earned money, and I sent them good books. The reverse is true: someone sends me fishing or hunting books, I look them over, determine their value, and if my offer seems fair, I buy them.

All of this began many years ago because I love to read. Reading is something that comes naturally to me. You see, I grew up reading.

Many of my readers know I collect books on fishing and hunting. How many of you know that I buy fishing and hunting books, and sell such books as well? Not many so I'm putting out the word.

Start looking for fishing or hunting books now.

The days of getting ready for winter are here, and probably sooner than later, our spouses will suggest cleaning the attic, basement, barn, garage or spare room. Often, in one of these spots, will be some books. There invariably will be some Reader's Digest books, which are very common and virtually worthless, and there may be some children's books from an earlier era. In some cases there may be books on fishing and hunting, and it is those I am interested in.

They may be common, fairly common or scarce. There are literally thousands of common fishing or hunting titles, which may sell for $5 or less. Some are worth more money, and a very select few are worth a hundred dollars or more. How do you know which ones are worth good money and which ones are not?

You ask Dave Richey. I've been in this buying-selling game for year, and I also do book appraisals. I've spent 18 years compiling a bibliography of fishing, hunting and natural history titles written in the English language. This book will be published when completed, but the half this is completed lists values (where known) of over 30,000 different fishing or hunting titles.

Modesty aside, I am as close to being an expert on fishing and hunting book values as anyone can get. I know what they are worth, and pay fair prices when I buy them.

A bit about me and my honesty.

I've been a full-time outdoor writer for 42 years, and was the staff outdoor writer for The Detroit News in Detroit, Michigan for 23+ years. Major metroplitan daily newspapers do not hire dishonest or unreliable people to work that long for me. I am a Life member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and was awarded that organizition's highest honor for longtime service. I am an award-winning outdoor writer with many major writing awards. I don't lie to people, and am honest in my dealings. One doesn't maintain his high degree of acceptance by being dishonest.

What am I looking for? I'm looking for a list of books you have that contain the author's name, book title, publisher, date of publication, and whether it is a hardcover (with or without dust jacket) or paperback. I am not looking for books that have childish crayon scribbling, whiskey glass sweat rings and I do not want ex-library books with card pockets, ink stampings of a library, and I don't buy musty books or those with covers ripped off or missing.

Buying books is much like buying a car. Neither you nor I would buy a car that won't start, is missing two tires, the windshield is broken and the door handle is missing on one side. But, people with books for sale often think a book with a missing page, photo plate or cover is worth money. A first printing of the Gutenberg Bible with the front cover detached but present would be worth some money, but such is not the case for the books I collect, buy, sell and read.

I want to buy books in good to fine condition. I ask you to spend 15 minutes and print out the authors name, book title, year published, and if it is hardcover or paperback. Send the list to me via email, and I will respond within two days. I am not in the market to spend time haggling (although I gladly will if someone wants to sell me a book that really turns my crank) over price. Set a price for each book, and if you are too low, I will make a higher counter-offer. If the book(s) are not what I can use, I will let you know immediately and return them.

Some books are very common, and I am not in the market for Byron Dalrymple or Vlad Evanoff titles at any price. There are many others I don't want, but bear one thing in mind: good books have a look about them. They are well done, printed on good paper, the bindings are tight, and the book has all its pages. A book missing just one page is next door to worthless. A book with an inked owners signature is worth less than one without it unless the book was signed by the author.

A good book is worth more with a dust jacket or with a leather cover and slipcase. Paperbacks are generally worth less than a hardcover book, although there are a very few exceptions to that rule.

What kind of books do I need?

What do I want to buy? I'm looking for books about ruffed grouse or wild turkey hunting. I need good trout fishing titles. Some deer hunting books published before 1980 are desirable. Some muskie fishing titles are books that can find a home with me, as is true with books by Robert Traver. Books published by Amwell Press, Briar Patch Press, Safari Press, Derrydale Press, Premier Press or Trophy Room Books are some publishers I look for, and I'm not interested in most anthologies, bass books, titles about raccoon hunting, and books that cover many different outdoor topics.

I also have books I will trade for your desirable titles. Remember one thing: outdoor books, by and large, sell for $5-10 on the used-book market. Some sell for hundreds of dollars. Not all outdoor books are scarce and worth big money; in fact, very few are. However, that doesn't mean you can't have several books that may make you a few hundred dollars, but remember that such books are scarce. Scarce means they were printed in very low numbers, and time has seen many lost to fires or landfills. A scarce book is one that may be found perhaps once or twice over several years by a busy bookseller.

 Know too that booksellers (and buyers like me) must make a profit if we are to stay in business. Show me a $100 book, and depending on author and title and my needs at the time, I will probably offer $50 for it. If it is a $10 book, and I want it for a customer, I may spend $3-5 for it. Some may think this unfair, but doing business means making some money. Books may not sell for one or two years. That means I have money tied up for up to two years on a hunch that it might sell. This requires me to buy books at a fair but discounted price. Any honest bookseller will tell potential sellers the same thing

If you have a $100 book, and try to sell it yourself for that price, it's very likely you'll still have the book for two or more years. It’s entirely possible you’ll never sell it.

Book prices go up and down in value.

Books also go up and down in price according to the never-ending law of supply and demand. If the demand is high, and the book is difficult to find, people (including honest booksellers) will pay more money for it. If the book is common, and there is no demand, no one will buy it. That is why they call it doing business.

So, with these thoughts in mind, if you find some fishing and hunting books this year while cleaning out the attic, barn, basement or garage, or if you inherit some books from a deceased relative, 15 minutes of your time may provide some extra money. If the book is scarce, and I ask to examine it, I will pay your postage for mailing it to me for a seven-day examination period plus an offer of whatever I feel the book is worth to me. When books are mailed, they should be sent by 1st class mail, insured and with delivery confirmation that the book has been delivered and received by me. This guards you and/or me from someone saying they didn't get the book(s).

I'm just about out of space. In the coming weeks, please look over your spare fishing and hunting books, and let me know what is available. I will make a fair offer for any book I decide I may buy, and will pay your shipping fee. One doesn't stay in this business long without being fair and honest, and I'd like to prove it to you. In the event you are looking for a specific book, check out Scoop's Books on this website. If you seek a specific title, and it's not listed here, let me know what book you want and I will do a no-charge search.

I have conducted no-charge searches for many people. It's one of my services, and although there are many books that are difficult to find, if a copy exists and it is for sale, I can often track it down for a client.

Hope to hear from you soon at <dave@daverichey.com> .

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Promoting Scoop's Books For Christmas

I've always been a reader, and when the snow is deep and heavy and the paper isn't delivered on time this winter, I'll read the cereal box while munching on my favorite breakfast flakes.

I got stuck once in Galena, Alaska before a moose hunt when my flight couldn't cross the mountains. I'd meant to pick up a novel or two in Anchorage, and was barely able to make my connection. No time to shop for books, and the three days spent in a boarding house at the tune of $250 a day without something to read, nearly drove me nuts.

More people are reading now than in many years. They've given up on the idiotic drivel that passes for television programming, and have gone back to reading which entertains you in your mind through the use of the written word. Don't believe me: check seats on both sides of the aisles on commercial airline flights. Most passengers are reading.

Why read? Because it makes more sense than the pablum being served on television.

Which brings me to my shameless self-promotion of Scoop's Books, my website for used and out-of-print fishing and hunting books. There will be over 400 fishing and hunting titles listed before next weekend, and there are low-priced, mid-range and high-priced books for sale.

I've resisted charging readers to read my daily website, and haven't taken any advertising for the six years my blog and website has been up, but it takes money to pay the freight. I do this by selling books about fishing and hunting to folks like you who want to learn more about fishing and hunting, and learning is indeed possible.

There are numerous books about muskie fishing and turkey hunting, two of my specialties, and there are some wonderful buys. Many of these books are scarce and expensive, but all are fairly priced.

This listing of 400+ books and 30-something old outdoor magazines comes just in time for Christmas shopping for the angler/hunter in your life. Checking out what is available is only a few keystrokes away.

When you open my website <www.daverichey.com> you'll come to my Home Page. At the right side of my blog is a link to Scoop's Books. Click on that, and then click on the fishing and hunting book link.

Ordering and paying for books.

Scroll down through the books or magazines, and the books are listed in alphabetical order according to the author's last name. Each book is accurately described with all necessary information including the book condition and price. People who order books from me must pay with a bank money order (preferable) or PayPal. I do not accept credit cards nor do I accept business or personal checks.

I advise customers to insure their payment to me and obtain a delivery confirmation that allows them to track their money, and when books are shipped, I also insure the books for their value, obtain delivery confirmation, and both parties are protected. Postage fees are $7 for the first book and $3 for each additional title.

This may seem high until you consider the books are insured for full value and there is the delivery confirmation. Handling sales in this manner is proof that I ship what is ordered and paid for.

This is very important: I advise potential book buyers to query me first at <dave@daverichey.com> to determine if a book is still in stock. Often, two or more people order the same book at about the same time, and if it is a one-of-a-kind title, one buyer is satisfied and one is not. A quick email eliminates that problem, and I'll hold a book for seven days awaiting payment. If you don't see what you want, write and ask me if it is available but not listed. I have several thousand fishing and hunting books available.

Do I handle good books? The answer is yes, but I remind readers that I also offer a free search service for specific titles if they are not in my inventory. Search services are free providing the buyer isn't having other booksellers try to find the same book. Such duplication of effort makes one bookseller happy while ticking off the other sellers.

I try to offer books in the best possible condition, and those conditions (in decreasing order from best to worse) are Mint, Very Fine, Fine, Very Good and Good. I rarely offer such hole-filled as Fair or Reading Copy, but occasionally a Very Scarce book is offered in these lesser conditions because of their rarity.

I buy books, and specifically your books. Feel free to query me.

I buy books as well, and welcome the chance to consider yours. I prefer buying Fine or better books, and readers can query by giving me the author's name, book title, date of publication, and mention any flaws. I specialize in muskie fishing and turkey hunting books, but cover everything from bass fishing to trout fishing, from antelope to turkey hunting, and almost everything else.

Keep checking Scoop's Books daily for new additions, and make note of deletions, and let me know if there is a specific fishing or hunting book you need. My books are accurately described and fairly priced.

Fishing or hunting books, anyone? Here is your chance to fill Christmas stockings early. Oh, please read the page before the book listings. It is filled with information you should know before ordering.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Which Is Better: Opening Day Or Thanksgiving?

It's a toss-up whether Nov. 15 or Thanksgiving Day has been more productive for me on whitetail bucks. There have been a raft of deer taken on each day during more than 50 years of deer hunting.

Of the two days, I've always enjoyed shooting a buck on Turkey Day because it gives me more time to shoot a buck. The opener, for the 23+ years I was the staff outdoor writer for The Detroit News, was spent traveling around much of the state gathering information and photos.

The opener would always find me heading for the buck poles in many northern towns, talking to some successful hunters, taking a picture of them with their buck, listening to their stories and then writing a feature story for the following day.

Not much time to hunt Opening Day when I was on the clock.

The extent of my opening-day hunting was the first two hours of daylight, and if the story was done and sent in, the last hour of daylight could be the best time of all. Hunting wasn't my priority back then; getting photos and the story was the big deal. It's what put beans and bread on my table.

But there are a number of opening-day stories and a bunch of Thanksgiving Day stories when we'd have our traditional dinner about 7:30 p.m. And, thinking back, it seems pretty evenly divided between the two days when it comes to deer taken.

One year, after finishing my newspaper duties, getting the story written and sent to the paper, I was able to pull into a hunting spot about 4 p.m. I donned my Hunter Orange gear, grabbed my .264 Winchester magnum along with a handful of cartridges, and walked to my stand.

It was 4:15 p.m. when I got settled, and roughly 90 minutes of hunting time remained. Snow covered the ground, and deer tracks dotted the snowy ground wherever I walked. I sat in my stand which was nothing more than a jumble of logs with one at the proper height to sit on. Another fallen log was at just the right height to lay my left hand, palm-up, and rest the rifle's fore-end on my hand for a well-placed shot.

Time was running out on that opening day.

The minutes ticked slowly by, and soon it was 5:35 and not much shooting time remained. The thought of getting skunked on opening passed through my mind when I caught sight of some movement. A buck was seen walking through some snow-covered pines, and occasionally there would be a glimpse of white antlers.

The buck appearrf and disappearrf from sight, and then he stepped out of the pines and walked through a screen of tag alders. He stood just inside the edge, looked around as I checked my watch, and two minutes of legal shooting time remained. This was cutting a little too close for comfort.

The buck, now visible at 125 yards, was headed directly toward me. It's a shot I'll take with a rifle but not a bow, but I still preferred a broadside shot. The buck stepped out, heard a noise behind him, and turned part-way around, and offered a shoulder shot. The crosshairs of my Swarovski scope settled low on his shoulder and the trigger was squeezed. It was a nice 8-point, and a good opening-day buck back then, and it would still be a good buck today.

One year, about 35 years ago, I was hunting north of Flint. My buddy and I had scouted out some great areas, and although we both normally scored on bucks on opening day, that year he took a good buck on the opener and I was still hunting on Thanksgiving Day.

Shotgunning for a Thanksgiving Day buck.

We decided to drive a narrow woodlot near a farm field where we had permission to hunt. It was just me and him, and I'd driven his buck to him and now he was trying to repay the favor.

The woodlot was thick, perhaps 75 yards wide and 100 yards long. My position was at the down-wind corner closest to another patch of thick cover, and John circled way around and got upwind. He came into the woodlot and heading slowly downwind. He would shuffle off to the left side of the woods, stop and then angle back toward the other edge, stopping and starting as he went.

Somewhere ahead of him was a buck looking to avoid the oncoming hunter. John would go right, and the buck would go left, Back and forth they came, but he was judging where he had to go left to force the buck out to the right, which would put the buck in front of me with him on the other side of the cover where he'd be safe if I shot.

It worked. The buck, another nice 8-point, came sailing out of the woods and jumped a huge fallen log in front of me. I saw the buck leap, and my Remington Model 870 3-inch magnum shotgun swung ahead of the deer and the trigger was pulled. A full load of No. 4 buckshot hit the deer in the near-side front shoulder, and he folded up.

Deer hunting provides its memorable moments, and these are just two from a lifetime of memories. Perhaps another will be added to the memory bank between now and Thanksgiving.

Time will tell, not only whether my back is still up to it or whether a buck will show up and offer a shot. We'll see.

11-17-09_droblog_WhichIsBest:OpeningDayOrThanksgiving?_((tag: bucks, Dave Richey, deer, Flint, hunting, Michigan, opener, outdoors, pines, shotgunning, Turkey Day, woodlot))

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Deer Camp: The Place To Be

There are some fringe benefits that come from a day or weekend of firearm deer hunting, but a hunter who is envious or jealous of another hunters success will never understand this basic concept.

Some sportsmen may wonder what those benefits may be. Here is just a short selection of key things that can come from a hunt, and anyone who thinks about the topic for a few minutes will undoubtedly come up with many others.

*It gives us the opportunity to spend time outdoors. This means hunting in all types of weather conditions, and while some hunts seldom produce a heavy-antlered buck, we learn to appreciate those that do.

Do more than your share in camp.

*It's a father, mother, grandfather, uncle or other close friend who gives unselfishly of his/her time to help new hunters learn more about this sport. It's simple things like pointing out deer tracks, a buck rub on a tree or a ground scrape, that helps other hunters learn more about deer hunting.

*It's sighting in a rifle, and knowing how to do it with a minimum number of shots. It is taking the time to be certain your firearm is shooting accurately, and knowing that more deer are killed with a single, deliberate shot than by squeezing off several shots at a moving target that is more likely to wound than kill the animal.

*It means helping others and sharing in their joy and success. This may mean helping to blood trail a deer with another person or helping another hunter drag out an animal. It means doing your share or more to help around hunting camp. This may include chores such as washing dishes, cutting and splitting firewood, bringing in fresh water, helping others to hang their deer from the buck pole, cook meals, and countless other tasks. It means giving and taking, and sometimes it can mean even more.

Deer hunting allows the use of our five senses.

*It is the sight and smell of wood smoke curling from the chimney of deer camp. It is the distant glint of lantern light through the darkened trees as we make our way back through deep snow to camp and its warmth after a long hunt.

*It is that first breath-taking sight of a good buck, his antlers bone white, moving slowly and cautiously upwind of you. You track his progress, pick a hole through the cover that offers a small but open shot, and waiting patiently for the buck to walk into the opening and offer a clear shot at the heart and lungs. And don't forget to share some of your venison with others who may be less fortunate.

*It is the fragrance of cedar and pine needles, fresh backstrap tenderloins or venison liver and onions sizzing in the frying pan, old pine knots hissing, spitting and popping in the wood stove, and the pleasant warmth of a cozy fire in deer camp after many hours out in the cold. Don't forget to take your turn at getting up during the night to add wood to the fire. Everyone benefits from that move.

*It is the healthy exercise of walking, sitting, and still-hunting. It is seeing your breath on a frosty morning, seeing nothing clearly while hunting on a foggy day, picking up the sight of large and splayed tracks in the snow that could be a buck, and seeing a chickadee land on the brim of your cap while trail watching.

*It is the endless participation of hunters bragging up their favorite rifle cartridge, and the retort of another hunter claiming his round is more accurate and deadly, and never once laying this issue to rest. It's not so important to determine who is right or wrong, but that there is lively discussion pro and con on this or any other topic.

Lively conversations are healthy additions to a deer camp.

*It's knowing that if you down a deer, that others will be there to help. It's also the knowledge that you'd do the same for your camp mates or even a perfect stranger. It's just one of the things that deer hunters do.

*Deer hunting is the knowledge that alcohol may be a deer-camp tradition, but it's never used until all firearms are unloaded and put safely away, and then used in moderation. Deer hunters must learn that alcohol, taken in moderation, doesn't give sportsmen the right to act loud and loutish fools during trips to town. Hunters should project an image of being caring and responsible individuals, not loud and obscene fools. Always address the animal you shoot in a caring and respectful tone.

*Another benefit of deer camp is the knowledge that members of our armed forces, by their presence in world-wide hellholes is helping to guarantee our right to own and possess firearms and the privilege to use them while hunting in a safe and sane manner. Many of our countrymen and women have given their life, or have been critically wounded or scarred mentally, to make our hunting possible. Our armed forces deserve our eternal respect.

*Last, but not least, use this hunting season to introduce someone new to the sport we love. Give freely of your time and knowledge, make women and youngsters feel welcome, and if helping them means giving up a day or two of your hunt, do it so that hunting will continue to grow. Be selfish, and think only of yourself, and hunting as we know it today will soon be on the ropes.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

A Great Day To Be Afield

I counted 30 rifle shots by 10 a.m. today, and perhaps it wasn't like the old days when the fields and woods sounded like a war zone, but it was very nice day to be on stand.

A firearm deer hunter couldn't have ordered a better firearm opener than this one. It was cool at daybreak but not cold, and there were enough people moving around to suit me and my wife.

My wife hunted from an elevated coop in the morning and a pit blind in the evening, and saw only two does. My hunting site was down next to a funnel between two dense thickets in the morning. Getting there was all I cared to do.

Hunting with a sore back.

The five bulging discs in my back from a fall last month ago was kicking my backside with every step I took. Physical therapy starts tomorrow, and one part of me looks forward to it. The other part remembers when I went through physical therapy almost 40 years ago, and I'm not anxious to go through another round of it.

My Hunter Orange camo suit was plenty to wear in the 37-degree temperature. I kept it unzipped while walking in, and never had to zip it up all morning.

Dawn spread a golden-yellow glow over the swamp. Normally, I check out my hunting sites ahead of time but this year didn't offer that luxury so I spent 30 minutes familiarizing myself with the area after sun-up. Two deer trails exited the adjoining property, and there were some fresh deer tracks in what remained in the mud left behind by last week's rain.

I studied what could be seen from my vantage point, paid particular attention to any horizontal lines in the vertical growth. Next came picking out holes in the cover through which a shot could be fired should a whitetail buck come easing down the trail, stepping lightly and softly in an effort to avoid detection.

I'd bumped three deer just as I eased off the road and entered the woods. I could distinctly hear three different animals explode from their bedding area and then each one crossed the road in the dark.

I quickly found my spot, sat down, leaned my aching back against the tree, and listened. I heard a deer walk behind me but it was still too dark to shoot. I contented myself with listening as the deer walked off to the south. Ten minutes later I heard two fast shots but had no clue whether that person could tell a buck from a doe in the darkness.

I learned many years ago that two or three rapid shots nearby usually means the hunter has missed, and is throwing up a wall of lead hoping one will hit the animal. Most often the shots miss, but I've found that many such shots just send bucks heading for nearby heavy cover.

There was no heavier cover around than where I sat today. Visibility was limited to 20 feet in some areas and 75 yards in other locations. Nearby shots often send bucks scurrying for thick cover like where I patiently waited.

Getting ready for a possible shot.

About 8:30 this morning, three shots came from a distance of about 200 yards, and I kept my eyes peeled looking for movement. There was nothing for 10 minutes, and then I spotted moving horizontal lines, and there were two deer moving steadily.

They were moving slowly, stopping often, and looking around. They kept their heads down much of the time, and even though my 2.5X10X Swarovski scope has superb optics, it was impossible to grow antlers on either deer. It could have been a buck and doe, a doe and yearling fawn, two bucks, two does, take your pick ... I couldn't determine what they were.

It was a time to hold my fire, and positively identifying one of the animals as a buck before shooting. Something off to their right spooked the animals, and they bolted and headed north.

Another deer, unseen until now, came out of the thick cover. His/her head was down but it had the fattest rump of any deer I've seen in years. That deer was 65-70 yards away, an easy shot for my .264 Winchester Magnum, and the bolt-action rifle came up.

The deer was running directly away from me with its head down, and everything about the animal silently screamed "Buck!" in my brain, but without a good look at the antlers, there was no choice except to not shoot. I picked another hole ahead of the deer, hoping it would turn broadside or quarter-away and offer a look at its antlers (if they existed), but the deer simply turned left into even thicker cover.

Some deer were heard and seen but no bucks.

That was the extent of my four hours of early-morning hunting. Three deer heard and seen, and all were of an unknown sex. The last deer probably was a buck and perhaps a very nice one, but it didn't matter.

Of more importance was getting out of the woods without falling down. My balance is bad because of my injuries, and walking on uneven ground was a daunting task. One awkward step or a slip, and down I'd go with the great risk of further injuring my back. I moved slowly, walked back to the house,  and kicked back in my easy chair. I didn't hunt this evening.

This morning had been a great time for me. No deer were taken but everyone saw some deer, and in the end, it will be a fine thing to remember while someone cranks my legs around tomorrow.

I wish each of you good luck in the days to come. It's unknown how much hunting I'll get to do in the future. I'll know more after tomorrow about how much I'll be able to get out.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Believe It Or Not But Some Sportsmen Don't Hunt

Hunting is not a universal pastime among sportsmen. Some people simply don't hunt, but they have nothing against it.

Fishing guide Mark Rinckey of Honor is such a man. The archery and firearm deer seasons hold little appeal for him because he doesn't have time to hunt.
The reason is he is is busy guiding steelhead fishermen. He's a boot-fishing guide, and wades and fishes on the Betsie and Platte rivers. He loves venison, but gets some from his brother who does hunt.

Instead, Rinckey spends almost every day fishing for steelhead on the Betsie River. It usually holds fish through November and often well into December. It can be cold fishing, but hooking fish can warm up any angler.

Some great steelhead fishing during the firearm deer season. Arnie Minka (left) and Mark Rinckey with a nice steelhead.

"Some of the finest steelhead fishing takes place in October and November, and if I have a day off, it is spent scouting other sections of these rivers to keep track of steelhead movements," Rinckey said. "There are still some fish here but some have moved on upstream. I'll keep guiding until the rivers freeze over."

The steelhead were still hanging around, and Rinckey, Arnie Minka of Grawn and I pounded a section of river. The wind was up from the southwest with gusts to 20 miles per hour, and the fishing conditions were about as bad as they could get  on this day but we hooked, landed and lost some steelhead.

Minka got on the board first with a three-pound skipper, and he kept the young fish for dinner. I followed with a buck steelhead that sizzled off almost 200 yards of 4-pound line, jumped twice, and it was a long struggle to catch up with that fish and fight him to the net. The 11-pounder was photographed and quickly released.

I caught two other fish. One was a skipper of three pounds and a 10-pound female that was promptly returned to the water.

Different year classes of fish.

Rinckey weighed in with a skipper, and a 10-pound female and a young silver coho salmon. These fish are in 45-degree water now, and they are hot. Rinckey's technique of fishing 4-pound mono, a small spawnbag and very little weight, allows the bait to roll smoothly and naturally along bottom.

Sure, we occasionally hang up and have to break off, and occasionally a fish is hooked and breaks the line. Minka lost one nice fish two minutes into the battle when it jumped, landed on the line and it parted like sewing thread. Rinckey hooked and lost a nice fish, and I wemt three for three.

Make no mistake about it. This is finesse fishing, and there is no place for heavy-handed anglers line as flimsy as a spider web. The drags are set light, and a hooked steelhead often jumps once or twice when the hook bites home, and from that point on, it is easy to land a big fish if you take your time.

Minka hooked a mint-silver chromer that provided him with five minutes of pure angling excitement. The wind was howling, there was a riffle on the water, and his steelhead was darting this way and that, jumping as she went downstream, and it was finally led to the waiting net, unhooked and released.

This was a day that I've become accustomed to in early to mid-November. Rinckey and I have fished yearly since I quit river guiding in 1976. We've seen some grand and wonderful days, and over these many years, we have been skunked only once or twice. He has numerous days each fall when clients may hook, land and release 30 nice steelhead. This photo of me and a nice fall steelhead is whaat really turns me on during the firearm deer season.

A great four hours of fishing.

We wound up hooking a total of 11 fish, and landed seven steelhead and one coho salmon. We fished from 7-11 a.m. It's entirely conceivable that we could have landed many more fish, but how many does it take to satisfy a person? I released all of mine, but that is a personal thing with me.

Rinckey (231-325-6901) has some open days in November and December, and a phone call can put anglers in touch with one of the finest steelhead fishing guides I know. He may take you through some rough terrain, and other times it's an easy walk. He just may teach an angler some steelheading tricks they didn't know.

All I know is that I'm happy he doesn't hunt. His woodsmanship skills are as good as his fishing skills, but he makes his living as a fishing guide. I hunt Benzie County every year, and I for one, am happy with his being on the water instead of in the woods.

I'd rather see him on the steelhead stream than walking into a tree stand. I know he'd have that deer pegged, and I might not stand a chance. He's good at whatever he does, and that's a fact you can take to the bank.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors