The end is in sight....

[Heliman]

My first deer hunting season was 1961. I harvested a young doe that year and was tickled to death. I was 12 years old at the time.
Flash forward 61 years and I can see the end of my favorite fall outdoor activity fading away. I no longer have the physical ability to hike the hills and woods in pursuit of game.
This year I will be hunting from a stand waiting for the deer to come to me. I will be using a S&W 629 5" 44 Mag from the stand and for longer shots, a lightweight Ruger American Ranch in 7.62x39.
I am going to miss this part of my life in the future.
Sorry for whining, but mother nature can be cruel when it comes to getting older.......

 

[NewRuger41]

Smile upon the cherished memories of past hunting adventures, and look forward to the new ones coming down your road. Carry along binoculars to check out the creatures beyond eyesight while yer sitting up there.

 

[Heliman]

Yes, as I get older, it is a pleasure to observe the wildlife in the deer woods. I just miss the many past seasons. Sorry for the rambling and whining. I am more than grateful for the many great times of the past.

 

[Mobuck]

Hey, there's nothing wrong with just waiting for a deer to walk past. I've been doing it that way for decades.

 

[Cholo]

Dave, it's not whining. You're just telling us what's going on. I hope you come to terms with it. I guess there are a lot of us here on the RF who are facing our own difficulties regarding aging. I know I am...

 

[Mobuck]

I suspect you're about my age (70ish) and I fully understand your thoughts. Use what you have and enjoy the experience for a while longer. Over the past 20 years, my deer hunting has generally used enclosed blinds located in prime spots and I've got to say I've killed more deer especially bigger bucks than I did previously.
I have a hip replacement and a knee that hasn't been right since the early 70's (age isn't helping that) and I've managed to go elk hunting 4 of the last 5 years. Just allow yourself some time to adjust to this new page in life.

 

[antique41]

I will be 81 this June and have harvested 1-2 deer every year for at least the past 30. My wife and I eat venison year round. As deer season approaches I get excited as a teen with a date with a cheerleader.
I hunt by myself and don't own a 4 wheeler

 

[clintsfolly]

at 66 this year I am slowing down but not stopping. My concern is the deer camp is we all are getting older and not many younger guys coming in to replace and help. when I started I helped with the tracking,dragging and field dressing for the older guys. One day one of the older guys ask “Kid why?“ I just smiled and said “Because someday I hope a Kid will help me stay in the woods!” Few years back I got to the point that I didn’t want to walk for miles so I bought the Quad. Two yrs ago I could get my buck on the back of the quad. This year I had a small block and tackle setup and loaded it just fine! Getting down On my knees is fairly easy getting up not so easy so park the quad close and grab the rack and help myself up! When it to hard to do it I will just have to become the camp cook and stove tender!

 

[RPHarder]

It's a fact that as we age we're able to do less. But I believe, that as I am able to do less, I try to enjoy it more. Don't give up!

 

[Mobuck]

I try to shoot them so they fall where I can drive the Ranger and trailer. Five deer in 2021 and no dragging needed.

 

[contender]

As we age,, we become aware of our slowly changing abilities. Things creep upon us,, to where we realize we just can't exactly do the things we used to do.
BUT,, we can modify our lives to where we can still enjoy most of the things we've always enjoyed.
And,, in this case,, try & mentor a younger person into becoming a hunting partner,, to assist you in your hunting endeavors. You can pass along your knowledge,, and teach them to be aware of how life treats us ALL!
Don't give up,, just learn new methods & modify how things are done.

 

[Mobuck]

I don't want to seem barbaric but consider that some have woken in a hospital bed and found themselves permanently handicapped in some(or many) ways. My self and many others have helped them discover that it is NOT the end of outdoor recreation, hunting, shooting, fishing, or even hiking. The opportunities are there, it's up to the individual to pursue them.
Sorry for coming off so tough.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Dave I can certainly relate. I've about decided that the only hunting I'm going to be doing is on someone's ranch in a blind, and then let them drag them out. My balance isn't so good any more and I don't need any falls. I agree with Cholo, you aren't whining you are coming to a realization, as am I.

 

[Heliman]

My situation was not a gradual onset of having these inabilities that I now have.
Hunting season 2020 was normal. I hiked the same trails and climbed to the same mountain meadows I always had. Hunting at 5500’ in the Cascade mountains was not much different then the many years prior.
It was 2 weeks after hunting season that I had a mini-stroke. I could not walk without falling down. My strength and endurance went away. I even had a few memory issues.
By fall of 2021 I had regained some of my strength and stability. Enough that I thought I would give hunting a try in the old manner I was used to. Well I had a rude awakening on opening day morning. I fell on a rock pile and was not able to get up. Luckily, my brother was nearby and rescued me. That was the beginning and the end to last hunting season.
So, you see, my situation isn’t a gradual decline but sudden. I have continued to get stronger and with better balance, but nothing like it used to be.
I love the woods and hunting. I will just have to accept my limitations and do my best.

 

[WAYNO]

Dave, you and I have had this discussion going on for some time.

I also cannot navigate the slopes, hills, the rocks, the brush and ankle snakes as I once did. I don't look to the bottom of a canyon for deer as often. I always look uphill. It's sure easier to drag a deer down hill.

You have a family structure that makes sitting on a promontory with binocs very doable. I do also, but not as much.

I know some of this aging stuff is much out of my control. But I'm still blessed that I'm still going out every year, even if it's mostly a sight-seeing drive thru the mountains.

 

[langenc]

What about Mark and Jeremy?? Is there a neighbor kid that might like to hunt, grandkid?
Go to the local gun club and ask around. Someone knows of someone that would like to hunt and dont know how and may need the use of a gun.

 

[jasper661]

Heliman

We are on a highway, it goes one way, we need to enjoy every moment we have. I am at the 8th decade, and hunting is not as important as it once was. The older we get the more we believe that all life is precious. I live in the forest and spend part of everyday out on the trail. I have livestock, and have no qualms about dealing with predators that threaten my horses.

Take the time you have and enjoy it.

 

[Swamphunter]

Hunt any way you can until you can't. Cherish every moment, take pictures and ask the good lord for another season at the end of each one.

 

[wolfsong]

My deer - and bear - hunting days are coming to a close, too. Like you, I can no longer run (or even walk) up and down the mountains. Field dressings become difficult. It's just not the same.

But, I have come to realize I can can still be out there with the guys by being what we affectionately call "the camp b*tch". I can cook, and burn the coffee, and keep a tidy camp. Plus, I can nap comfortably whenever I want! I have a lifetime's worth of gear to cover every need. Might as well use it. Still lots of story telling to do, and it's always fun to watch the green horns show up with a Cabela's showroom full of every gadget, super ammo, camos, optics, knives and the Lord knows what else, drag it out in the field and come back tired and empty handed. . Eventually, they learn to listen, and it's even more fun to see them come back to camp with a filled tag.

Perhaps I can park a lawn chair overlooking a clear cut somewhere and sit with my old 30.06 on my lap and my thermos of coffee and some jerkey and take a nap. That would still be hunting, right? Just as long as they remember to pick me up come sundown.

 

[contender]

Jeff,, if we all reflect upon our lives as hunters,, sharing camps etc,, we can all remember the "old guys" who'd come before us & had done it long before we even considered it. But they,, like us,, STILL want to be out there. And many of us will find a way to enjoy it as long as physically possible.

Just a few years ago,, a local guy,, who'd been a lifelong hunter,, often needing the meat for feeding his large family,, came in from a deer hunt. Told his wife he was a "bit tired" and went to lay down. He passed away right there, just after spending a day afield. His son's & I have enjoyed pleasant conversations about how he passed.
So,,, get that lawn chair,, slip out over a clear cut,, & enjoy it as long as possible.

 

[Heliman]

My deer - and bear - hunting days are coming to a close, too. Like you, I can no longer run (or even walk) up and down the mountains. Field dressings become difficult. It's just not the same.

But, I have come to realize I can can still be out there with the guys by being what we affectionately call "the camp b*tch". I can cook, and burn the coffee, and keep a tidy camp. Plus, I can nap comfortably whenever I want! I have a lifetime's worth of gear to cover every need. Might as well use it. Still lots of story telling to do, and it's always fun to watch the green horns show up with a Cabela's showroom full of every gadget, super ammo, camos, optics, knives and the Lord knows what else, drag it out in the field and come back tired and empty handed. . Eventually, they learn to listen, and it's even more fun to see them come back to camp with a filled tag.

Perhaps I can park a lawn chair overlooking a clear cut somewhere and sit with my old 30.06 on my lap and my thermos of coffee and some jerkey and take a nap. That would still be hunting, right? Just as long as they remember to pick me up come sundown.

Your plan is my plan as well……. This season I will hunt on level ground; no hill climbing. I won’t shoot anything unless someone else is around to help out.
Camp life is fun. We play cards and BS a lot. We have BB guns to plink with in camp. Many other activities. You see, our hunting camp is a family get together. My brothers and sons and I have many memories from past hunting seasons and we like reliving those moments around the camp fire.
The change in my role as “lead Hunter” has been and is a tough adjustment. We will enjoy our season regardless.

 

[contender]

"The change in my role as "lead Hunter" has been and is a tough adjustment. We will enjoy our season regardless."

Adjusting is what we do in life. Sometimes,, it's subtle,,, other times,, glaring.

Today,,, I attended a celebration of life for a friend,, a year younger than I. He was a country guy,, loved hunting & fishing & farming. Sadly,, he left us all too soon. But at the service today,, I was able to visit with a lot of folks who, like I,, had wonderful memories of him. Tears were shed,, hugs were shared,, yet,, the eulogy given by his cousin has to be one of the best I've ever heard.
Not much preaching,, by the pastor,, but the cousin,, captured my friend,, and family member to many there,, darn near perfectly. It was not all "glory & roses" presentation,,, but a realistic portrayal of his life,, with some bad thrown in with the good.
Even the mortician,, who was also a friend,, and we all went to school together made the comment,," When it's my time,, I don't want preaching,, I want FRIENDS to do exactly what Charlie did! Share MY life & the memories."

Well, deer camp,,, deer hunting,, & the souls who've gone before us,, and those following us,, all are a cherished memory. Today,, several comments were made that revolved around Travis's attendance at hunting camp.
So,, while it may seem the time is near,, just shift a little,, become a different part of deer camp,, or as wolfie says,, get a chair & relax,, and maybe a few more deer will be sent your way by the Good Lord.

 

[Mobuck]

Contender's post reminded me of an incident from 50(ish) years past. I was considered sort of 'the mountain man' of the area by some and one evening a phone call came into the folks house(I didn't even have a phone at the time). It seemed that an older man had gone out deer hunting but hadn't returned for his evening chores and his family had no idea where he was. He'd left the house on foot and all they knew was the direction he'd gone. I was asked to attempt to trail him and it was already getting dark.
I already knew it would be impossible to track since livestock followed the same paths away from the homestead so my search began where I expected he might have gone to sit and wait for a deer to blunder past. About 10 PM, I found him sitting next to a large oak tree with his rifle across his lap. He'd passed away probably around noon and judging by the angle of the tree and such, the sun had been shining on him when he passed. Pretty hard to beat that.

 

[Gator89]

One of my great-uncles loved hunting with hounds, deer during season, wildcats (bobcats to some folks) the rest of the year.

Towards the end of the 1985-86 season my uncle had placed standers around a block of woods in the Ocala National Forest and set off to find a fresh deer track on which to drop his hounds in hope of getting a "jump" My uncle leaned his Remington pump shotgun against a tree, dropped the tailgate on his old IH Scout, opened the dogbox (kennel if you prefer) and let his "strike dog" out in hopes getting a "race" going. But the race never developed. Finally standers went to check on Uncle H J and found him permanently at rest, his dog on a leash patiently waiting for him to get up.

There was no better way for my uncle to go out after 82 or so years on God's earth.

 

[One at a time]

My deer - and bear - hunting days are coming to a close, too. Like you, I can no longer run (or even walk) up and down the mountains. Field dressings become difficult. It's just not the same.

But, I have come to realize I can can still be out there with the guys by being what we affectionately call "the camp b*tch". I can cook, and burn the coffee, and keep a tidy camp. Plus, I can nap comfortably whenever I want! I have a lifetime's worth of gear to cover every need. Might as well use it. Still lots of story telling to do, and it's always fun to watch the green horns show up with a Cabela's showroom full of every gadget, super ammo, camos, optics, knives and the Lord knows what else, drag it out in the field and come back tired and empty handed. . Eventually, they learn to listen, and it's even more fun to see them come back to camp with a filled tag.

Perhaps I can park a lawn chair overlooking a clear cut somewhere and sit with my old 30.06 on my lap and my thermos of coffee and some jerkey and take a nap. That would still be hunting, right? Just as long as they remember to pick me up come sundown.

Their is many stories out there about the hunters coming back to camp and helping the “camp cook” wack and stack whatever critter they managed to put down while the others were out and about. Now it’s your turn.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

I stopped hunting years ago. I am in my 7th decade. I just did not like the killing any more. I still go out in the woods as often as I can to just enjoy being in nature. I find the deep woods to be very "primeval" and just amazing to sit in and watch & listen. I have sat still enough that deep have walked by me less than 10 feet away and never flinched. I have also gotten up and found deer footprints behind me in the snow that close and I never knew they were there!

 

[black1970]

When I turned 75 I hit a brick wall.

 

[Mobuck]

"When I turned 75 I hit a brick wall."
Man, I hope that's not the way it turns out for me. I plan to be on an elk hunt this fall for my 70th Bday.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Dave, it's not whining. You're just telling us what's going on. I hope you come to terms with it. I guess there are a lot of us here on the RF who are facing our own difficulties regarding aging. I know I am...

Hi,

Most of my hunting has been for birds and small game. My first dove hunt was Opening Day (Sep 1) 1962. My 12th birthday present that year was early by a few days because of the dates: a Stevens 311 20ga SxS. I think I got one dove out of two boxes of shells. Two of us shot at the same bird and the other fellow said it was my shot. We had a good crew of guys to hunt with back then. This Sep 1 will mark 60 yrs since that first dove trip, and I think I can count the number of openers I've missed (school and/or work) since then on one hand.

I may be out there alone this time. Over the years we've lost all the folks I used to shoot doves with to attrition--age, death, loss of interest, and such. I have one hunting buddy left, a young fellow I introduced to dove hunting when he still lived in CA. Since he left, we've been getting together in Yuma, AZ. I don't know if he'll make it this year--his work schedule can be sketchy because of Covid (he works for a school district.) It's about a 4 hr trip to meet in the middle, so pricey gas may or may not be a player.

But whatever happens, there's a good assortment of memories from years past to add to. So whether I get a dove or not, I can at least tell myself I'm honoring a tradition!

Rick C

 

[wolfsong]

Rick, because the miles between us precludes you and I ever enjoying Opening Day (Christmas in September) together, you can rest assured that you are with me in spirit. I'll squeeze off two rounds at an empty sky to represent our first - only - misses of the day, and then I'll keep the field reports headed your way. And I'll send any surplus high flying birds southbound for ya.

Peace and God bless, Wolfie.