Taken from Dave Richey's blog

Pretty interesting stuff... for more of Dave Richey visit http://daverichey.com/pMachine/weblog.php?

What Is A Bow Hunter?

The above title is a question that has often been asked of me, and it’s always a very difficult one to answer. A true bow hunter is a combination of many things, all of which are upstanding and good.

A bow hunter is ...

*A person who revels in nature, loves the outdoors, seeks a difficult challenge, equals the odds between hunted and hunter as much as possible, and who is finely tuned to the ways of the game we seek.

*One who seeks his or her game on a one-on-one basis, and who strives to get close enough to deliver a quick and certain death from a well-placed arrow.

*A person who masters accurate arrow placement, and one who spends long hours testing personal mettle against a whitetail buck that is more attuned to its surroundings than we are. This person shrugs off rain, forgets about windy weather, and laughs at a snow storm. Deer hunters hunt deer, and weather conditions are meaningless. We become one with the weather, and use it whenever possible, to our advantage.

*A hunter who thrills to the small things, and takes brief moments each day to savor the wildness of the animal being hunted and the land where such game lives. We don’t live for the kill; we live to have had the opportunity in this free society to hunt in a well regulated and legal manner.

*Someone who knows that getting close to game means knowing and playing the wind, studying the habits of deer, knowing how and when to move, and being one with his bow and the land. He or she finds more love in the act of hunting than in the act of killing although the two are ever-entwined and a respect for the game we hunt is most important.

*One who enjoys the fine feel of a smooth bow, the effortless drawing of the string, the smooth feel of a carbon arrow, and the “whisst” of a arrow leaving the bow. It’s the silent but straight flight of an arrow, and seeing the broadhead hit where we aim.

*Having the knowledge of deer habits that allow us to defeat the most important protections that deer possess: the sense of a deer hearing the faint whisper of clothing against rough bark; a flicker of movement as a hunter comes to full draw prior to a shot; or the deer’s sense of smell that allow them to pinpoint a careless human presence.

*More than just someone who takes but gives nothing back to nature. A bow hunter is more than a person dressed in camo clothing with a hunting license in his pocket. We are caring, giving folks, who pursue deer with a passion. We are superb hunters because we must be to get close shots at 15 to 20 yards. We are the supreme hunting predator, and we take pride in our accomplishments without having to brag.

*It is teaching our children, and our grandchildren, this ancient art of bow hunting. What we do is a time-honored tradition, and it is a way of life for us and for others who will follow the bow hunter’s creed.

*We, as avid bow hunters, are above-average in our hunting skills. We rely less on luck, and work hard to elevate those hunting skills that allow us to succeed. We hunt, not because our friends do, but because we must. We need to hunt and we must hunt in order to achieve these skills, and it is through long hours of practice that we become proficient.

We are bow hunters, and we are most proud of it.

2-19- 08 update

My little boy is home and doing great! Things have changed around here and time is definitely more limited, as well as sleep. He and Jessica are the most important things in my life and they get the majority of my time, efforts, and energy. However, with what I have left of myself I devote to my passion for hunting. I’ve managed to workout at least a little almost every day since, and including the day of his birth. My workout has varied from doing a few sit-ups and pushups while in the hospital, and of course taking the stairs every chance I could, to full on weightlifting and running while back here at home. I’ve also managed to shoot my bow quite a bit since we got home from the hospital as well. Research on hunting and fitness has also been on my agenda and I’ve done quite a bit of it. Last but not least, while I haven’t kept up my online blog I have written in my personal journal most every day. I know that everyone out there has a busy life and it’s hard to find time to do all you want to be a better hunter but if you try hard enough you can always find time to do something! I hope you are all doing well and striving to be all that you can be.

Here's my boy!

I'll be resuming writing again soon, we've just been settling in with our new bundle of joy! He's the best little guy ever!

(Picture removed due to loading error.)

Harry Thomas Nunley III

Hello Friends, just wanted to tell everyone thank you for the warm wishes and that Jessica and I are the proud parents of a BEAUTIFUL baby boy, Harry, and that we finally brought him home today!!! Harry was born Monday night at 9:51 and was 7 lbs. 4 oz. with an insane amount of dark brown hair and with dark blue eyes. He is also the best most laid back little boy ever! We'll have pics as soon as we get them downloaded from the camera's!

Fitness Update 2-10-08

So much is going on right now to make me happy! I’ve managed to work out for 9 straight days, I’ve been eating better, I’ve been shooting a lot, and I’ve been doing all I can to be a better hunter every day! If all that doesn’t have me feeling great, my son is due to be born tomorrow, it’s a great time to be me!

Great news!

The Dr. is going to put Jessica in to labor Monday, I'm going to be a dad in just a few days!

Quick Fitness Update

Well I’ve managed to workout for 4 days in a row now! I’m taking it slow and trying to not re-injure myself. I’m also keeping a daily log so that I can compete with myself and make sure to push myself a little harder each day. I also recently got my bow’s string fixed and I’m starting to shoot every day again as well. Just a quick update on my daily progress, hope you’re all working toward your goals as well

Getting Better Every Day

Big game hunting in VA has been over for a month now, I’ve been hurt (back injuries), busy getting ready for my son, and many other things that have kept me out of the woods way more than I would have wanted but I’m still doing the best I can to do something every day that will make me a better hunter. The Internet has made the pursuit of big game knowledge so much cheaper and easier than it used to be. Every single day I can search out useful information, tips, and techniques about whatever topic that I choose to research. I also peruse various forums and blogs looking for knowledge and/or inspiration. I really like to read stories about more successful hunters as well, because it lets you know if another man can achieve their dreams then you can to as long as you’re willing to work hard enough. At some point in time I plan on profiling some of my favorite “pro hunters”. I really enjoy reading their stories and drawing inspiration from them when my own confidence dips. As mentioned in my previous posts I’m also trying to get in shape. I’m not going to have a lot of time to hunt this year most likely as my son is due to be born any day now so I have to make the little time available to me count. If I continue gaining in knowledge, shooting my bow daily, get in better shape, and scout every day that I can I feel that this can be a very successful year, by my standards anyway!

2008 VA hunting season dates!!!

Plan for Next Hunting Season!
Helpful dates for 2008 season openings

For complete listings of seasons and bag limits see 2008-2009 Hunting and Trapping in Virginia digest available July 1, 2008.
Opening dates for selected species

*
Deer
o Archery: Oct. 4, 2008
o Muzzleloader (east and west of the Blue Ridge): Nov. 1, 2008
o Firearms: Nov. 15, 2008 (except October 1, 2008 in cities of Chesapeake, Suffolk east of Dismal Swamp line, and Virginia Beach)
*
Bear
o Archery: Oct. 11, 2008
o Muzzleloader: Nov. 11, 2008
o Firearms: opening dates and season lengths vary depending on county; see digest
*
Turkey
o Archery: Oct. 4, 2008
o Fall Youth Hunt Day: Oct. 18, 2008
o Firearms: Oct. 25, 2008 (season lengths vary; see digest)
o Spring Youth Hunt Day: April 4, 2009
o Spring Gobbler Season: April 11, 2009
*
Small Game
o Grouse: Oct. 25, 2008
o Quail: Nov. 8, 2008
o Squirrel: Sept. 6, 2008

For more info see http://www.dgif.state.va.us/hunting/

Down and Out

I’m 33 years old and I’m probably in the worst shape of my life. I’m not “fat” really I just have no muscle tone and a “beer” belly. I hurt my back for the umpteenth time Tuesday and I ended up missing 3 days of work. I have never in my life missed 3 days in a row. I actually went 8 years in a row at one point without missing a single day. I can’t have this happen again. I have a son due in about 2 weeks and I can’t afford to be down and out and not help take care of him. I recently wrote about how I was going to make fitness a priority in my life and I haven’t done it but that’s going to change. I finally got another treadmill Sunday night and I only got to use it one day before hurting myself but you can bet I will be using it 3-4 times a week as well as weight training 3-4 days a week from now on. A change is coming for me and I won’t let my family and myself down again. I know this entry really isn’t about hunting but if I don’t get healthy and stay healthy it’s really going to be hard to get much hunting done.