Why I Love Bowhunting ((Dave Richey, Michigan, outdoors, bowhunting, arrows, broadheads, children, deer, ecstasy, tree stands, five senses)

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