Tommy Nunley's Hunting & Outdoors

Virginia Hunting 2011 Update

2011-10-31T18:41:00.000-04:00

Nothing incredible so far but I have got a crow and a deer!

2011 Deer Season

2011-10-06T20:24:00.001-04:00

How is archery season going for everyone? I'm seeing lots of does but so far haven't been able to get one down. No bucks at all yet. Hope everyone out there is fairing well this year!

Crow Hunting and Gobbling Report

2011-03-08T10:38:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I went out to do some crow hunting and got a very pleasant surprise not involving crows. It was late yesterday evening, sometime after four and I started in on my crow call. What happened next made me check the time of day, a gobbler and several hens started going off! They were paying so much attention to my crow calls that I had to listen to myself and make sure I hadn’t grabbed a turkey call. I did have a few crows call back to me and two flew to a tree about 100 yards away but none would come close enough to think about shooting them. I did have a big smile on my face from listening to the turkeys though. I was already getting excited about the upcoming turkey season but now I’m up another notch from that. Are any of you hearing any gobbling yet or seeing any strutting? Good luck in all your pursuits!

2011

2011-01-05T12:01:00.001-05:00

Another year has arrived! I never did get any more deer on the ground but I had a blast deer hunting last season. Time to turn my attention to small game and predators now. How did your seasons go? Good luck in the new year!

2010 Virginia Deer Hunting

2010-11-20T11:07:00.002-05:00

I've been really busy since my last post. I have managed to put two deer on the ground though! I didn't get any good pictures of either but there is still a lot of season left! I love this time of year and if you're reading this you probably do too! Hope you all have had a great season and that it only gets better!

Bowhunting Groundhogs

2010-07-05T11:00:00.004-04:00

Here is a little of what I've been up to this summer!

Archery Talk

2010-06-24T12:02:00.002-04:00

I get lots of technical questions emailed to me. I have to be honest I'm not the most technical minded guy in the world but I'll help you if I can! I will give anyone this tip though if you don't already know it... there is a wealth of knowledge to be had at www.archerytalk.com. Search the forums for almost anything archery related and you will probably have pages of responses! Sure there are some nuts on there but it's definitely worth checking out if you're not already a regular reader! Happy hunting!

Bow Madness Review follow up

2010-06-09T19:40:00.001-04:00

I get a lot of emails regarding my review of my PSE Bow Madness MC. People want to know if I still like it after all this time. If it still shoots well and is still quiet. The answers are all yes! This bow should be renamed… Bow Sweetness because it is as sweet as honey!

I’m getting revved up to start doing a little predator hunting and some varmint hunting. Got to stay in shape physically and mentally for deer season! I hope all is well in your lives!

VA Spring Turkey Gobbling Report

2010-04-26T11:17:00.002-04:00

Yup, misleading title for me... I've yet to be sure I've heard a gobble at this point this year. Dad and I have heard a few distant rumblings that we believe were gobbles but nothing that I would bet my life on. I've hunted as hard as I can so far this year and no luck at all. As frustrating as it can be at times it's also what I love about hunting. If it were easy it would be called killing lol. I love the challenge of these old gobblers but I wouldn't mind a break soon either! I put in some serious and hard miles on my boots Saturday and didn't hear or see anything but a couple of hens headed to roost. I'm going to keep hard at it though and eventually my luck will change! After all, luck is hard work and persistence meeting opportunity for the most part!

VA Spring Turkey Season 2010 Update

2010-04-19T11:44:00.000-04:00

Spring Turkey season has been open for over a week now in Virginia and Dad and I have found time to go hunting three times now. We haven’t had much luck, we haven’t even heard one gobble anywhere near us but we did see one hen Saturday. We’ve not had very good weather once while we’ve been hunting either. With all of those negative things out of the way I can say we’ve had a good time though! We’ve been in places where we know there are turkeys at but it just hasn’t been the right time. We are going to persevere though and eventually we’ll catch the break we need and we’ll get a turkey or two down!

How are your seasons going? I hope well! Hunt hard and don’t give up!

Virginia Spring Turkey Season 2010

2010-04-07T10:50:00.002-04:00

Spring turkey season is almost upon us! Are you ready? I think I am... went through my gear last night and I'm doing all of the scouting I can. I can't wait until I get in the woods Saturday morning. Good luck and God bless!

Bass Pro Shops Turkey Event

2010-03-24T09:36:00.001-04:00

Come out and hang out with us Mossy Oak ProStaffers this weekend in Concord NC! We will be there attending the Bass Pro Shops Turkey Event! See you there!

Western Virginia Sports Show & The Greater Virginia Sports and Big Game Show

2010-02-09T19:42:00.002-05:00

Two great events coming up at the end of this month! The Western Virginia Sports Show and The Greater Virginia Sports and Big Game Show, click on links for more information!

Snow, Snow, Snow

2010-02-09T10:34:00.001-05:00

There has been no small game hunting for me. All I seem to do is shovel snow. Oh well, life is good! I'm just trying to enjoy the white beauty that's outside! I should have some show announcements up soon!

Looking Forward

2010-01-05T12:40:00.001-05:00

My last minute attempts at bagging a deer this year did not work out. I became ill this weekend and didn’t have the strength to hunt very hard. I did enjoy my time in the woods though, except for the extreme cold! It was beautiful in the mountains with all of the snow and it made getting a read on where the deer were moving easier as well but I couldn’t close the deal.

Now that deer season is probably over, unless I do some late season doe hunting further North, my focus will now move toward small game hunting, post-season scouting, indoor archery, and eventually turkey season! There is always something to look forward to! Stay warm!
PS – I forgot to mention that show season is coming up for the Mossy Oak ProStaff. There are some great shows coming up and I’ll have more on them soon!

Starting Over

2009-12-29T09:38:00.001-05:00

My apologies for the lack of posts recently. I don’t want to turn this in to a sob story but I’ve been going through a lot of personal changes and I just haven’t had much time to hunt or blog. My long time girlfriend and I split up and I’ve been trying to find a new home and get my life back on track. It is a positive thing for both of us in the long-term but the short term was very time consuming. My financial situation also took a downturn as well and it’s just taken me a while to get everything back on track. The good news is we are all happier now and Harry has two loving parents and two houses to run around a play in! I’ve done a lot of soul searching the past few months and a lot of prioritizing as well. In the short term hunting and Mossy Oak had to take a step back on that list but both mean a lot to me and will slowly be heading back up that list as my life is coming back together! I really hope to get in a few days of deer hunting this week before the season closes and will definitely be doing some small game hunting in January! I’m really excited about getting back in to the woods with a whole new appreciation for the sport we all love. I did manage to get in a few hunts this year and even had a shot at a doe on Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately I missed, but I was thankful for the opportunity. Having a chance at a shot is all I ask for while hunting and I got it. My new band has also taken up quite a bit of time. It’s been a necessary sacrifice for my personal life but the main portion of the work will be wrapped up soon and then the fun will begin.

I thank all of you for your love and support and you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me again now that everything is moving in the right direction in my life.

Again, this was not meant to be a sad story. My life is great and I’ve been so very blessed. I just wanted to be honest and upfront about what’s been going on in my life and why I haven’t been posting. We all go through set backs in life but the important thing is to pick yourself up and keep moving forward, things will always get better! May God bless you all as he has blessed me!

Magnus Stinger Buzzcut Broadheads Review

2009-09-11T07:39:00.002-04:00

I’ve agonized for a while now about what to write for this review. I always feel like I need to write and in depth review of the product I’m talking about but to be honest the Buzzcuts are so great I just felt a long review would be completely unnecessary. So after thinking debating it out in my head here is my review.

The Magnus Stinger Buzzcut 2 and 4 blade editions are incredible! I received in a pack of 2 blade and 4 blade 100 grain broadheads and tested them both. They are exactly what you want for a cut on contact broadhead. They are RAZOR sharp and fly exactly with field points. I shot both sets of broadheads through my target several times and they would still shave you when I was finished. The penetration was also amazing. Both penetrated completely through my target and in to my backup behind it, the two blades going just a little bit further in. I can’t speak to the durability of the broadheads yet but they are well made and everything I’ve read about them says they are tough as nails. However if one fails you Magnus has a lifetime guarantee on these heads and will replace them no questions asked.

If you have any questions about the broadheads feel free to contact me at tnunley@gmail.com or of course through this blog. Magnus has a complete line of great products to check out at www.magnusbroadheads.com. I hope to soon be able to post the videos of my testing but I don’t have them ready just yet.

Abingdon, VA Hunting and Fishing Expo

2009-09-11T06:55:00.001-04:00

It’s that time of year again! Deer hunting is almost upon us and the Hunting and Fishing Expo in Abingdon Virginia is next weekend. Several of us Mossy Oak ProStaffers worked at this event last year and we had an absolute blast! This years event looks to easily top last years so you should definitely come out and join us! I’ll be working at the archery range so be sure to come by and say hello!

Don’t forget to be out shooting and prepping your bows as archery season begins on October 3rd here in Virginia unless you’re in one of the early opening areas. Check out the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for more information.

Remington's The Buck Stops Here with Mike Hanback

2009-09-03T11:55:00.001-04:00

Mike Hanback's new show premiers tomorrow on the VS. Network. Mike is a great guy, a fellow blogger, user of Twitter and Facebook, and of course a great hunter and TV host. Check out his new show tomorrow and let him know what you think!

Free NRA Memberships!

2009-09-03T09:16:00.002-04:00

From Michael Waddell's blog...
The NRA is giving FREE 1-yr memberships to everyone who wants to join.

They are trying to build up their membership to fight pending legislation that impacts our right to keep and bear arms.
It is very important that anti-gun congressmen see how many people they will have to fight to get their legislation through.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!

This can include spouses and children also
https://www.nrahq.org/nrabonus/accept-membership.asp

SIGN UP TODAY!! It only takes 2 minutes.

I have already done this and it is legit! Please take the time to register, it is quick and easy!

Nags Head, NC

2009-08-28T19:40:00.002-04:00

Had a blast at the beach for this years vacation! Here are a few pictures!

Elk Hunting in Virginia

2009-08-19T07:47:00.003-04:00

According to HuntingLife.com we will soon have Elk on their way back in VA! The VDGIF has decided to let Elk reestablish their population in South Western VA. Read the article at HuntingLife.com. It's a great site with a wealth of information!

Archery Crow Season

2009-08-13T13:13:00.002-04:00

I'm excited! Saturday kicks off crow season on private lands! The season is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays on private lands from August 15-March 20 and on public and department lands from September 1-March 10 "M, W, F, & S only". This will be my first year trying to take out some crows and I'm going to use my bow! I'm probably a little crazy but I've always wanted to shoot one with a bow but somehow I'm just now getting around to actually trying it! I have an area to hunt that they often frequent so hopefully I'll have a chance. Since squirrel season doesn't open until next month this is my best chance to fling some arrows. I'm also going to try to film this so it should either make some funny or some cool footage! I won't have long on Saturday as I also have some fishing planned for the evening and a scouting trip planned for the morning but I'll do all I can to make it count.

Keep on shootin'!

Bass Pro Shops Fall Hunting Classic - Wrap-up

2009-08-10T14:35:00.000-04:00

Josh and I headed to Charlotte North Carolina after work Friday. . It was a beautiful day and we rolled the windows down and enjoyed the ride! We arrived just as Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland was starting his presentation. We enjoyed Cuz' emphasis on people enjoying the hunt and his emphasizing of the fact that the enjoyment and not the size of the antlers was what this sport is all about! Cuz, Hal Schaefer, and Brenda Valentine were there as well and they came in and watched Cuz's presentation and hung out with fans afterwards. After the presentation we hung out and chatted for a while, got checked in to our hotel and then took in a little of Charlotte's night life. We had a good time and met some great people before turning in for the night.

Saturday we actually got to sleep in a little before heading over to the BPS at 9AM. Charlotte never ceases to amaze me at the quality of people that we meet when attending events there. I always end up in great conversations and always find myself learning something. Several other ProStaffers were there including our Regional Director Bucky Hauser. Bucky and the rest of the guys are friendly and knowledgeable and I always enjoy seeing them! Bass Pro Shops had all of the newest goodies and it was all I could do to walk out with any money in my pocket. I did buy myself some Treestand pattern gloves and a Treestand Scentblocker face mask but that was it... oh, I almost forgot about my Mossy Oak car air freshener!

Despite a big traffic jam we made it bag safe and sound and I managed to hang with Harry for a few minutes and get some arrows in to the target before dark. All in all it was a great couple of days.

Sunday Jessica, Harry and I hung out at home for a while and then headed to Christiansburg to do a little shopping. Jessica needed some new clothes and I wanted to check out the new hunting gear at Dick's. Jessica was successful on her meeting but much to my dismay Dick's didn't have their fall gear out yet. That was disappointing but we had a great time and a great weekend anyway!

Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland

2009-08-05T20:27:00.002-04:00

For anyone interested Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland will be at the Charlotte, NC Bass Pro Shops on August 7, 2009! There will be various other speakers as well so check out the link and join us this weekend!

Outdoor Classic in Roanoke Virginia,

2009-08-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

Josh Blevins and I worked at the Outdoor Classic in Roanoke Virginia this weekend and we had a great time! We started off helping the Boone & Crockett scorer check-in and score deer and then I was asked to become the door greeter as whoever was scheduled to do so never arrived. I was slightly nervous at first but it ended up being the best job there as I got to see everyone come and go! Everyone seemed to enjoy the show and there were some very large bucks brought in. It was nice practice myself and the other prostaffers present as we would guess what the deer would score and then have our guesses professionally approved. I did fair but I consistently scored the big daddies low.

After the show was wrapped up Josh and I headed to Gander Mountain to check out the newest hunting gear. I have to say the new Scentlok/Mossy Oak vertigo looks pretty cool! There wasn't much on sale that I wanted so this poor boy had to leave without filling up the shopping cart. We headed to Christiansburg and had a good meal before heading home though and that wrapped up a great day!

Sunday was spent relaxing at home with Jessica and Harry. Next weekend starts the Fall Classic at your local Bass Pro Shops, be sure to go out and check out the seminars and sales! Josh and I will be out at the Charlotte North Carolina show so if you're in the neighborhood stop by and say hello!

Archery Groundhog Hunting and Other New Things!

2009-07-22T07:46:00.001-04:00

Try Something New Day 21 Day 22, and Day 23

I have to admit that I've fallen behind on my 30 day challenge and I'm having to step down from it. I'm not normally a quitter but I probably shouldn't have jumped in to 30 days all at once. However, in my defense I've had several unforeseen things come up that take priority over this challenge including some private family issues. Things are going well over all and I will try the "try something new" challenge again soon! I've enjoyed it and tried some new things that I probably wouldn't have. Here is an update on where I was before I had to stop...

Last Friday I tried Kentucky Grilled Chicken for the first time! I didn't have much money on me so I tried the two piece dinner and I have to say it was pretty dang good! If you like KFC give it a try!

Saturday morning I woke up early to give my first "non-mountain" running a try. The allure of the trails had pulled me out of bed early on a Saturday before but I wasn't sure if I could do it for a "regular" jog. The alarm clock went off and with a little inner debate I managed to get up, get dressed, and get out the door! I took off at a good comfortable pace and felt great for about a mile. Then for some reason after that I just could not convince myself to run. I normally use running to clear my head but I had so much on my mind that I really just wanted to walk. After much debate I decided that if my mind wanted a change of pace then that's what I would give it! I ended up taking a nice relaxing 4 mile walk and I used the time to solidify some plans. I got pretty much the same health benefits but mentally it was a great new thing!

Later that day Harry and I went archery groundhog hunting! We didn't see anything but we ended up playing and having a great time!

Sunday Jessica and I took Harry to a Japanese restaurant in town. It wasn't Harry's first time at their hibachi grill but it was mine. A friend of ours was having a birthday gathering and we all had a blast talking, eating great food, and watching the kids be amazed by the chef's!

I've been shooting my bow a lot lately and giving total concentration to my shooting. I have a hard time doing that and I normally rush through things. The hard work I've been putting in is really helping my shooting take on a new level! I'm very excited about that and the upcoming hunting seasons! I hope things are great for you all as well!

Bicycling, Hunting, and Fitness

2009-07-16T21:32:00.001-04:00

Try Something New Day 19 and Day 20

No Burn, No Earn, that’s what I kept telling myself on my way home yesterday evening. My legs were burning so bad and they felt like the muscle was about to pop through my skin. Knowing I had several miles left to go I wanted to stop and rest but I wouldn’t let myself. Stopping would have felt like failure and I hate failing as much as I hate losing. I hate losing a lot btw; ask anyone who knows me very well lol! I managed to keep going and finally made it home from my 13.1 mile ride home, making it a marathons length for the day. I beat Lance Armstrong too, on a bike! Well, I beat his (running) marathon running time anyway!

For my self-challenge I decided to bike the 13.1 miles to work and then back home in the evening yesterday. The ride to work was fairly easy as it was mostly downhill. Even though I knew the ride home would be much tougher I decided to do my usual lunch run as well. As I started home that evening I knew I was in trouble when my legs didn’t have much strength in them from the start. As I stated above about halfway home it got brutal for me. Biking is something I’ve done in the past but recently I’ve been starting again and I was not in shape enough for yesterdays undertaking but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! I got through the day and I know that I’m stronger as I sit here typing! I burned and I earned!

As soon as I got home I grabbed a quick recovery drink and then grabbed my bow and shot. While I’m not exclusively a bowhunter it is a passion. I try to do something everyday to become a better hunter. I got started hunting later in life than most people and I feel I’m behind the curve sometimes. I don’t like that feeling much so I work twice as hard as the average eastern hunter to make up for the years that I spent “wasting my life away” doing drugs, smoking, drinking, and whatever else I could ruin my health with. Now that I’ve come to my senses and am living a healthy lifestyle I have a lot of catching up to do! I work hard on my physical fitness, hard on my hunting skills, and hard on my hunting knowledge! I want to be the very best I can be and I want to be a positive influence on my son and anyone else who will hear my message on God, Hunting, and the outdoors in general. To me, God, my son, and hunting saved my life! They gave me a new passion in my life that keeps me away from leading the unhealthy life I was leading before. I will never go back to that life and I thank God for what he has given me every day!

I got on a little tangent there so forgive me. Bicycling to me is a great hunting and fitness tool and I’m glad I took the time to get one day better at it yesterday! It was a tough but fun adventure and I would do it more often if I didn’t have to pick up my son from the babysitters in the evening. Every chance I do have though you can bet I’ll be doing it!

The day before that I accomplished another challenge, I learned my first rap song on the bass! It was a rock cover of the song but nonetheless it was a rap song! I’m keeping what song it was under wraps for now but if you live in this area come check out my new band when we get going and you can hear it for yourselves, I think you’ll dig it!

Primos Scent Eliminator and Primos Silver XP Review

2009-07-15T17:37:00.003-04:00

As big game hunting season approaches, slowly but surely, here in Virginia I realize that it's time to start up my product reviews. Over the next few months I will be reviewing several of the various products that I use. These are products that I believe in and endorse. If I don't believe in a product then I won't use it. I will try something but if it doesn't prove effective you better believe it will be in the trash bin quickly!

Scent reduction is a major emphasis for most big game hunters so that seems like a great place to start! As Primos themselves state the Silver XP products are not a cure all. You still have to play the wind and be sensible. You can never fully beat an animals nose but any advantage you can give yourself is a major plus!

From the Primos website "Before the days of refrigeration, old timers, would put a silver dollar in a quart of milk to stop bacterial growth so the milk would last longer. Today, Primos has invested in a patent pending technology utilizing tiny particles of suspended Silver in a scent eliminating solution so hunters will have the most effective means of combating every type of odor. The Colloidal Silver particles in Silver XP™ strike bacteria before it has a chance to break down and cause body odor." Primos has brought silver technology up to date and applied it to scent elimination. In their commercials they invite you to try it yourself and you should. I tried it and I found it to be effective. I tried it against another scent blocker which I won't name and the Primos won! Josh Blevins tried it by using cologne on separate rags and found Primos to be better. As a matter of fact his Mom now uses it on their garbage to keep the odor down! How's that for a testimony," Mother approved!"

The Primos Silver XP products I used last year, I will have the whole line before season starts, are the "Scent Eliminating Body Soap & Shampoo" and the "Silver XP Scent Eliminator.”
I personally use odorless products instead of earth scent and the like. That is a personal preference but sometimes the earth scents can be overpowering and I like to keep all scent to the very minimum. I started using the Primos products late in to last season and my deer sightings went up! I ended the season on a high note, maybe the Primos products weren't the reason but I guarantee they didn't hurt! After comparing the Primos products to competing brands in my own smell test and my successful field tests I have no problems recommending them to others. This year I will be adding to my XP collection and maybe my wall as well!

got dip dogs?

2009-07-14T09:56:00.003-04:00

Try Something New Day 17 and Day 18

Sunday, Harry and I got up early, ate breakfast, hung out, and then took Jessica breakfast in bed! Yup, I try to be sweet sometimes! I've got a great girl and sometimes I don't do enough to let her know. After that we all got ready and went to church. McDonalds provided us with a quick lunch and then we packed up and headed to Hungry Mother State Park to do some paddle boating. Harry took a quick nap on the way and was not happy when we woke him up. We thought he would be ok with it because of the fun we would be having but we miscalculated how much our boy loves his sleep! We boated about 30 minutes but had to come back in early because Harry was grouchy.

After our park adventure we decided to head to the Dip Dog Stand in Marion VA. (First time trying it) I will try it again someday as it's pretty famous around here for being delicious but the day we were there I was not impressed. The lady at the counter was not very friendly and our food was less than special. I tried a dip dog and onion rings and Jessica had a cheeseburger. However the chocolate shakes I have to say were great! Everyone has a bad day so I will reserve my final judgement for another time.

We ended the day by having some more family time and then Jessica and I watching some animal shows on tv!

Yesterday was a fairly uneventful day. I had a good workday and then went home and hung out with Harry. After Jessica got home I went outside and mowed the yard and weedeated. I made sure to mow the yard completely different than I ever have btw lol! I then went inside got Harry ready for bed and then spent the rest of the evening doing something new... learning songs for the new band! We're working on 11 songs right now for our first official set list! For the most part they are some cool, high energy, songs and I'm pretty excited to get rocking!

Today I have a long work day ahead of me then I'm going to hang out with Harry and Jessica, shoot my bow, do some housework, and then work on some of the new songs some more. Have a great day and live your life don't let your life live you!

Women in the Outdoors Recap

2009-07-11T20:50:00.002-04:00

Try Something New Day 15 and Day 16

Today at the Women in the Outdoors event(my first ever) in Bastian VA, Josh Blevins and I had a blast! I have to honestly say it was one of the most fun events that we have worked. We helped out with a shotgun instruction course and then later an archery course and seeing the ladies faces was one of the most fun things I’ve been a part of. All of the women had great attitudes and were great students and days like today are what being a ProStaffer is all about in my humble opinion! I highly recommend that you all check out www.blandvanwtf.com and keep an eye out for the great events they put on.

As far as my 30 day challenge goes I have to admit that I failed yesterday. The day before however I did something that may not be exactly with the rules I set in the challenge but definitely falls within the spirit so I’m keeping it…

In today’s Internet society social contact sometimes gets lost. I have to admit I’m one of the worlds worst for this. An example. When I used to get gas I would always go inside to pay. Now I never go inside to pay. I always use my card and get out of there as quickly as possible. The other day I thought about that and I made sure to go to a gas station here in Rural Retreat that doesn’t even have a card machine at the pumps. I paid my gas, walked in, and tried to be as social as possible. I live in a great community and I want to do all I can to be a part of it. It’s just like any change in live it all starts one step at a time!

Women in the Outdoors Reminder and General Update

2009-07-08T09:53:00.000-04:00

Try Something New Day 13 and Day 14
Not much to report from Monday except that I enjoyed spending time with my family and friends... also Harry got his 2nd haircut ever and I ordered ribs at a restaurant for the first time. I don't think I'll do that again as I really didn't get enough to eat.

Yesterday wasn’t much more eventful but then that’s not the idea behind my challenge anyway. I had another great evening hanging with my family and Jessica and I watched “Mr. Woodcock”. The movie was pretty funny and we snacked on banana pudding, which I made. Yup, I took my first stab at making banana pudding and it actually came out tasting pretty darn good!

I don’t know what’s on tap for the rest of this week. Probably nothing to crazy but I am enjoying this whole process! Don’t forget about this upcoming Saturday’s Women in the Outdoors event in Bastian VA, it’s going to be a lot of fun!

Rural Retreat Bicycling

2009-07-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

Try Something New Every Day – Day 12

Yesterday was a nice leisurely day. I got up early and went to Church. I only stayed through Sunday School but it had me feeling good and thinking about what I want to do with my life. It made me realize more and more that I want to use my life in a positive way. I’ve spent a lot of time partying and influencing people in to a destructive lifestyle and I never want to do that again. I would really like to spend the rest of my life trying to undo the bad that I’ve done.

After Church I went to my parents house. Only my brothers and my Dad were home and we spent some guy time and had good conversation. I stayed there an hour or two and then headed home.

When I got home Harry and Jessica were at her parents. I decided to have a quick bite to eat and then try something new! I decided to ride my bike over to her parents and hang out for a little while. I had no idea how far it was to her parents but I knew it was at least 20 minutes in a car and featured a lot of hills, in other words it sounded like a fun challenge. It was drizzling a little rain when I started but what’s a little rain between friends? The course turned out to be pretty tough on my legs and lungs, but that’s what I need! I didn’t quite make it to Jess’s parents house as she was leaving about the time I arrived, but it was a great ride!

The rest of the day we hung out with Harry and then our friend Adam came over and we all watched “Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins”.

Rural Retreat Fair

2009-07-05T18:01:00.000-04:00

Try Something New Every Day – Day 11

This is going to be a very brief post… Yesterday Jessica and I took Harry to his, and my first ever Rural Retreat Fair! In my old band, Drivn, I had played the fair before but I had never actually walked around in the fair before yesterday. We stayed about an hour and had a good time. After that I gave Harry his first ever bicycle ride! Other than that we all just hung out and have a good time. We enjoyed a nice, low-key, 4th of July. I hope you all enjoyed your 4th as well!

Archery Training

2009-07-04T14:26:00.000-04:00

Try Something New Every Day – Day 10

Knowing that I needed to take it easy yesterday I did what’s a hard thing for me to do these days, I relaxed! I didn’t know what would I could try that was knew though as I’m low on cash flow this week and I just wasn’t up to trying some new athletic challenge. I had a good time relaxing with Jessica and then Harry but time was slowly fading on my challenge. That’s when it hit me that I could kill two birds with one stone. I needed to shoot my bow and I was wearing my glasses. Normally I would have put my contacts in to shoot as I always hunt wearing them but I decided then was as good a time as any to prepare for shooting while wearing glasses should I ever need to. I went out to the driveway and set my targets up and begin to shoot. Unfortunately I can only get up to 30 yards in my driveway but I figure practice is practice! After shooting standing up for a while I brought a chair out and practiced that way for a while. Unfortunately my shooting isn’t scaring too many deer right now. I wish I could blame the glasses but they presented zero issues to my shooting.

As always the more practice we can get, the better. I have a long ways to go to be ready for the season as so many changes in my life have gotten me off of my practice routine. The good news is I have plenty of time to prepare if I buckle down and do it, which I know I will.

Happy 4th of July to you all! It’s a great country that we live in that gives us the freedom to pursue all of our crazy dreams, we should never forget that!

Marathon Preparation and Recovery

2009-07-03T12:46:00.000-04:00

Try Something New Every Day – Day 8 and 9

I guess I did ok with my marathon preparation and recovery, which is still ongoing, because I don’t feel too bad today! I’m tired and I have some muscle fatigue in places but I’m able to function fairly well so far today!

Day 8

I spent most of the day working and trying to figure out what I needed to do that evening to be ready for power walking my marathon the next day. Turns out I would have been partially right on what I needed to do to get ready but I would have been fairly well off on what I needed to do to recover. As I learned, the night before a marathon you need to eat a balanced diet as normal with a little more emphasis on carbs. Actually, this should be done about the whole week beforehand but I didn’t know that. I would have ate a ton of pasta and been done with it but that’s actually a bad idea. You really don’t want to load up your digestive track with extra food before heading out on a long run. After I realized my nutrition plan was off I adjusted and then readied my backpack with food and Gatorade, along with extra socks, shirts, etc. I then went to bed early to make sure I would get enough rest. It was the first time I had ever prepared for a marathon and it was fun but I was nervous that I still wasn’t ready.

Day 9

I woke up early, showered, ate a small breakfast, finished packing, then got Harry up to get him ready to go to the babysitters. I kissed Harry and Jessica bye and told them that I loved them and that I hoped I survived to see them again!

I had planned on running as much of the 26.2 miles as I could but I realized that I had severely underestimated running with a backpack. I really didn’t want to wear one but there would be no aid stations on this run and I had to have food, and more importantly water. During the whole day I didn’t get to run much at all. I had planned on power walking a lot of the course but I quickly realized that it was going to dominate my day. This would make it easier in some ways and harder in others. My body would probably have it a little easier but I would be out much longer than I had hoped.

I started walking and the miles went down fairly easy and I was enjoying the long walk. However about 11 or 12 miles in I started fatiguing and starting to hurt a little. I had never walked this far before and my knees were not really happy with me. I made it to my workplace and refilled my Gatorade bottles, ate, and took a short break before hitting the road again. One mistake I realized I had made was in making it an out and back course. On shorter runs I don’t mind it at all but 26.2 miles is tough and having to look at the same scenery both ways was boring. I needed anything I could to take my mind off of the ache in my body and walking a course I knew like the back of my hand didn’t do the trick. The rest and food had helped and I felt pretty good through the first few miles. However after that the ache crept back in for another few miles. It felt like every inch of my body hurt for a couple of miles and then for the next mile or so something set in and I felt unstoppable like Superman! I was so pumped up and was making good time! That lasted for a little while but gravels in my shoes intervened and I lost that feeling while dumping my shoes. I tried like heck to get it back but every step got harder and harder. My knees ached so badly. My right ankle felt like it was sprained and my feet felt like they had huge blisters. The only thing getting me through was my iPod and the thoughts of knowing how this accomplishment could inspire others and myself on to bigger and better things. People have been letting me know lately that my words are inspirational to them and that feels so good! However some of the things I write are to keep myself motivated as well. I never want to go back to being the out of shape, overweight, near alcoholic, that I was at one point so I push myself daily! All of these thoughts kept running through my head so I kept telling myself to fight through the pain and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Finally after what felt like forever Rural Retreat came in to view. I thought I would be relived but I knew I still had almost two miles to go. Normally two miles would be nothing for me but that day it might as well have been twenty. Knowing that my home was within reach though I couldn’t stop. I eventually reached my street and I knew I would be able to sit down in one tenth of a mile! I reached my door, stumbled to the phone to let Jessica know I had lived, and made myself a big glass of chocolate milk!

I was so relived and happy to have outlasted 26.2 miles of ache and pain but I knew I still had things to do before I could really rest. The chocolate milk was a good start to recovery as it is a great blend of carbs and protein but the next step was going to be tough. I knew that the next recommended step, a cold bath, would be almost as hard as the course itself and I was about half right. Normally I can’t stand cold water and it was tough yesterday but after all of the pain I had put up with it wasn’t as bad as I thought. To be honest with you I didn’t think it would do much but it really did relive a lot of the pain in my aching muscles! Once I had submerged myself for a few minutes I made myself something to eat and grabbed a big glass of Gatorade to get my hydration back up. I ate and drank quickly and then laid down for about an hour. I felt ok when I got up and managed to go get Harry and hang out with him until his bedtime. I spent the rest of the evening eating and relaxing before going to bed about 9PM.

I knew that 26.2 miles would be tough but I had no idea how truly far it was. I have a whole new respect for anyone who makes it through that distance let alone races it! As tough as it is I’m determined to renew my training and one day race it myself though. I recommend to anyone if it’s ever been a goal of yours, start training now. As tough and painful as it was yesterday I learned a lot about myself yesterday! I feel so much stronger now both mentally and physically and I can’t wait to see what else I can do!

Try Something New Every Day - Day 7

2009-07-01T14:18:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I had a blast crosstraining! I brought my bike to work to ride at lunch for my first time! I decided to rest my knees and shins this week in anticipation of my marathon tomorrow, so biking seemed like a great lunch time activity. I left out with no destination in mind. I decided to just go out exploring for a while and see where I ended up. I took off with the wind blowing in my hair, or lack thereof, and just enjoyed a nice relaxing workout. I love running but I did enjoy the change of pace that biking brings. I do plan on doing more biking and other forms of crosstraining this summer and concentrating on running in the winter and fall when it's to cold to bike, at least for me anyway. Trying new things has definitely been so much fun for me. It's getting me out of my comfort zone and in to trying new things. I highly recommend to anyone reading this to give it a try yourself!

I'm really excited/nervous about my marathon tomorrow. I'm excited about leaping in to such a big distance but I'm nervous about my conditioning, the heat, and having enough liquids. Oh well this is the kind of huge challenge that lets you see just what you're made of! May God bless you all!

Try Something New Every Day – Day 6

2009-06-30T19:28:00.004-04:00

I shot a deer yesterday. With my bow. I know it’s not deer season but I couldn’t help it. My bow was in my hand and there she lay 20 yards away. The shot was just too easy and I could not help myself, I had to pull the trigger. My sight pin was perfectly on her vitals and I slowly pulled back on the trigger. Thwack! 12 points! I was having a blast shooting my first 3D archery course!

“Golf for Rednecks”! That’s how my friend and fellow Mossy Oak ProStaffer described 3D archery and it’s probably true. Like golf you can get as serious about the competition as you want too. You have everyone from kids, to professionals that do this. Some people do it to perfect their hunting skills and some people don’t even hunt and do 3D because of the pure challenge and fun of it! Josh assured me that this was a tough course and that I did a good job. I wasn’t too sure though as the first half of it was spent sighting my bow in but I did start shooting pretty good once I got it dialed in! It was a perfect course back in the mountains and it felt so much like hunting that I could definitely see myself getting addicted to it!

I’m having a blast with my self-challenges during my try something new for every day quest! Feel free to contribute your own ideas for me to try. I have some great ideas coming up but I’m always open to outside views as opening myself up is part of the whole idea behind this.

Don’t forget about the Women in the Outdoors event coming up on July 11, 2009 in Bastian VA!

Mossy Oak Marathon (unofficial)

2009-06-30T14:00:00.001-04:00

I have never attempted to run further than 8.1 miles in any one given time in my life. I've only been running seriously for a few months now. I did start running occasionally last year but never stuck with it, for long, until this year. I have built up to running daily but I normally run a couple miles a day and 8 milers are my longest runs. With all of that being said Thursday July 2, 2009 I will be running/hiking/walking/crawling the Mossy Oak Marathon ( unofficial)! The run is a celebration of our freedom to do crazy things like this and to show my passion and support for Mossy Oak, along with testing my own human spirit! The Marathon is not official as I will be the only participant and there is no way I can actually run the whole thing but it will be me putting in 26.2 miles in one day! From my home in Rural Retreat VA to my workplace in Wytheville VA is exactly 13.1 miles. I plan on getting up early Thursday and heading to work, via feet not car, taking a short break to refill my water bottles and eat and then heading back home. I expect this to take anywhere from 6-9 hours but I'm hoping to surprise myself! Stay tuned here to see how I do! Talk about trying something new every day!

Try Something New Every Day – Day 5

2009-06-29T21:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a pretty brief day for trying new things for me. I had a great day consisting mainly of hanging with Harry and Jessica. There's nothing new there but it's one of my favorite things to do! However I did do two new things! I ate my first Mediterranean food and I did some mountain biking at Big Survey! The food was delicious by the way! I should have written down what it was because now I can’t remember what it was called. As far as how the mountain biking went, it was great! I learned that I'm still in nowhere near as fit as I need to be but I have improved! The trails I rode on only went a few miles and weren't that difficult, but it was a blast! I have a long way to go to become a great biker but I plan on getting a lot more experience over the next while! Nothing major planned for today as I'm going to be resting for my marathon attempt coming up on Thursday!

I have dubbed the marathon unofficially the Mossy Oak Marathon as my only friend out there will be my Mossy Oak backpack carrying everything I need!

Try Something New Every Day – Day 4

2009-06-28T09:15:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early, jumped out of bed and started slamming water to get myself hydrated. This was the day I was to do my first early morning trail run and I was planning on doing 10 miles. I watched a few minutes of TV while hydrating and then jumped in the truck. Seven Sisters Trail reaches and elevation of 3310 and I the wind always seems to blow up there so I had on a light running jacked and my Under Armour beanie. Neither of them lasted long at all as it was a much warmer morning than I thought it would be. I had elected not to eat anything before my run as that would burn more fat off of my “beer belly”. It’s getting smaller every day but I’ll take any help I can get! It turned out to be a good demonstration of how tough running mountains can be without proper nutrition though because I wore out quick and had to push myself so hard to beat my best time ever through the course. I was going to do the 5 miles over the mountain and then run it backwards but I ran out of time due to my company picnic being that morning as well and had to come out at the campground area and jog back up the road. It was a great run and I definitely saw more animals out by doing it first thing in the morning. Despite the fact that it was a hard run for me I still had a great time and will try it again soon! The next time I do it though I will make sure I have time to do the 10 miles out and back route, which I’ve still never done. After my shirt got completely soaked with sweat I had another first, I ran shirtless in public. I got lucky and only have to apologize to two cars unfortunate enough to have to see it but it sure felt good to me!

I got home as quickly as possible and ate, re-hydrated, and hung with Jessica and Harry for a little while and then we all got ready and went to my company’s annual picnic. We didn’t stay to long there but the food and the people were great! Harry and I started getting tired and needed naps so we left after just a little while.

After the naps we got up and played for a while, Jessica had to go to work, and then I did another first. I hung shutters on the front of our house! Jessica’s going to be so happy! She’s been wanting it done and I finally got around to doing it!

Today I’m going to start doing some biking for cross training and to give my legs some rest due to me attempting a marathon on Thursday! I can’t wait to give the marathon a try! However I’ve decided that as much as I like running I need to be a more well rounded athlete and I need to keep things fresh so I don’t burn out or get injured.

I send my love to you all and some advice… get outside today, it’s where all of the adventure and excitement is!

Try Something New Every Day - Day 3

2009-06-26T20:31:00.001-04:00

Last night I did something I hadn’t done since I was a little kid, I camped out in my own backyard. It wasn’t an entirely new thing but as an adult I would never have considered such a thing until my self-challenge. I actually had a blast and was so at peace out there. I can’t say I slept great but I felt refreshed and ready when I woke up this morning so I guess that’s all that counts! I learned that my tent, only the 2nd time I had used it, works well as do my sleeping bags but I need something to go under the bag to make the ground a little softer. All in all the experiment worked though.

As I promised yesterday I awoke early this morning, came inside, put in my contacts, and took off on a jog for the first time ever. I’ve only ran mornings a few times and all of those times I had ate breakfast, showered, and been fully adjusted before I ran. This morning was different though and so was the run. I don’t know yet if it’s made me a morning runner but it was a great way to start the day! I had a smile on my face the whole time. I didn’t set any PR’s but after a half-mile or so I started loosening up and had a good steady run after that. When the run finished I came home started some coffee and grilled myself a steak for breakfast! I’d never even thought of grilling anything for breakfast before and it was a nice break from the norm!

I really haven’t done much of anything else outside of my routine today but it’s been a good day anyway. Had a slow but decent day at work, then came home and hung out with Harry. After I put the little guy to bed I did some work on my mountain bike, not technically a first, but the first time I’ve really did much with this new bike. I’ve thought of some new things I’m going to do with the bike during this challenge and I just need some cross training and some new fun anyway so I wanted to get the bike ready. After struggling with it for a while I think I have it set up halfway decent but I got tired of fooling with it so I stopped. I had been using my allen wrenches from my bow case and realized I hadn’t shot my PSE Bow Madness in forever. I broke it out and shot for a while. My arm fatigued easily but the bow is still as amazing as ever, I love that bow! I have a few things in mind for tomorrow so stay tuned to this blog to see what’s next! As always feel free to post any ideas for my challenge here or email me at tnunley@gmail.com.

Try Something New Every Day Challenge Day 2

2009-06-25T19:44:00.003-04:00

Today is the second day of my self-challenge. I’ve been cooking up new ideas for this, and I’ll get in to one of them later in this post, but for now let me tell you what I’ve done so far.

I started off the day by arriving at work and parking in a completely different spot, backwards. No big deal but again anything is worth trying and it signaled that today was going to be different. After that I proceeded to do pretty much all of my work in a different order than I normally do. Some things are time sensitive and I couldn’t do that with them but it was nice to break out of my same ol’ same ol’ routine. In addition to working backwards I also ate my lunch for breakfast and my breakfast for lunch. That was a bad idea for me, by the way, and it left me hungry all day. To make up for it I ended up snacking on junk food all day and that’s not a good thing. At least I did my regular run at lunch, of course I did it backwards from normal and went further than I normally do! I had pretty much a run of the mill day but doing thing differently spiced it up a little and made my day much easier. I also daydreamed up some more ideas for myself as well.

After I left work I went and picked up Harry. We came home yet a different way and I enjoyed that as well. I found another scenic country road and I’ll probably never take the old boring route we had been again. After that I arrived at the house, backed out of my driveway and set the odometer. I proceeded to drive out a nice country road for 13.1 miles. Yup, if you double that it’s 26.2 miles. Yup, that’s the length of a marathon. Yup, sometime in the next 30 days I’m going to walk/run it. I estimate it will take me anywhere from 6 to 9 hours to do since I’ve never done anything nearly that long before and my fitness level is nowhere near good enough to think of running the whole thing. I’m a little bit crazy! I haven’t worked out the whole food and water thing just yet but I think I’m getting close to having it all figured out. Just driving it took 37 minutes and was a real eye opener. I didn’t really think a marathon would be that tough to just walk but I think I’m in for an unpleasant, but awesome, surprise! I can’t wait to try it!

Anyway, my night is not over and I plan on camping out in my backyard tonight! Technically I have done that before but not as an adult and not at my own home. I’ve got my tent set up and ready to go and I’m looking forward to doing something completely off the wall! In the morning I plan on waking up early and running, something I’ve never done before, and then grilling myself a steak… something else I’ve never done before. After that I have no idea, but not knowing what the day holds is an adventure itself!

Try Something New Every Day Challenge

2009-06-24T20:17:00.001-04:00

The try something new every day for 30 day challenge. That is what I'm giving myself. I, like a lot of people, am sometimes guilty of stumbling through life instead of really living it. I like adventure and most of the time I'm willing to try new things but I never actively seek new things. That will change. I’ve found myself stuck in the same ol’ routine on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong I love my life but why not seek out new things that will only lead to my enjoyment! So with that being said I’m giving myself the try something new challenge. I will be trying things both big and small. I will be trying athletic, and mental challenges, trying new foods, and anything I can think of, to challenge myself. Something's will be things I've wanted to try and never got around to and something’s will be tried to get myself out of my comfort zone. The goal of this is to inspire myself and others to really live their lives! You don't have to jump the Grand Canyon to have an adventure. Things as simple as trying a new restaurant are fun too! My challenges are both big and small to show how just doing ANYTHING different can lend some excitement to your life! I will be trying to do several new things per day but the goal is to do at least one. I will be updating my blog daily as well to let you all know how I'm doing. I'm really looking forward to this. Please feel free to post ideas of your own for me to try.

The only rules I have for this is that nothing can be illegal, expensive, or harmful to others or myself. Something’s may have a danger to them but I have a family to think about so I won’t be gunning for Evil Kneviel!

After I wrote the above information I decided to start this today. I wanted to start small so I tried finding another route home from Harry’s babysitter. For months now I’ve knew there had to be other ways to get from the babysitter’s to our house but I don’t know the area well enough to know what the alternatives were and I always came up with some excuse to not just give it a try. In the essence of showing how easy these challenges could be I picked today to find another way. I have to say that it was a perfect beginning as the first route I tried turned out to be a very easy, scenic, drive and it will be my preferred way to go between the two places from now on! This too will turn in to a routine so I will try some other ways soon though.

Stay tuned for updates as I promise some of the other things I try will be more exciting…

Women in the Outdoors July 11, 2009 Bastian Virginia

2009-06-24T09:58:00.001-04:00

Don't forget about this great event! Come one come all and sign up soon. There will be great classes taught and plenty of fun to be had, I'm looking forward to seeing you all soon!

Women in the Outdoors and More!

2009-06-17T07:46:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. The truth is I've had several things going on but I've really just been enjoying my summer and spending time with my family! Things have been great recently! I keep getting in better shape and I feel better all of the time. Josh Blevins is coming over tonight so that we can finalize our presentation for next months Women in the Outdoors event in Bastian VA! It's a great event and we're really excited to be a part of it. I should have more details coming up soon. Mossy Oak events should be heating up soon and I will start posting the info I have as soon as possible.

I have one more piece of news. I will be reaching a much larger base of people soon as some friends and I are starting another band. As of now the plan is just to go out and play modern rock covers but we'll see what happens once we get it going! The lineup looks like it could be an all-star group but nothings finalized at this point. I hope you all are enjoying your RAINY summer, talk to you soon!

National Running Day

2009-06-03T08:45:00.002-04:00

Today is National Running Day! I'm "under the weather" right now but I'm going to do some running today any way. Use today to get yourself started if you aren't already. There's no better day than today! You don't have to even run, just go for a walk. The important thing is to just get up and get going!

Thought of the Day

2009-05-30T16:29:00.001-04:00

As I was outside reading a book and soaking up the sun today, a thought occurred to me... laziness invented the wheel! Feel free to discuss. I'm headed back outside to enjoy the day!

Weigh Station Information and Cams Ham!

2009-05-24T08:11:00.007-04:00

Have you ever wondered what it looked like under the Interstates? Have you ever wondered what it looked like underneath the weigh stations that big trucks have to stop at? Well I had to stop at one Friday morning and I have the pictures to prove it! I'm also throwing up pictures of the place we ate at Friday as well. It's called Cams Ham in Huntington WV and they have a short, sweet, and simple menu and I can tell you that the ham sandwich’s and onion rings are delicious! I also threw a few pictures up from last weeks trip to Mt. Airy NC as well. I hope everyone is having a great, long weekend!

Grayson Highlands State Park And More...

2009-05-17T12:19:00.006-04:00

Here are some recent pics. Harry and I took a little trip to Grayson County yesterday and most are from that. Due to all of the rain we've had lately we weren't able to explore as much as I would have liked but we had a blast and will be back soon! The other pic is a group picture from work. Only a handful of people were able to be in the picture though but I thought I would post it any way!

Running Tired

2009-05-14T20:12:00.003-04:00

I've been tired all day. This week has been long, filled with hard work, and I've had to get up early all week. Today I had heavy eyes, a hurting back, and a big workload but as soon as I finished work do you know what I did? That's right I went running. For nearly 40 minutes I put one foot in front of another over and over. Did I want to do it? No, I didn't. Did I feel better after I did? Yes, I did! After putting my feet to the pavement I eventually started feeling alive again! It was tough but it was so worth it! I've lost a ton of weight lately, I'm in better shape, and I have more energy. I'm going to have a post letting you in on some of my secrets but I'll give you a little hint right now. Get out and do SOMETHING. I started off small and kept building. I still don't do much a lot of days but I do SOMETHING. If your health isn't where you want it... get off your rear for five minutes to day and put in some work. You'll be happy you did and it will be the first day of the rest of your life!

Charleston and Huntington WV Pictures

2009-05-13T19:22:00.004-04:00

I've been driving a lot for the company I work for and I decided to start taking pictures of some of the cool stuff I see out on the road. Here's the first of a series!

Pope and Young deer on the left, taken by one of our customers!

Happy Mothers Day!

2009-05-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

Happy Mothers Day to all of the Mothers out there and especially to my Mom and Jessica! I gained so much respect for Mothers watching what Jessica went through with Harry. Mom’s should be revered and adored every day but especially today. My best to you all!

Mossy Oak Video Hunting

2009-05-09T19:38:00.004-04:00

Josh Blevins and I have been partners on the Mossy Oak ProStaff for several months now. We've also become pretty good friends in the process and are in the process of forming a business partnership as well. With all that being said though we had never actually gotten to hunt together. That all finally changed yesterday! We didn't have the best of luck but we did have a good time and in my humble opinion we did seem to have good on camera chemistry. We checked out Josh's hunting lease and it is NICE! We're going to be doing some deer hunting there this year and I'm already excited about it!

PSE Bow Madness Review

2009-05-08T20:11:00.003-04:00

I’ve been shooting my new PSE Bow Madness for a little bit now and I feel confident in it enough to start writing out my review. This review will probably be done over a period of a week or two just to allow me the time to think of all I need to write about and to give me sufficient time to get the bow and I used to each other. I’m doing this as what I feel is an unnecessary precaution but you never know. From the time I picked up the bow for the first time it just felt “right”! As a smaller guy 5’ 9” and 153lbs currently I really appreciate a lightweight bow and the 32” ATA is just right for me as well. I really considered getting the XS version of this bow with a 28” ATA but after tinkering with both the 32” just felt better all around.

The first thing I noticed about the bow is the grip and the weight. The grip is the new “Biomechanically Ergonomic Slim Throat (B.E.S.T.) Grip” from PSE. It is slim and has rubber inserts that make it easy to handle and provides a secure hold. The grip is very comfortable and when you combine it with the 3.5lb weight of the bow you have something that feels great in your hand!

The next thing I noticed about the bow occurred after I shot it the first time. I had to shoot it several times to make sure I wasn’t imagining it and I wasn’t. The bow is virtually dead in the hand when shooting. You don’t feel a thing and you don’t hear it either. The first shot I took I thought something had gone wrong because I didn’t even know I had shot the bow. It’s amazing how smooth this bow is on the release of the arrow.

PSE is known for putting out great shooting bows and the Bow Madness is not going to break that rule. To me the most important thing to have in a bow is accuracy. All of the speed in the world doesn’t make up for a poor shot. The 7” brace height on this bow makes it very forgiving. My groups instantly improved my first day with this bow. It’s very easy to shoot and very adjustable as well. You can get 6” of draw length adjustment without a bowpress; can adjust the poundage, and also the letoff. The bow was great out of the box but with just a little tinkering we got it setup perfectly for me. The bow is extremely smooth on pull-back and has a very solid back wall. It even has a little more room for creep-up built in to the cam than its big brother the X-Force.

While speed isn’t the most important thing to me, it certainly doesn’t hurt. This Bow is one of the fastest single cam bows on the market. One of the secrets to PSE achieving the speeds that they do on this single cam beauty is the use of pre-stressed limbs. The limbs on the Bow Madness are already stressed to a point, beyond parallel, that a lot of bows are when they are fully drawn. So when you pull the Bow Madness you are fully arming a dangerous weapon! It's hard to believe that a bow at this price can be so powerful and yet so smooth! I haven't had a chance to test my particular bow out on a chronograph yet but it sure is shooting much quicker than my old bow ever did. I have to use two targets now as my field tips are going through my first bag. I only have a 27" draw length so I know I'm not shooting the 332fps IBO speed, but I would imagine I'll be shooting somewhere between 280 and 300 by the time I get everything tweaked in my set up.

If you have any questions about this bow, or anything else for that matter please email me at tnunley@gmail.com.

Sorry it took so long to get this review up but our recent move really took over our lives. I’m happy to report though that things are starting to get caught up and life “should” return to normal soon!

Life Changes

2009-05-06T21:20:00.002-04:00

So much is going on right now. Jessica and I are so excited about our new house but right now everything is going wrong. It's so hard to keep our stress level down but we're doing what we can. I have a lot of new ideas swirling through my head. It's time I made some life changes. Mainly I have to make some professional changes. I have some things I'm changing about my current job but I'm also looking at some side business opportunities including the possibility of a more "mainstream" blog. This blog will continue to run no matter what I decide but I have a lot of other things going on that I don't feel fit the intention of this blog sometimes. We'll see what happens but as of now I really don't have time to do much but work and deal with our new home.

Rural Retreat Virginia Turkey Hunting... Moving, and Tweeting

2009-05-01T15:50:00.003-04:00

Moving has taken over my life.

Josh Blevins (fellow Mossy Oak ProStaffer) and I will be hunting turkeys tomorrow morning. I will tweet if possible. Then he's helping me move all my heavy stuff in the afternoon. If I have time I will then be attending an NWTF convention in Chilhowie VA. I will try to update the events this weekend if possible but moving is priority number 1. Except for maybe turkey hunting ;-)

Twittering and Turkey Hunting

2009-04-28T05:59:00.003-04:00

Last weekends turkey hunt didn't end with a BBD (Big Bird Down) but I did have a lot of fun. I have a lot going on right now with preperations for moving in to our new house but if nothing happens I think I will try doing the live tweets again this weekend. BTW, anyone looking for a great workout should look in to CrossFit. I recently started it and I can already tell it's working!

Live Virginia Spring Turkey Hunt!

2009-04-25T04:43:00.002-04:00

Stay tuned to the live twitter feed in my sidebar or go to my twitter account and follow along with todays turkey hunt! (If I have signal)

Twitter

2009-04-24T17:20:00.003-04:00

I have added a twitter update to the side page for new info that isn't quite "postworthy" and for just quick updates! If you're on twitter add me at http://twitter.com/TommyNunley.

Life at Full Draw: The Chuck Adams Story (Book Review)

2009-04-24T06:23:00.001-04:00

First off I have to say that as a bowhunter, well really just a hunter in general, Chuck Adams is my biggest hero. For people in my age group Chuck Adams seems to be a direct offshoot of the late great Fred Bear. Chuck has his fair share of detractors but he has done a lot for the sport of bowhunting. This book has been something I’ve wanted to read for quite sometime but somehow I never got around to getting it. For Christmas of 2008 I made sure it was put at the top of my wish list! As soon as the book was in my hands I started in to it and was finished reading it in a few short days!

The theme of “Life at Full Draw: The Chuck Adams Story” to me is passion. Chuck has as much or more passion for hunting than anyone you’ll ever meet. He pours his heart and soul in to hunting and writing about hunting. He has sacrificed much to do what he loves but a man of such character and drive will do whatever it takes. The book takes you through all of Chuck’s life up until it’s printing in 2002. For those looking for hunting instruction this is probably not the book for you. Chuck has written more articles and books than I can count and they are full of great tips and insights in to hunting but this book is focused on Chuck the man. I did pick up a thing or two, and definitely some inspiration, but this is certainly not a how-to book. You are taken through the journey of the man’s life through childhood, young adulthood, and of course through his beginnings as a writer and through the animals of the Super Slam. There are some great hunting tales in the book but the most impressive thing to me is the extreme dedication that is shown by Chuck throughout his life. I think of myself as a pretty hardcore guy who will do what it takes to get the job done but I don’t know that I’m as dedicated or as mentally and physically tough as Chuck Adams is. I do however intend on finding out but that is a whole other story.

The book is well written and laid out in chronological order for the most part. Author Gregg Guschow does a pretty fair job of getting a private man to open up but there are times when the details are slightly vague. The book doesn’t hold anything back though and it does directly deal with a lot of the criticisms that Chuck has faced throughout the years. It spends a little too much time on the politics of hunting for me but even at that I found myself learning a few things. Everyone I’ve met in the hunting/outdoor industry has seemed to be genuinely nice and kind but you’ll see from reading this book that there is pettiness and jealousy everywhere. Chuck isn’t perfect though and I’m sure he’s brought some things on himself but it does show you that when you get to the top of any industry there will certainly be people gunning for you.

If you haven’t noticed, I really liked this book. As a matter of fact I’ve actually started reading it again. Chuck Adams is a hard driven, dedicated, passionate, bowhunter, and I think any hunter would enjoy reading the story of a man who did what it took to live out his dream of hunting full time. You will learn of the sacrifices that had to be made and the toughness that it takes. “Life at Full Draw: The Chuck Adams Story” is a great read and I doubt you will be disappointed!

Hardcore Daily Bowhunting Practice!

2009-04-22T20:32:00.003-04:00

Now that I have a new bow, and so far it has no issues, I'm back to shooting almost daily. Since I've had the bow I have shot it every single day but I know the streak will be broken soon enough. I do believe in practicing as much as possible though. I like to keep my strength up and try to get a little better each time I shoot. I'm going tomorrow evening to shoot with a couple of really good local shooters and I hope to learn some things that will take my game up a few notches! No burn, no earn!

Americans Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher Finish 3rd in the Boston Marathon

2009-04-20T13:53:00.003-04:00

I kept up with this race through live blogging on RunnersWorld.com! It was an exciting and tense event! I was so amped up that I set a new PR on mile run at lunch!

2009 Virginia Spring Turkey Hunting Week Two

2009-04-18T22:07:00.003-04:00

Dad and I got in to the woods in time this week and we got our spot! We had a good time today and got to put my new Eastman Outfitters Undercover X5 to the test. The blind was so nice on that chilly morning and it came in very handy when a hen passed by us about 20 - 25yds away. I had to do a lot of moving to get her on film and she never even knew we were there! The blind is very adjustable and we could see everywhere that we needed to see. Ok, so now that I sound like a commercial, lol! Anyway, I was doing my best calling and we had a gobbler coming our way when someone else spooked him and he went flying right over top of our location. I wasn’t real happy that someone let me do all the calling and then messed up on sealing the deal on the bird, but it happens so we just kept on hunting hoping that another bird would come by later. I tried every Primos call I had but none of them were able to coax another gobbler our way today but we’ll be back in the woods trying again soon!

After running to Rural Retreat and picking up Harry, and then playing with him for several hours the two of us packed up and headed back to Bland. I dropped Harry off to hang out with my Mom for a while and then my younger brother John Paul, my Dad, my uncle, and two of my cousins headed to the Mechanicsburg Christian Church’s 2nd Annual Sportsman’s Banquet. They billed the event as an exotic game tasting event and I can say it was that and more! They had all different kinds of wild game to try and it every bit it was delicious! The desert list was nothing to sneeze at either and I have some heavy miles to put in this week to burn off all of the calories I ingested. The meal was only $5 to boot! I couldn’t believe all of that food could be so cheap! The featured speaker of the night was Scott Sanders of Primos Game Calls and I’ll say that I think all of us will be heading back next year for the 3rd Annual event! Now I just have one more trip back to Bland tomorrow to attend church. Have a great weekend and God bless!

Cold, Wet Turkeys and Rural Retreat Virginia

2009-04-16T15:20:00.001-04:00

I have to start by saying my title is kind of misleading. The truth of the matter is the cold and wet turkeys I’m going to tell you about are Dad and myself and we were actually hunting in Bland VA, but let me explain.

The plan for opening day of spring turkey season ’09 had been to start off on a farm that Dad and I had permission to hunt on. The only problem with that was the fact that several other people had permission as well. We were planning on getting up really early to beat the crowd and be able to get to “our spot” first. The only flaw with the plan was the fact that I didn’t set my alarm properly. By the time I woke up on my own around 5am and made my way to Bland our “early” arrival had turned in to a “just in time” arrival. We sloshed our way through the muddy fields until we got to the junction of roads that would lead us to the destination we wanted to go and there we were disappointed in the fact that there were fresh tracks in all of the roads. There are several fields back in each road but not knowing where the other hunters would be, we decided to just back out of there and not risk messing up a fellow hunters set up.

After not getting the spot we wanted we decided to head up in to some National Forest land. I knew of an old semi-hidden road that I had deer hunted on last year that seemed like could be a good destination for turkey. We patrolled the road a time or two just calling, listening, and waiting for an hour or so. We decided that while it was likely turkey did use the road sometimes there just wasn’t enough fresh sign to stay there in the rain. We were giving up on turkeys in there that day but as is my luck this year we had seen plenty of deer sign and had added another potential deer hunting hot spot to our list.

The farm we had wanted to hunt on was a newer one to us so we decided if the hunting wasn’t going so well then the best thing we could get done was some “yelp track” scouting since we didn’t have time to get to any of our other hunting spots. If you don’t know what “yelp tracks” are then you haven’t read “The Truth: About Spring Turkey Hunting According to Cuz” by Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland and I suggest you go out and buy it soon. “Yelp tracks” are signs of other hunters on properties you hunt. Dad and I decided to head back to the farm we were going to start on now that the sun was up so that we could see where the other hunters were parking at so we would have a better idea the next time we were there as to where to go. On our arrival we were greeted by the pleasant surprise of not seeing a vehicle parked any where near where we wanted to hunt! We quickly grabbed our gear got in to the field and made ourselves a homemade brush blind. The next two hours or so were pretty uneventful. We would call every now and again and just quietly talk and glass the rest of the time. It was getting cold and despite waterproof clothing it was pretty damp out as well. We were determined to stick it out though and we did. The only real excitement happened around 11:40AM or so when behind us in a field below us we heard a turkey sound off a single beautiful note. I looked at Dad and quickly let off a response call. We knew that we were talking to a hen but for 15 minutes we went back and forth with her. At times I was afraid it was another hunter but if it was I was determined to meet them and get some lessons as their technique was nearly flawless. The two fields were separated by about 20 yards of thick wood lot and a fence so we had to walk around to a gate before we could make sure that it was a lone hen like we suspected. As legal hunting hours ran out our curiosity got the better of us and we snuck around and were able to confirm that it had been a real turkey that I had been conversing with. While the day had not resulted in us giving a turkey a ride home we had a good time and I felt a lot more confidence in my calling since the hen had continually talked back to me for that length of time. I don’t ever see myself winning any championships but at least I’ve improved to be just good enough to fool a real turkey for a little while! The thing that made me worry though is the real deal couldn’t even get a gobbler going that day; I hope they were just napping and not busy running to another county because of us hunters stomping around their territory.

As for the Rural Retreat part of the title… I’m pleased to announce that my family and I will be moving to the beautiful town of Rural Retreat Virginia next month! Barring a failed home inspection Jessica and I are closing on a home on May the 4th! I hope you all are well, hunt hard and aim well!

PSE Bow Madness

2009-04-13T21:47:00.002-04:00

I made my choice today... I will be the proud owner of a PSE Bow Madness in the next day or two! My Hoyt had to be retired due to a dying limb and after much agonizing, until I actually shot the Bow Madness, my choice is made! My Bow Madness has the 70lb limbs and is the smoothest and quietest bow I've ever shot! I'll write a full review after I've had it a little while!

Good Friday

2009-04-10T10:53:00.000-04:00

Thank you Jesus for dying for our sins.

The Countdown is On!

2009-04-09T21:29:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday Josh and I had a blast at the Bland County Many Beards Chapter of the NWTF. A lot of money was raised, food was enjoyed, and connections were made! It was a great time and a lot of good causes will be funded due to our efforts. However, at the heart of the NWTF’s mission is to keep our hunting traditions alive and to celebrate the wild turkey and hunting the wild turkey, and that’s what we get to do this weekend! I’m doing my final preparations now and I can’t wait to be in the woods bright and early Saturday morning! I wish you all the best of luck. Stay safe!

Virginia NWTF Convention in Bland County and More...

2009-04-04T10:55:00.004-04:00

Tonight is the Bland County Many Beards NWTF Banquet at the Rocky Gap High School in Rocky Gap VA. Josh and I will be attending and we’re really looking forward to it! I can’t wait to meet some more of the areas turkey hunters and see some old friends again.

As far as the upcoming Spring Turkey season I’ve been preparing the best I can. I’ve been working out like crazy to get in shape, practicing my calls, and brushing up on my Turkey hunting knowledge. I’ve also been reading “Cuz” Stricklands book “The Truth about Spring Turkey Hunting”. The book is full of tips and stories and I feel like I’ll be a better Turkey hunter after finishing it. This weekend I should be able to shore up all of my hunting areas as well. I can’t wait for next weekend!

Also, as you can see above I’ve been practicing my shooting almost daily as well.

River Ridge Outfitters Independence VA

2009-03-30T20:45:00.002-04:00

Most people who know me know that, as a hunter, I’m a big fan of public grounds. I love the challenge and the pureness of hunting National Forest and the like. However, I’m not too stubborn to turn down private hunting lands either. I know some hunters who are hardcore DIY public land hunters and I applaud them and believe in their code of ethics myself. But, when it comes down to it, if I have an offer to hunt on a great piece of property, whether it is public or private, I’m going to take it. Hunting is supposed to be something we enjoy and not a completion of who had the toughest hunt. With all of that being said, I will say that most of my turkey hunting this year will be on private property and that a truly great opportunity has came to Josh and I. Todd Caudill of River Ridge Outfitters has invited us to his property to do some filming and turkey hunting this spring and, having visited with him, it is going to be our pleasure to take him up on it!

Last week Josh and I left Wytheville, after work, heading toward Independence VA. It was a beautiful 45 minute drive and I had forgotten how much National Forest was in between the two areas. I will certainly be driving back that way soon to get a better look at the area but that is for another post. Anyway, we arrived at RRO and found Todd finishing up some of his daily work. Todd is a “good ol' boy” who instantly makes you feel right at home. He is the kind of guy that you feel like you’ve known forever after you start talking to him. He comes from a very blue-collar background and that’s the way he runs his business. At this point in time he is running the business by himself and you have to be willing to pitch in and work hard to take care of all that he has to take care of. Todd immediately started showing us around his immense property. We knew very quickly that he had enough land, and the right location to have a great outfitting business. Having great land is not all that is needed though, and when you talk with Todd for a little while you learn that he isn’t just a laid back, hard working, country boy, he’s also a very smart business man and outfitter. Todd knows exactly what needs to be done to grow big deer and keep the other animal populations healthy as well as show his clients a great time. The business model Todd is using is slow and steady growth. His goal is not to be the biggest on the East Coast but just to make sure that each client gets his money’s worth and then slowly grow the business from there. An Archery Range, as well as quail and pheasant hunting, are also in the works and if it’s like everything else Todd does then it will be some of the best in the region. Trying to make sure everything is always top notch is a sure sign that someone will most likely be successful and Todd certainly has that going for him.

When Josh and I headed to Independence we weren’t sure exactly what to expect. We had only met Todd once at an outdoor show and while he seemed to be a nice fellow you just never know what will happen when you meet someone in a different capacity. As mentioned above though, our time with Todd was nothing but a good time! He showed us what seemed like every square inch of the free range, 100% fair chase acres that he outfits and we saw a ton of turkey and deer. After Todd had shown us around we sat in his truck for a while just talking about the world, family, and hunting. We all had a great time and I fully expect us to have an even better time next month when we show up there to film some great turkey hunting footage. Paying for a hunt is something that you have to enter in to with your head on straight. You have to know that you’re going to get good value for your money and I have no problem whatsoever recommending River Ridge Outfitters.

Cold and Windy Run in Wytheville

2009-03-29T15:31:00.002-04:00

What a terrible day to run. My legs were dead, the wind was blowing HARD, and I severely underestimated how cold it was out there. With all that said though it was the perfect day to run. I always think that the hardest times to run and workout are the best as that is when you get the strongest. I pumped out 5 miles in the conditions today and I definitely feel stronger and better now!

Bland County Spring Turkey Scouting

2009-03-21T19:55:00.001-04:00

Today I finally got in the woods again after far to long. I’ve really enjoyed doing shows for Mossy Oak and getting to meet a boatload of great new people but I’ve certainly missed spending time out of doors. Today’s mission was to pull down my last remaing stand from last year and to do some spring turkey scouting. I did get the stand pulled down without any trouble but I didn’t have any luck with the turkey scouting. However, the deer scouting happened to go pretty well! My buddy and I did quite a bit of walking and 4-wheeler riding today and found a lot more information about where the deer are moving in the area. Now I’m already thinking about this coming fall. I know there are turkeys in the area and I will be back to do some more investigating, as well as check out some other areas, soon. For now I’ve got a release to fix so that I can get back to shooting my bow.

VA Spring Turkey Scouting

2009-03-20T11:07:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, if nothing happens, I’m going to be going to take my hang on stand down from last deer season. I’m quite a bit behind but I haven’t been worried about it being stolen as it would be pure luck if anyone found it. The thing I’m most excited about though is tomorrow also starts my Spring Turkey Scouting! I’m hoping to log some serious miles on the truck and my feet tomorrow! Those turkeys are out there leaving sign right now and I know I’m going to be so fired up when I start seeing it! Remember that Spring Turkey season kicks off in less than a month on April 11th! I’ll try to update you all tomorrow. Until then may God bless you all!

Gander Mountain Turkey Expo pictures and more

2009-03-19T19:27:00.001-04:00

Bass Pro Shops pictures and more!

2009-03-19T17:12:00.003-04:00

I'll try to post some more pictures later tonight.

Mid-March Update

2009-03-19T13:35:00.001-04:00

I apologize for the lack of updates lately. My family and I have been trying to get used to a new schedule for us and while it’s definitely better all the way around it’s just going to take a little getting used to. I think I will be able to update a little more now that things are falling in to place but bear with me while things fall in to place.

As far as the past few weeks, I’ve been having a blast! Josh Blevins and I worked the Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic and the Spring Turkey Expo at the Gander Mountain in Greensboro NC. The Spring Fishing Classic was a little slower than expected due to the unusually warm weather but we had a good time and met some great people! The Turkey Expo was also a little slower than expected but was again made a success by all of the great people we met including fellow ProStaffers Barry Kirby and Rodney Topper. Both of those two fine gentlemen were Turkey ProStaffers and they could make calling sounds so realistic that we were looking for our guns!

On another note… I attended a church service in Bland County at the Rocky Gap Pentecostal church. The service was being hosted by Teen Challenge USA and it was an incredible experience. Teen Challenge is a helping hand for troubled young people and their testimonies were life changing! The things these people had been through and overcame through God’s love were amazing! I know that what they do is real because one of the testimonies was from a close family member. The changes in his life were nothing short of incredible! Check them out as soon as you get a chance, you won’t be sorry!

Josh and I have a lot on our plates right now, from family, to bow tournaments, to spring turkey scouting, but I will try to update you all the best I can. May God Bless you all!

Bass Pro Shops Spring Fishing Classic

2009-03-05T13:45:00.001-05:00

Don’t forget that the Spring Fishing Classic is currently going on at your local Bass Pro Shops. It’s going to be a beautiful weekend around here so it will be a great time to go pick up some supplies and head out for a day on the water! Josh Blevins and I will be working at the Concord Mills Bass Pro so if you’re in the area stop by and say hello. We would love to talk about anything from hunting to fishing to family to about anything. I’m gonna try to hit up a stream on Sunday but I’ll be in Charlotte all day Saturday so don’t be a stranger.

Outdoor Show Schedule Update

2009-03-01T14:37:00.003-05:00

Josh Blevins and I had a blast at the Western VA Sports Show this weekend! We saw a ton of great taxidermy, met some cool outfitters, and some more laid back, genuine, nice, and humble “hunting celebrities” and generally had a great time talking to all of the great people we met! Josh and I have a way of having a good time no matter what but put us among our people and surround us with all things outdoors and we’re in another world of happiness! I hope you all make it out and hang out with us soon. Next up is the Spring Classic this coming weekend at the Bass Pro Shop in Charlotte NC and then the Gander Mountain Turkey Expo, Greensboro, NC the weekend after that. See you all soon!

Virginia Outdoor Show and more...

2009-02-24T19:52:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've just been enjoying some family time, trying to get back in shape, busy with work, and Jessica and I are looking in to buying a house! I just wanted to let you all know that Josh Blevins and I, fellow ProStaffer and great friend, had a blast at the Greater VA Sports and Big Game Show in Harrisonburg VA! I'm going to include some photos at the end of this post. Josh and I were there helping the NRA sign up new members and resign those who were about to have their eligibility end. We had a blast talking with fellow outdoorsmen and had a great number of people sign up.

Also Just wanted to remind everyone about a great show coming up Feb 27 - Mar 1, 2009 in Fisherville VA. The show is the Western Virginia Sports Show and it's going to be great! The show features a lot of top pros such as Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland, Paul Butski, Lee and Tiffany, and much more! There will also be various members of the Mossy Oak ProStaff on hand so come on out and have a great time celebrating hunting and the outdoors with us!

Here are some pics from the Greater VA Sports Show...

Scouting November 25, 2009

2009-02-24T16:22:00.001-05:00

On the day of Sunday November 25, 2009 I woke up feeling miserable. I was nauseous and worn out. I had started feeling really ill the night before and I wasn’t feeling much better when I woke up. The first half of my day was spent lying in bed and wallowing in my misery. However as the day went on I decided that nothing was going to keep me out of the woods when I had time to be scouting. Jessica and Harry were out visiting some family so I had the time and I decided that I was not letting anything hold me back from getting out in the woods and getting my job done. After some thought I even decided that the fresh air may help me feel better.

The shower and clean up that I did before heading out gave me a temporary pep up but I soon felt myself dragging again. I had not been able to force myself to eat much but I knew I needed some sustenance so I grabbed a bite to eat and forced it down. After getting some food down I hopped in the truck and started the 20-minute drive to the area I was going to scout.

After I finally arrived at my destination I took a deep breath, put on my backpack, and stepped out of the truck. The beautiful mountains and clear trail helped energize me a little and I started off on my journey. Knowing I didn't have very long and not being sure how long my energy boost would last I took off at the quickest pace I could manage. My body felt like it had been through the ringer but I knew if I could get myself in to my destination then I would have to find the will to get myself out. The trick would just be to force myself up the hills to get to where I needed to get go. The trail was actually a logging road and it was quite the mix of frozen icy ground where the sun didn't reach and a muddy mess where the sun did shine. My feet felt heavy but I just kept putting one foot in front of the other. About half a mile in deer sign begin sporadically appearing. It was muddy enough that I could see how they were using the road to travel but there wasn't a lot of sign. However, the further I went in the more sign appeared and the bigger and deeper the prints were. I was feeling upbeat mentally but feeling beat physically.

Despite the fact that I was seeing positive sign, a sign of a different type turned me around and heading back to the truck. About a mile in to the journey I felt like I may be nearing the end of my scouting trip. This was the first time I had traveled this trail though and I only had a guess as too how far it went. My body was reaching its ending point and I came to a hill that overlooked part of the trail ahead of me. By my best estimation I could see at least a mile more of trail with no end in sight. Normally that would excite me but in my weakened condition this day that sight turned me around. The first chance I get I will be tackling this trail again but hopefully I will be feeling better and I will be riding a bicycle. It will be a perfect scouting trip and a fun ride!

Upcoming Outdoor Shows Updated

2009-02-15T07:32:00.002-05:00

I've found another great outdoor show that I, and other Mossy Oak ProStaffers, will be attending. Coming up February 20 - 22 The Greater Virginia Sports and Big Game Show is sure to be a blast! It will be at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds in Harrisonburg VA. Come out and have a great time with us!

I also want to give everyone a heads up about a great show coming up Feb 27 - Mar 1, 2009 in Fisherville VA. The show is the Western Virginia Sports Show and it's going to be great! The show features a lot of top pros such as Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland, Paul Butski, Lee and Tiffany, and much more! There will also be various members of the Mossy Oak ProStaff on hand so come on out and have a great time celebrating hunting and the outdoors with us!

Upcoming Outdoor Show in Fisherville VA

2009-02-10T07:01:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up about a great show coming up Feb 27 - Mar 1, 2009 in Fisherville VA. The show is the Western Virginia Sports Show and it's going to be great! The show features a lot of top pros such as Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland, Paul Butski, Lee and Tiffany, and much more! There will also be various members of the Mossy Oak ProStaff on hand so come on out and have a great time celebrating hunting and the outdoors with us!

Super Bowl

2009-02-03T11:44:00.002-05:00

The Super Bowl was properly named this year for sure! I was pulling for the Cardinals but it was a great game even so! Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I've been a little under the weather but I'll try to get crakin' again soon!

Wanted (the movie)

2009-01-28T20:52:00.002-05:00

Just finished watching Wanted. I have to say it was a pretty cool and entertaining movie! If I could teach myself to shoot like those guys hunting would be a breeze!

Scouting 1-18-09

2009-01-24T14:33:00.008-05:00

For the past several days Wytheville Virginia had been gripped by a cold front unlike anything residents had encountered in many years. For some areas the single digit temperatures may have seemed like a warm front but for those of us that live here it seemed like we had packed our bags and moved North. Most of the days had been fairly calm but when the wind blew, and the chill moved in to the negative, our bodies felt something that we were not accustomed to. Scouting had not been something on my mind until earlier in the cold spell when my girlfriend informed me that she and my son would be visiting some of her family Saturday morning. Knowing it would be very cold I wasn’t necessarily excited about traipsing around on a ridge top where the wind would be constantly blowing but when you work a full time job and have a family you don’t have always have the option to pick and choose when you’ll scout, you just have to be ready to hit the ground running when the time becomes available.

The extreme cold front that had swept through the area for days had finally moved out and the day of January 17, 2009 had warmed up to a blazing hot 11 degrees. The first chance I would have for post-season scouting was going to start out with acceptable weather and I was happy for it. A lot of people would be wary about heading to the woods on a day that would not be exceeding 20 degrees but I knew if I kept moving and layered correctly that I should be able to stay warm enough to get by ok. The Ford F150 started after a crank and a groan or two but didn’t seem to be too happy about it. I cranked the heat up inside it and went back in to the house to finish my final preparations. After sufficient time for the truck to warm up I headed down the road to get to the area I was going to scout. Upon arrival I readied my gear, took a deep breath, and then hit the trail moving as fast as I could to warm up my body temperature. Knowing I wouldn’t set foot back on the property for quite some time I wasn’t worried about spooking the wildlife, they would have plenty of time to settle back down before next hunting season began. Being as the weather was so cold, I guess, I was lucky that the trail was entirely up hill for the first half a mile or so. By the time I had reached the ridge top that I would be walking and scouting my body had warmed up and most all of me but my cheeks were fairly warm. I had forgotten to grab my balaclava from the truck so my cheeks were going to have to endure the wind throughout my entire time there. It was time to get tough or get out.

The old trail that runs across the ridge top is a mixture of the clean and neat, and the wild and unkempt. Walking along I searched for any and all sign of how the deer were using the area. I looked for rubs, scrapes, droppings, and anything else I could find that would help me understand what the animals were doing. As I looked for sign I also tried to imagine how I would react to things if I were a resident of the area. Would I cross under or around a fallen tree, would I go through the over grown brush to the left of a certain rise or to the right. Knowledge is the key to unlocking the secrets to the wildlife kingdom and while I was out I wanted to glean as much of it as I could. Another reason for the trip was to document as much of it as possible with photographs. Recently I had bought several new camera accessories that would allow me to do so and I was excited about giving it all a try. A lesson learned is a lesson learned though and I learned that all of the cool accessories in the world are useless when you forget to pack spare batteries. After I had taken just a few pictures I realized that documenting the trip the way I wanted to was out of the question.

The path itself is a road that seemed to have been cut through many years ago. My belief is that it was cut and well maintained for many years but over the years whoever maintained it started maintaining less and less of it until no one was currently keeping it up. The first half-mile to a mile of the path is pretty clear and easy to travel but as you go back further it gets thicker and thicker until the trail completely disappears. It’s a pretty hot location and I know that I’m not the first person to discover this as there are countless old and dilapidated stands scattered throughout the landscape. The newest one is an older ladder stand that was probably put up in the late 80’s or early 90’s but I could be way off base. I haven’t had a chance to talk to the actual owner of the property so almost all I know about the area is from scouting and guessing.

While the trail may be starting to grow up a bit it’s still beautiful in the way it cuts through the landscape and beautiful in the way it shows a lot of wildlife use! There are a enormous amount of large rock formation on the top of the mountain and the way the trail winds through them and the way the trees hug the trail creates many postcard type scenes. Again, I would love to have the pictures to prove it but it just didn’t happen on this particular day. As the trail grows thicker the buck sign grows thicker as well. However, I wasn’t too pumped up about it for two reasons. The first reason is that all the sign indicated smaller bucks. That is not such a bad thing though as smaller bucks can become bigger bucks if they are allowed to grow. The second reason is a little tougher, the wind is pretty constant in the way it blows and it’s going to make it very hard to hunt. I have a few ideas on how to handle it but to be honest it’s going to take a little luck. I may have to just leave the area alone and only hunt up there during the rut.

Traveling for about two hours I had covered quite a bit of territory, had frozen cheeks, and a lot of information to use in the future. Then it was time for one of the outdoors greatest pleasures, at least in my opinion. Lunch. That’s right, lunch. One of my favorite things is going deep in to a secluded area of the woods and sitting down to eat. Nothing tastes as good indoors as it does out of doors, and nothing tastes quite as good as it does until you’ve had a long walk before eating it either. A tree had fallen over in a clear spot and it provided me with a perfect place to sit and lay out my lunch. The spot I had found was also shielded from the wind and it allowed me to lie out all of my food and not worry about chasing it all over the mountains as well. As I sat there eating and thinking about my life everything seemed so perfect! My family is great, and healthy, and I’m living out my dream! I’ve always loved the out of doors and I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Everything seems to be coming together so well in my life and I count my blessings for sure! The meal went down so well and the Vienna sausages, crackers, and water may as well have been a gourmet dinner!

With lunch out of the way and time ticking away until I had to be home I headed back toward my truck. The scenery was no less beautiful on the way out and to make sure I learned more and kept from getting bored I took a slightly different route out. I really didn’t learn much more until I got nearly back to the field that I had entered through. I elected to take a shortcut out and discovered several deer trails that I never knew were there. I really don’t feel that they are being used much late in the season but I wouldn’t be surprised to see deer using them as the year goes on. I got back to my truck and enjoyed hopping inside its wind shielding, comfort. I drove slowly out of there very happy with the fact that I had braved the elements and had a great time learning more about an area that I will be hunting again next fall.

The walk had been a lung searing, leg pounding adventure at times, and a leisurely stroll at others but it was constantly fun. There is nothing like getting out of the four walls that constantly seemed to have us trapped and going for a stroll. It doesn’t have to be a mountaintop or even in the country. A walk around town can sometimes be every bit as liberating as traipsing trough the deep woods. Walking does something magical to the mind, it seems to somehow bring all of life’s problems in to focus and I often do my best thinking while my legs are moving one in front of the other. A walk is always a thing of beauty and I recommend that everyone take one as often as possible. That reminds me, I think it’s about time for another walk of my own.

Obsession

2009-01-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

Every day I think about hunting. At least one thing about hunting crosses my mind constantly its such a multifaceted sport that there is always something to keep you from getting bored. Is it a healthy obsession? I think in the long run it is. As long as it’s not interfering with the rest of your life, (i.e. family, job) then I personally believe its ok to have a hunting/outdoors obsession. I work for Mossy Oak and the companies tag line is “it’s more than a passion, it’s an obsession”, and I believe that’s true for quite a few of us. I like the fact that there are so many varieties of game to hunt and so many variations of ways to hunt them. I sometimes get bored easily but there is always a different challenge when it comes to hunting. Take whitetail hunting alone, even if you only stand hunt think of the different things that go in to that throughout a year. Just listing a few things that can go in to it in a year that pop in to my head… scouting, stand hanging, food plots, shed hunting, and actually hunting. There are many things within those groups as well, there is after season scouting, in season scouting, late summer scouting and much more. There really is no cause for an outdoorsman to get bored. There is always something to do to feed the obsession.

January Lull

2009-01-14T19:43:00.000-05:00

I’m enjoying my “time off” from hunting. Having a good time, relaxing and spending time with the family, is hard to beat. I’m trying to allow myself to unwind and not push myself. However, I just can’t help it, I can’t stop obsessing over hunting. Post-season scouting and getting ready for spring turkey season sometimes just takes over my mind, especially at work. It’s not that I don’t love, appreciate, and enjoy my family it’s just that there is room in my life for all of the above, and I thank God for it! In another week, maybe two, I’ll to give in to those primal urges and head back out in to the jungle, but until then it’s “Easy Street” for me!

If you have some “downtime” in your life right now I hope you are enjoying it as well!

Tony Dungy

2009-01-13T19:37:00.000-05:00

I’ve never been much of a fan of the Indianapolis Colts. One of the few times I actually pulled for them though was against the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI It wasn’t that I didn’t like or respect the Bears or Lovie Smith, it was that my respect for Tony Dungy as a man and a coach was so great.

Tony Dungy is one of those rare human beings who put others before themselves. He never seemed to be in to coaching for the wrong reasons and all of his players seemed to love him and be better for having played for him. I read somewhere that he enjoyed fishing, I’m not sure if he hunted, but I would be more than happy to share any outdoor adventure with such a fine man. Not many people leave the NFL to devote their lives to serving others. Tony had an incredible football career, and I wish him an even more successful post football career.

Mike Hanback and Other Outdoor Celebrities

2009-01-12T19:23:00.000-05:00

I’ve always felt that hunters and the outdoor community in general are some of the best folks out there. In all my life, my dealings with outdoors people have almost always been pleasant. With any group, of course, there are bad apples. Too often those bad apples in the outdoor community get all of the press and give the rest of us a bad name. I feel that it is my duty to highlight the good part of our community and today I want to focus on “hunting celebrities”.

I participate in various forums in my spare time and I enjoy learning from and conversing with fellow outdoorsman. However, sometimes I’ll read a “horror” story or two about dealing with a “hunting celebrity.” I can’t say that I have a tremendous amount of experience dealing with the hunting “upper crust”. I can say though that every single one of them that I have met or talked too, are some of the best people I’ve ever dealt with. When I meet or talk to someone in their position I expect them to sometimes be too busy to talk with me or fire back an email. Much to my surprise though despite the number of people seeking to speak with them they always seem to take the time to meet and speak with everyone. I understand that not everyone has had the great experiences that I have had but you have to put things in perspective. These people have such tremendous amount of drains on there time. They have to hunt, attend shows, deal with sponsors, deal with producers; editors etc, and still make time for their families and, of course, their fans. If I had to deal with all that they do and still have a smile on my face every time I met someone I’m not sure if I would do as well as most of them do.

As an example of how “hunting celebrities” differ from the norm… today I sent an email to Mike Hanback. At work, they have asked us to put in for our vacations. I’m trying to figure out when the best week(s) will be to take off and Mike seems to be a guru of the rut. Not expecting a quick response, or maybe a response at all, I sent an email asking Mike for advice. I was truly astonished when I got a reply from Mike himself in response to my question not five minutes after I sent it. It probably isn’t a big deal in the big scheme of things but with all of the negative press mainstream celebrities generate I thought it was a nice chance to show that the hunting community isn’t like that. Mike is a big enough “celebrity” that he doesn’t have to answer his own “fan mail” but it’s refreshing to see that he does and that he actually responds to it in a timely manner. Hunters and outdoors people are a great group and I think that it’s time the rest of the world recognizes this and gives us praise instead of criticism. That’s just my two cents for the day though.

I hope you all had as good a weekend as I did hanging out with the family and watching football. I get so caught up with hunting that I sometimes forget some of the other simple pleasures in life. Take care!

I've Made the Big Time!

2009-01-07T19:50:00.003-05:00

I feel like I've made the big time now! I've been reading Mark Taylor's work for quite sometime now and much to my surprise I actually made his blog! I sent him an email recently backing up the words of another one of his readers and he posted the email and a picture from one of last weekends hunts! It's a real honor to be featured along side of some of the great hunters he regularly features. The people who normally appear on Marks blog are great hunters and great people and I'm not sure how I got thrown in to the mix, but it sure feels good!

Late Season Muzzleloading Success Again!!!

2009-01-03T13:08:00.007-05:00

On January 3rd I was in the woods and headed to my stand area nice and early. I was moving slow but steady and had just started up the logging road toward my setup spot when I heard a deer snort and stomp off in to thicker cover. I wasn’t happy about it but the distance between where I was and where I was going seemed large enough that I didn’t let it discourage me too much. It was the last day of the “2008”, technically it was 2009, deer season and I was determined to enjoy my last day. It was a great morning, cold, foggy, and sprinkling rain. For some reason I love being out in the rain and especially snow. The morning did have a cold bite to it but I knew if I kept going and made it to my stand in time I may have enough excitement to keep me warm. I got to my stand before it was light and got set up. I knew there had been human travel in to the area recently so I thought the deer would come by my area bright and early, or not at all. I sat there for almost two hours and I was really starting to wonder if I would see anything, when I caught movement about 25 yards away. I looked up and right in front of me was a doe. I was standing about half behind a tree so I quietly and slowly slid my body further behind the cover. The deer kept walking toward me until she was about 10 yards away. She was so close that I just knew she was going to spot me. She looked right at me twice but never figured out that I wasn’t part of the tree, thanks to Mossy Oak’s new Treestand pattern! She was not presenting much of a shot and was looking my way so much that I didn’t have a chance at getting a shot on her. It was only a matter of time before the wind swirled and she caught my wind so my heart was pumping fast. I finally got the break I was looking for when she turned to her left and started to feed up the hill. I raised the Traditions Pursuit II, found my spot, and pulled the trigger. She pulled the neatest back flip ever and was dead before she hit the ground. I was happy to have another deer and happy that she had died quickly and easily!

Shot this one at 15yds on the ground wearing the new Mossy Oak Treestand pattern and using a Traditions Pursuit II muzzleloader.

Mossy Oak Treestand and Traditions Firearms Come Through Again!

2009-01-01T19:33:00.004-05:00

Due to a late start on January 1, 2009 I was heading to my stand site when the light was coming up in to the sky. I generally like to be up my tree by this time but I figured that it was better to be in the woods late than it was to be watching TV on the couch. I was on National Forest with my pack and climber on my back looking for the right tree in an area that I had recently found on a scouting/hunting trip. I guessed that the deer would be coming through later in the morning and that I would have plenty of time to find a tree when I got to the ridgeline I was heading for. Knowing it was light out though I was taking my time and still-hunting to the stand so that I wouldn’t get busted. Much to my surprise as I neared the ridgeline area I was headed for I noticed movement coming my way. A group of deer were going to be passing by my stand site before I had a chance to arrive there. I looked around and found an opening that they would be going through where I would have a good shooting lane. They were above me and I was pretty sure my camo would keep me invisible to them if I just stayed still and calm. The first deer approached the opening and as I peered through my scope I realized that the deer were further back on the trail than I had thought and I didn’t have an ethical shot. I decided to let the group pass and then set up a stand and hope they made it back my way that evening. However much to my surprise a small group started coming down the ridge and were going to be passing by me on the right. I made a few quick adjustments and then found another opening. When the first doe came through I put the crosshairs behind her shoulder and pulled the trigger! She went down instantly and I was happy to have finally pulled the trigger on my new muzzleloader! I got her worked up as quickly as possible and my family and I have been enjoying her delicious bounties every since!

It was a cold morning and I was tired and for various reasons running behind schedule. I could have gotten frustrated and through in the towel for the day but I decided that being in the woods and enjoying the beauty of nature was the best place for me that morning. I knew I was heading to a spot that the deer were moving so my optimism put me in the woods. The old saying you can’t kill a deer if you’re not hunting holds true again!

The Final Countdown

2008-12-31T19:30:00.001-05:00

Well, this is it, the final three days of hunting season. I’m hoping to get to hunt these next three days and I’m hoping to bring home a doe or two for the freezer. This season has not been what I wanted it to be but it has been a good one! I can’t complain one bit, unless it’s about some of the bonehead things I’ve done. I hope any of you Virginia hunters out there that are trying to get a final hunt or two in have the best of luck! I also hope you all have a happy and safe New Years Eve, and a Happy New Year!

Hunting Journal 12-26-08

2008-12-30T17:02:00.000-05:00

When the 5:00 AM alarm went off on 12/26/08 I did not want to get up. I turned off the alarm and lay there for several minutes trying to justify staying in bed. I used every excuse in the book, including the fact that I would probably not be successful. The only thing that got me up that morning was thinking that I would hate myself the rest of the weekend if I didn’t go. It was to be the last day I had free to hunt that weekend and if I didn’t go I know I would regret it. I finally crawled out of bed, had a scent-free shower, a little breakfast and then headed out to hunt. I had decided to return to a buddy’s farm that had recently come available for me to hunt. I had only been there twice before and I didn’t know the territory very well. I had explored it a little bit and knew that at this point in the year catching a buck there with my limited knowledge would be slim. I decided that this would probably be more of an exploration than a hunting trip but with time running down on the season anything was better than nothing.

I arrived at my spot a little before light would be coming up. I got dressed quickly and started on my hike. I had decided to take an old logging trail that led up to a power line clear-cut. I had walked about half a mile and the sun started coming up. As I neared the top I jumped two does that I believe I had seen a day or two before. I settled the crosshairs of my Traditions Pursuit II on the bigger doe and the perfect broadside shot she presented was very tempting but unfortunately it wasn’t a “doe day” so I had to lower the gun and watch her walk cautiously away. I calmed myself down a little and forged on up the trail. When I reached the top I was greeted by some of the most beautiful views I’ve seen in a while. It looked like the “sheep country” you see on TV. It was spectacular, huge, tough, rocky, and I loved it! The wind was blowing a strong, cold wind against me but it couldn’t wipe the smile off of my face. I continued on along the path until it eased over in to the forest that run along the left side of the ridgeline I was traveling. It didn’t take long to realize that this was prime deer territory and my thoughts were soon justified when I jumped a decent group of does. I continued down the path for around a mile and the deer sign just kept getting better and better. I saw several more groups of does and located several spots to set up treestands. I finally realized that I had learned most of what I needed to see on this initial exploration and realized that I was accomplishing nothing more than spooking the deer at this point. At that point I turned around and eased my way quietly and happily out of the woods. I spent the rest of the day enjoying hanging out with my family and knowing that I had found a great hunting area for the future.

I was so happy that I had gotten out of bed that morning because I located a prime hunting spot! I could have lain in bed all day and accomplished nothing. Every time entering the woods will not produce a kill, but if you pay attention you can normally accomplish something. I knew starting the day that I was most likely going to leave the woods empty handed. However my initial negativity of the morning evaporated and I had a great day! I hope to hunt the area I found soon but I will have to wait for the right wind. I could have pressed further on and explored the area more but I found out enough to hunt it when I have the opportunity. After the season I’ll go back and explore it further but as of now I’m just happy that I overcame my laziness and negativity and got out there and had a great time exploring and scouting the woods! I’ve always heard that you can’t take an animal if you’re not in the woods but you also can’t learn much about your hunting area if you aren’t out there either. It’s really tempting to stay in bed some days but most of the time it’s worth getting up and getting going!

New Blog Format

2008-12-27T19:46:00.000-05:00

I’ve decided to change the format of my blog a little. I’ve been thinking about what my goals for this were and I don’t think I’ve quite been accomplishing them. I started this as a way to not only track myself as I grew as a hunter, outdoorsman, father, and person, but also to help others learn some things along the way as well. Too often we, myself included, get caught up in all we see on TV and think that we should all be experts and trophy hunters. While I’m sure some of you are, most of us are not. It takes a long time, and a lot of work, to get to “expert level” for most people. Despite my wishes, it’s certainly looking like it’s going to take me a long time to reach that level as well. However, the thing to remember is there is no shame in that. Most of us don’t live in prime trophy habitat anyway and to get caught up in that and not enjoy hunting should be a crime. If you don’t hunt because you enjoy it then maybe it’s time to find a new hobby. No one will enjoy every hunt, and part of why a lot of us love it is for the challenge, but my biggest message to anyone would be to go in to the woods and have a good time enjoying God’s great creation!

I’ve gotten caught up in trying to go from amateur to professional myself and have not been to forthcoming with my shortcomings! From now on though I’m going “TO TRY” to start posting all of my hunts, scouting trips, and everything associated with my efforts. I’m going to give everyone a backstage pass to the effort that goes in to trying to become the best hunter that you can be. I’m going to post all of my blunders and my successes. If the hunts go well there will be more details but when they don’t, unless I learn an important lesson, then they will only be long enough to give out the pertinent information. I hope all of you enjoy what I have upcoming and learn along with me! Please let me know how you like this as things progress!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T18:26:00.000-05:00

From my family to yours, have a Merry Christmas!

Quick Late Season Tips, and Happy Holidays!

2008-12-21T08:29:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven’t been writing much but this has been a super busy time for me. I was sitting here thinking about Christmas and I really hope that all of you have a great one, and a happy holiday season in general! I’m working on a story about late season hunting but it’s going to take a little bit to get finished. So, until my whole story is done here are a few tips for those of us still out there hunting hard in the late season!

1. Food – Look for good quality food sources, the deer are recovering from the rut and battling the cold. Green fields, corn, winter wheat, trees with active acorns, soybeans etc are great food sources.
2. Cover – The deer are still nervous from the firearms season and they need protection from the cold, look for the thickest nastiest cover you can find.
3. Pressure – If the area you’re hunting has had really heavy hunting pressure then food and cover may not be enough to find, you may have to go further back in the area away from where other hunters have ventured or find a small spot that other hunters have overlooked.

I hope these quick tips may give you some ideas! If you have any questions contact me at tnunley@gmail.com. Take care, happy hunting, and happy holidays!

Lessons Learned: Things have to go really well when bowhunting!

2008-12-14T07:25:00.000-05:00

As someone fairly new to bowhunting I know it is tough, and that things have to go really well to close the deal. Well, recently I had a lesson taught to me about how truly easy it is for even a sure thing to go wrong when you have a bow in your hand.

I started off the morning by getting up nice and early. I knew the basics of the area I was going to be hunting but I didn’t know exactly where I was going to hang my stand. I wanted to get to the spot at least 30 minutes before sunrise so that I could find a tree and be up in it before the sun came up. Everything went well that morning except for the sky started getting light 30 minutes before it was supposed to. For some reason it always works that way when I’m hunting by myself, however if I’m hunting with others the sun always seems to come up later than it is supposed to. As soon as I got up in the tree and had my bow and pack hung up, the woods came alive! I quietly stood up and grabbed my bow while trying to see if I could see what was causing the noises. There were different areas of movement all around me and every pocket of noise seemed to be coming from the thick cover areas that surrounded me. I was really excited as I was hoping it was deer returning to bed down. I felt pretty sure that even if I didn’t get a view of them first thing. then I certainly would as they did a little late morning browsing later on. The longer I sat there though the more I started to think it was probably squirrels instead of deer. After a while I finally started seeing squirrels and my fears were realized. I knew though that I was in a good spot and I was going to sit there until I had to go pick up my son later in the morning. The spot was surrounded by trails and bedding areas and I was very confident that, given the time, a hunter would see something there. My only worry was that I would have to leave the woods too early that day, but there was no way I was leaving any earlier than I had to! I stood up most of the morning because I was so cold and so anxious about getting ready in case some of the noise turned out to be deer. Around 9AM I sat down to rest my legs for a bit, but I started hearing some noise around one of the many laurel thickets surrounding me. I looked up and I finally saw what I was waiting for, deer moving my way! I eased my hand back and grabbed my bow. I brought it to me as slowly and quietly as I could but I caught my broadhead on a leaf by my tree. I was able to extract it without too much noise or movement but my heart started racing even faster due to the near error. Looking back toward the trail, the deer were coming down, I was able to verify that it was two nice size does. The first was the biggest, and they were heading down a trail that would pass right by me at around 12yds. By now my heart was thundering and my blood was pumping but I was still shivering from the bitter cold. The deer continued casually toward me and I waited until they got their heads behind a tree and I tried to draw my bow. To my surprise I couldn’t draw it straight back the way I wanted to because I was just to cold and to be honest hadn’t been practicing as much as I should have been. As disappointed as I was in myself I knew I still had a great chance and I decided to wait until the first doe went by and then draw the bow by pointing it up and bringing it down on the second animal. I would still have a great shot on the second doe and it may have been the safer choice from the start. However when the lead deer got about 20yds away from me, she was behind a tree and I had no shot, she smelled something on the ground and jumped up in the air. She landed back a few feet from whatever she smelled and she eyed the spot for a few moments. She then looked up the trail like she was considering going ahead, but after a bit she started heading back the way she came.

As I watched the two of them slowly make their way out of there I was thoroughly disappointed. I was excited to have a chance to be so close to them, and be able to watch them, but I had really wanted to put some meat in the freezer that day. The one thing I wondered about is what did she smell? The land I was hunting was private so no one should have crossed the path they were on and I hadn’t been up that far in the woods for weeks. The only thing I could figure out is that someone had trespassed or a predatory animal had been through recently, either way I was eating tag soup that day. I sat there for about 45 more minutes and then I slowly climbed down and made my way back out of the woods. As I climbed back in to my truck I realized I was smiling and thinking about what a great morning I had been a part of!

Bowhunting is an incredibly rewarding experience and I thoroughly enjoy doing it, however you have to be willing to go in to the woods knowing that if things don’t go right you will not be bringing any animals out of the woods with you. There are great challenges with any type of hunting, anyone who thinks otherwise should try it, but bowhunting certainly provides challenges like nothing else. I have heard it said before that anything killed with a bow is a trophy, and I for one agree!

Traditions Pursuit II Review by Cody Altizer

2008-12-13T16:05:00.002-05:00

Check out the great Traditions Pursuit 2 Review by fellow Mossy Oak ProStaffer Cody Altizer over at ShowMeYourBuck.com! I'm even quoted in it a time or two!

Deer can truly be dangerous!

2008-12-02T16:51:00.001-05:00

Deer gets revenge after hunter shoots him
The animal appeared dead but rose up and attacked the man
Associated Press
updated 9:02 p.m. ET, Mon., Dec. 1, 2008

SEDALIA, Mo. - A hunter bagged a big buck on the second day of firearms season, but the kill caused him a lot of pain. Randy Goodman, 49, said he thought two well-placed shots with his .270-caliber rifle had killed the buck on Nov. 19. Goodman said the deer looked dead to him, but seconds later the nine-point, 240-pound animal came to life.

The buck rose up, knocked Goodman down and attacked him with his antlers in what the veteran hunter called "15 seconds of hell." The deer ran a short distance and went down, and died after Goodman fired two more shots.

Soon Goodman started feeling dizzy and noticed his vest was soaked in blood.
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So he reached his truck and drove to a hospital, where he received seven staples in his scalp and was treated for a slight concussion and bruises.