Hello everybody, been gone a long time.

Dave Bulla · March 06, 2014, 08:55:00 PM

Just thought I'd stop in and say hello. Haven't been around in quite some time. Like about two years or more...

I have not been shooting hardly at all in that time. Two years ago this past November I fell and tore my left rotator cuff and was a long time healing. Still not anywhere near 100% but able to shoot for reasonable amounts of time. If I try to raise a weight overhead with my left arm held straight I'm limited to about 10 pounds. Shooting isn't that bad though, just makes me nervous. Not so much to draw back but for some reason it feels likei need to worry when I let go.

I don't know how many guys from the old time crowd are still around but I just wanted to say howdy to those who are. I'm thinking I might try bow hunting my spring Turkey this year but we'll see how things go. Gotta build some arrows of in gonna hunt.

Been thinking about this place now and then and got missing all the great people. Made a lot of friends here over the years and got to go on a couple great hunts with guys I never met in person before the hunt which was pretty amazing.

From what I saw in a few minutes of looking, it still looks like things are much the same. Terry and the other moderators always seem to do a great job keeping things on the level.

I'll try to check in more often in the near future so I can keep up with things better.

daveycrockett · March 06, 2014, 08:57:00 PM

Welcome back.

Friend · March 06, 2014, 08:58:00 PM

Welcome...welcome...welcome back!!!!

ron w · March 06, 2014, 08:58:00 PM

I wondered what happened to you......hope you get back in the swing of things......don't push it, work at it slowly.......welcome back!

Paul/KS · March 06, 2014, 09:01:00 PM

Welcome back Dave. Been wondering where you got off to..? Hope the shoulder heals up soon.
Maybe you'll make it to Mojam this summer and we can have some of your famous (infamous..

) stuffed jalapenos again.

South MS Bowhunter · March 06, 2014, 09:10:00 PM

Welcome back! Although you probably don't remember me I do you remember you posting and seeing you around anyway welcome back.

David Mitchell · March 06, 2014, 09:11:00 PM

Good to see you here again, Dave. Stick around.

bow loving man · March 06, 2014, 09:16:00 PM

Welcome back Dave, been there with the shoulder thing, be careful but trust it...glad you are back

ChuckC · March 06, 2014, 09:24:00 PM

Hey Dave. Good to see you back.
ChuckC

Whip · March 06, 2014, 09:36:00 PM

Good to see you back Dave!
Those rotator cuffs can really slow you down and take a long time healing. Glad to hear is starting to come around for you.

Homebru · March 06, 2014, 09:42:00 PM

Welcome back, Dave. Better to take your time and be successful than to rush things and wish you hadn't. Glad to have you back posting.
homebru

March 06, 2014, 09:48:00 PM

Welcome back Dave! I hope you get a full recovery with your shoulder!

Bisch

BMN · March 06, 2014, 10:29:00 PM

Good to see you back.

Fletcher · March 06, 2014, 10:33:00 PM

Great to have you back,Dave. Was wondering. Take care of your shoulder; I'm looking at surgery on my rot cuff.

Matty · March 06, 2014, 11:03:00 PM

Great to have you back.

Charlie Lamb · March 06, 2014, 11:43:00 PM

Dave who?

Dave Bulla · March 07, 2014, 01:04:00 AM

"Dave who?

"

Good one Charlie! How ya been? Still telling stories by installment?

Thanks to all for the welcome back. It's about time I got into it again. While I was away, I kinda got into Marlin lever action guns pretty hard. Figured if I was going to use a rifle, I'd try to keep it simple. After so many years hunting with a bow, even a 35 Remington seemed like a "long range" gun. The plan was to stick with open sights but my eyesight nixed that. I did stay with vintage, low power Weaver Scopes though. Got all the kids hooked up and Emmett has already taken two bucks. At first I was torn about not hunting with my longbow but I've had so much fun with the kids hunting I didn't mind.

When Emmett was 11 I took him to a hunter safety class and during the archery portion the instructor was talking up all the ways the state had helped bow hunting and asked if anyone had torn their rotator cuff and I said yes. Right away she was telling the whole class that I could get a permit to hunt with a crossbow and it wad such a wonderful program. I think she was a little put out when I said I thought they should be banned and would go without bow hunting first. I've always felt that way and often wondered if I'd still feel that way of I was in a position where I couldn't hunt with my longbow. I guess my convictions were strong enough, I've stuck by them. Now I'm able to shoot my bow again and I'm glad I didn't cave. Not sure whyi don't have a problem with gun hunting but don't like crossbows. I guess I don't really mind crossbows either of used in rifle season but they just don't belong in archery season. Oh well, what can you do?

Many of you have seen my kids shooting at MOJAM in Years past. Lindsey wants to deer hunt with her bow and can handle about 40 pounds but Emmett who REALLY loves to hunt, shoot and fish can't quite pull enough weight yet but he sure can pull a trigger! He's done great the past 4 years. Had some years where he didn't see a deer so he learned about patience. He had a year where he had a danged nice buck come in and made a beautiful shot so he learned to control his excitement. Last season he sat by himself for the first time and got his second buck.

He's 12 now but pretty small for his age. I'm hoping to work with him this summer and maybe get him to where he can hunt with a bow that's heavy enough for deer. He's got the drive to hunt and fish pretty hard. His younger brother, not so much but I'm working on that.

Charlie Lamb · March 07, 2014, 01:11:00 AM

Been great Dave... except for a couple of bad knees with steel and plastic in their future and a bad back from a tree stand fall in November.

Still doling out the stories a little bit at a time. Even wrote a book... thought about selling it a page at a time, but thought that might be a bit much.

Glad to see you back.

Dave Bulla · March 07, 2014, 01:34:00 AM

Sorry to hear about your knees and back issues Charlie. I'm sure I'll be dealing with knee problems myself since I've had ACL reconstruction on my left knee back in '92. In fact, it's been acting up already lately.

I started a diet about 3 weeks ago and I'm down a little over 18 lbs so far. Hope to lose about 90 pounds all together and I think that will make a World of difference in my knees and just my health in general. I was creeping up on 300 lbs pretty close! I blame a lot of it on the shoulder injury and being so limited in what activities I could do for so long. Then you get to a point where you're just too out of shape to exercise properly. Just the little bit of weight I've lost already has made a huge difference in my activity level. I hope to start some real exercise and get back to my old level of fitness by early summer. Wish me luck!

Fattony77 · March 07, 2014, 02:10:00 AM

Hi Dave,
Though I don't know you, I have read some of your old posts, and see that some of the most respected and well liked people on this site call you a friend. So I hope that one day I will be able to do the same.

So, from a newer guy (and future pal), Welcome Back and good health to you!
-Tony