I Went In For Arrows, I Came Out With An Archery Shop, Part 2

Yeah, yeah, I know.  It’s been a while.  For those that aren’t familiar with my writings, I’ve been on quite a long hiatus from this blog. Roughly two years. I stopped writing soon after the purchase of the bow shop (see “I Went In For Arrows, I Came Out With An Archery Shop). The reason being that my girls are getting to an age that they wonderfully occupy much of my free time.  And that archery inventory just doesn’t sell itself.  I’ve been busy. But there was a very important part of the story that I haven’t had a chance to tell yet. The sale of this shop came on January 11 0f 2013.  I remember it well. Prior to this date, things seemed just OK in my life.  My job was moving along.  I thanked God every day for it. My wife and kids were doing well.  Christmas season had wound down and my seasonal affective disorder was winding up.  Things were just “as usual”.  I felt I needed a change.

I am a news and information aficionado.  Not a junkie, but maybe close. OK, maybe I am. I listened to news radio a good portion of the day as I worked.  But at that time, none of the news seemed to be very uplifting.  And that may have added to my funk. On occasion I would tear myself away from news and  turn the radio dial to other stations, mostly country music.  Sometimes I stopped on K-Love, the Christian radio station.  As of the first of the year, they promoted their “30 Day Challenge”.  The concept was to listen to nothing but Christian radio for 30 days and see how your life changes for the better.  I felt a strong calling to participate in this challenge.  But that would mean no news.  No way. But that nudging got the best of me and I committed to it…on January 11, 2013. It was that day I found the Craigslist ad for the archery shop. My bow-and-arrow blessings didn’t stop.  It happened again.  A couple of weeks later another local shop owner decided to call it quits and retire. He posted an ad for archery items for sale due t shop closing. I called and set up an appointment.  His name was Dennis and we ended up sitting and talking for a couple of hours. It was really neat to hear his story.  In the end, yes, I made a deal with him to buy the whole place out…at a bargain of a price. A voice in my head kept saying, “See what good things can happen when you trust in Me”.

So in the last two years I have been trying to decide how to make best use of the blessings. Since then I have sold enough items to pay off the investment almost three times over. Sales came at a time when bills needed to be paid. They financed two Concept Archery group hunting trips. I have not figured out if I want to open my own shop, but there is an entire full-service bow repair outfit in my basement now. I keep praying and listening. I am excited to find out what is next.

Thanks for reading, I enjoy writing this blog which is why I’m back on the horse.  I have quite a few stories backed up.  Stay tuned. For those new to my site, welcome! I hope you enjoy it.

It’s A Bit Too Early For Tag Soup

It’s getting to be that time of year.  We started in Wisconsin in mid- September with early bow deer season.  Then we took a break for the gun deer season and now that’s wrapping up in time for the official start of die-hard deer season. I’ve fared pretty well so far this year.  An early season archery doe and an early out-of-state archery buck has me in the game.  But I still wear my Wisconsin archery buck tag on my back.  There’s some quality hunting time left and for some reason, I’m stoked about getting out there in the cold.

The 2012 Concept Archery Hunt – Part 2- Stalk ‘Em If Ya Got ‘Em

In part one of the 2012 Concept Archery Hunt, I mentioned how I went back to find the lost arrow.  Well there was more to the story that evening.  After spending the time roaming around in the woods to find my arrow, I had to decide how and where to set up for the rest of the evening hunt.  Should I hunt the food plot somewhere, or hunker down in the woods near the trail?  Since I burned my buck tag the night before, I was just out for does.  I had no stand or blind and was actually excited to “wing it”. 

Fight Fire With Climber

Earlier this month I posted about the frustrating situation I and my hunting buddies are having with our landscape nursery hunting location.  I was about to write off the place as not even worth hunting.  When I am not comfortable with the security of my equipment, I can’t fully enjoy my hunting experience and be in my ‘happy place’.  The bottom line is: until I purchase my own land with high, electrified fences, topped with razor wire and surrounded by a moat full of crocodiles and sharks with laser beams attached to their heads, I’ll never have the perfectly secure hunting spot .

The 2012 Concept Archery Hunt – Part 1-B.S.I. (Bowhunting Scene Investigation)

I’m just back home from the Week-long 2nd Annual Concept Archery (www.conceptarchery.com) Hunt and have lots of stories.  It was a fantastic week of fun, family, and friends.  Oh and plenty of hunting too.  I’ll just start with the story where arrows were flying!

Thursday afternoon in camp, I noticed a beautifully crested C.A.S. (Cliff Touroo) http://www.cascustomarrows.com/ custom Gold Tip XT Hunter arrow just laying around camp. Just a single one. I knew it was Jons because I always admired that set of arrows he had. So I said “Here you go Jon, this was laying around”. He informed me that particular arrow had been misfired in his basement, cracked on a concrete wall and cut down an inch or so.

You Leave Your Scent Everywhere. What Else Do You Leave?

As I was thinking about what else I need to inform my brother (He’s going bowhunting for the first time) about before our first hunt Saturday, I was struggling to put my routine into words. I have a scent-reducing routine before I go hunting, but it’s so second nature to me that I have a hard time explaining it all.

The Ultimate Super Duper Whitetail Strategy

This morning I took a few minutes in between chasing-kid sessions to read an article or two out of my new sporting magazines.  They often feature well written articles with colorful diagrams titled something like,  “The Best Deer Ambush” or “The Ultimate Tree Stand Setup”.  In these articles are very complex and detailed illustrations of just how to arrange your tree stand on your property to get the best shot at a deer.  Included are all the whitetail amenities that you should have for the best odds of success. 

Makeshift Mentoring – Part II

My original “Makeshift Mentoring” post wasn’t intended to be a multi-part article.  But as recent events have unfolded, it has become appropriate and necessary to continue the subject.

I hosted my brother and nephew for a weekend of camping and archery a while back this summer.  My nephew really seemed to enjoy shooting a bow.  All the while my brother sat and watched and plinked with a pellet gun. 

Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tech

I once had a heated debate with a 60-year-old, very experienced bowhunter about new archery technology.  The pros and cons of new technology were compared to those of old.  Guess who was on what side?  Anyway, I know that bison and moose have been killed with wooden long bows and arrows with flint points.  So it’s not that old is bad.  But as a relatively new bow hunter, I take advantage of the newest and best technology so as to make the quickest, cleanest kill of my quarry.  I own and enjoy old bows, I just prefer to hunt with the new one.

Find A Job You Would Do For Free On A Saturday…

…and you’ll never work a day in your life –  is a quote we may have all heard, but I wasn’t let in on until I was well into my 30’s.  My source for this quote was my sister-in-law, Erica, who’s inspirational story I may tell on this blog someday.  But for now, I’ll tell you, its amazing what you learn about yourself when you find the courage and inspiration to actually pursue that job and chase a dream.

I have never been a center-of-attention kind of guy.  I have always been very content being behind the scenes.  I made the mistake of thinking that was synonymous with being a non-people person.  So, enough with all the labels (well, maybe).