44hunter45's 2024 backcountry Idaho Moose semi-live hunt thread.

[Sawtooth]

I am right there with you @44hunter45. The thought of packing an elk and gear from the back country in my backpack is getting harder and harder to achieve. I am fortunate to have a hunting partner and his son more than willing to help, but I hate to shorten their hunt because of my aging knees and back. Idaho wilderness is not for the weak or aging. With retirement happening this spring, I am hoping to have more time to spend getting those animals off the mountain, freeing up my buddies to continue hunting. I am still needing to consider changing up the location of my hunts to somewhere that is less steep. This years deer hunt was a great example. I usually like to keep my pack under 60 lbs when packing meat. But with a snow storm forecast for the following morning, my buddy and I decided it would be best to get my deer and camp out in one trip. Snow and rock aren't the best packing conditions. I was packing out 40 lbs. of deer meat, camp, rifle and optics, (81.5 lbs. total), four miles back to the truck, and it took me three days for my knees and back to fully recover. No way would I have enough in the tank to turn around and make two more trips in that terrain to get an elk out. I was glad to have my buddy there to get the rest of the deer out in his pack. The thought of completely hanging up big game hunting is not yet a requirement, but many of my favorite hunt locations from the past thirty some years are no longer an option. Good thing upland birds, like chukar and quail don't add much weight to the hunting vest and allow me to get the outdoor mental recharge I have come to love.

 

[TradeGun.62]

@44hunter45, sorry to hear you didn't get your moose. I to understand to struggle to stay in the field as I've gotten older.

And well said about Randy's motto. As the old saying goes, I represent that remark.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Still sick as hell and without a reliable rig at the moment. I'm holding a Regular Deer Tag, which means I have to get to the "Real North Idaho" to hunt it.

I will get out before Dec 1st, but still in recovery mode right now. Sitting at home thinking on a Sunday morning, which I suppose is better than sitting at home DRINKING on a Sunday morning. Sometimes I write to riff.

I have a long history of choking big tags. That is what drags on me more than anything about this. I've sunk a lot of time, energy, and money into glory tags over the years and often eaten tag soup. I do not regret any of those adventures and thankfully MRS45 supports them. Still, maybe I need to start thinking of them as adventures with a rifle rather than hunts. When I really examine it, my most fulfilling and successful hunts are close to home.

I spent a lot of time on this trip thinking about how I wished I could get my 90 YO dad out there with me. He is locked in a spousal care situation with my mother. He has convinced himself that he cannot leave her side. Dad was a muleskinner and for him to go on a pack trip would be everything. I spoke with the outfitter about this quite a bit. I have him on speed dial in case anything changes. All I can do is be ready if the circumstances change.

@Big Fin has been trying to pound it into your heads. You will run out of health before you run out of money. For many years I gave every penny I earned to raise a family, then to pay debts. I put saving and investing last and should have given it a higher priority. Consequently, I started investing later. Thankfully not too late. I had to work within the financial comfort zone of my wife, and you do too. Now I am financially able to hunt almost anywhere, but wondering if it is too late health wise. (Don't think I'm despondent about this. I will not go quietly into my dotage.) I want to add my voice to Randy's saying live within your means and have a pro-active plan to finance your adventures AND your retirement. I've pitched to Randy before that this should be an entire course in Outdoor Class. (Who better to teach it than a financially secure, semi-retired accountant whose wife lets him hunt a large portion of the year?)

I strongly encourage you all to have a sit down with your life partners about this stuff. Keep at it until you completely understand each of your priorities about money and adventures. Together make a plan to finance these priorities. If you are like MRS and me, money conversations are the hardest ones. There is no discussion topic in our home more likely to end up in a cold silence from both parties. She wisely reminds me that many of my hunting friends are more affluent than we are. Meaning I need to avoid getting stars in my eyes dreaming about things NOT within our means. I ask her how much is enough. (If you don't know, the answer to this will always be, "Just a little more...")

Next year would be my "odd year" trip to Alaska. I may be spending it rebuilding, recovering, recharging. I will be visiting my SawBones in December. I think I may go the pain clinic route and get a more comprehensive assessment of where my body is and what can be done. Who knows how many more years I can buy?
I will get my AK combo license because of possible last minute fishing trips and draw hunt apps. The odds say I'm due to draw spring bear 2026...

Preach it, brother! Words of gold right there.