Exactly. I'll retire when I can't climb the mountains anymore. mtmuley
Ever feel like "The good old days are gone"?
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elkduds
Well-known member
When I was getting started hunting I heard from old timers, "you should have been here 20 years ago." When I moved to a ski town locals said, "you should have seen this place 5 years ago."
Fast forward 40 years, during which I spent my career talking to people of all ages about their lives...
Several, sometimes many times every day I have the thought, "this has all gone to hell, or maybe I have." That perception is universal to people when life and times change. Well, when haven't they? My good old days were happening at the same time others bemoaned their passing. These are the good old days, to quote the song, for younger people and for those determined to stay young @ heart. Like Big Fin wrote above, and like me on my better days.
Fast forward 40 years, during which I spent my career talking to people of all ages about their lives...
Several, sometimes many times every day I have the thought, "this has all gone to hell, or maybe I have." That perception is universal to people when life and times change. Well, when haven't they? My good old days were happening at the same time others bemoaned their passing. These are the good old days, to quote the song, for younger people and for those determined to stay young @ heart. Like Big Fin wrote above, and like me on my better days.
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MTelkHuntress
Well-known member
My best days are also ahead of me. Sure elk hunting will never be the same (or hunting it seems for that matter) but things are always changing. I'm currently taking time off (while working a lot) before applying to graduate school in order to hunt more and get my dad his first bull. It scares me sometimes to take time off, but I know if I dont try my best to get my dad his bull while he physically still can, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I didn't get to spend much with my dad when I was younger due to his work. From what I've seen, everyone has made sacrifices to hunt how they want. I sure do cherish and appreciate the memories I have made, and I cant wait to make more.
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SFC B
Well-known member
I hmoave a different set of circumstances than most here. I grew up in the ghetto/inner city and had absolutely no exposure to hunting. In the Army, at 33, a buddy from AR got me started deer hunting at Ft Lewis for those PITA blackies 
Unfortunately (hunting wise) Uncle Sugar movhereed me to Europe and with 2 small kids, wife unable to work and not a great amount of $$$$ coming in there was no way for me to hunt the 5 years I was there. Over the first couple of years out here in CO I didn't get to hunt here (due to deployments) but got to take a few whitetails in IN and WA with friends.
Finally in the last 7 years (this will be 8) I have gotten to hunt CO, WY, IL, TX, NE and the UK. There have been a LOT of ups and relatively few downs. I guess I have always taken hunting on public land with a grain of salt. I can honestly say the only things that have really gotten me steamed were a couple of ranchers doing very illegal stuff here in CO with authorities unwilling to go after the big money boys and a few folks using ATVs in illegal ways in wilderness areas. I guess I see it as a crappy, but small, price to pay.
Now as far as the points situation, I am only playing in CO and deer is the only one I am at a decent with. I will be at 10 pts after this year and 51 come the season. There is a tag that is currently going for that amount that I hope to draw next year. My reasoning being that I can still (hopefully) pull enough points to do a similar hunt at least one more time before it gets mobility prohibitive (God willing and the crick don't raise). Elk and Goats here will probably be one more really good one and done.
All that being said I find there to be ample opportunity in most places (strangely enough not so much in IN due to leasing of the land I had access to). This year I will probably be hunting WY, IL, WI, CO and maaaybeee a another shot in the UK or other unknown spots.
I very GREATLY from those who talk about working "to hunt more". Between my military and fed civ job (and some good decisions) I retired fully 2 weeks after I turned 50. Now I currently work PT on Saturdays helping with a welding class and 2 days a week cooking at the USAFA bowing alley......but neither one of those will EVER get in the way of me hunting as I please. I truly don't need that extra money. What pushed me to be in this situation was the year prior to my retirement. I had 8-9 people die in that year, all younger than me except for my dad. As Randy has said, and it should be clear I believe, "You WILL run out of time/health before you run out of money"......every year you are able to retire and keep working you are gambling about that time and when YOUR'S is up.
Unfortunately (hunting wise) Uncle Sugar movhereed me to Europe and with 2 small kids, wife unable to work and not a great amount of $$$$ coming in there was no way for me to hunt the 5 years I was there. Over the first couple of years out here in CO I didn't get to hunt here (due to deployments) but got to take a few whitetails in IN and WA with friends. Finally in the last 7 years (this will be 8) I have gotten to hunt CO, WY, IL, TX, NE and the UK. There have been a LOT of ups and relatively few downs. I guess I have always taken hunting on public land with a grain of salt. I can honestly say the only things that have really gotten me steamed were a couple of ranchers doing very illegal stuff here in CO with authorities unwilling to go after the big money boys and a few folks using ATVs in illegal ways in wilderness areas. I guess I see it as a crappy, but small, price to pay.
Now as far as the points situation, I am only playing in CO and deer is the only one I am at a decent with. I will be at 10 pts after this year and 51 come the season. There is a tag that is currently going for that amount that I hope to draw next year. My reasoning being that I can still (hopefully) pull enough points to do a similar hunt at least one more time before it gets mobility prohibitive (God willing and the crick don't raise). Elk and Goats here will probably be one more really good one and done.
All that being said I find there to be ample opportunity in most places (strangely enough not so much in IN due to leasing of the land I had access to). This year I will probably be hunting WY, IL, WI, CO and maaaybeee a another shot in the UK or other unknown spots.
I very GREATLY from those who talk about working "to hunt more". Between my military and fed civ job (and some good decisions) I retired fully 2 weeks after I turned 50. Now I currently work PT on Saturdays helping with a welding class and 2 days a week cooking at the USAFA bowing alley......but neither one of those will EVER get in the way of me hunting as I please. I truly don't need that extra money. What pushed me to be in this situation was the year prior to my retirement. I had 8-9 people die in that year, all younger than me except for my dad. As Randy has said, and it should be clear I believe, "You WILL run out of time/health before you run out of money"......every year you are able to retire and keep working you are gambling about that time and when YOUR'S is up.
np307
Well-known member
I'm a good bit under your target age range, but I'll answer all the same.
For Western hunting, I feel like I probably missed the "good old days" from the way that many people talk about it. Point creep, population struggles, hunter crowding, and rising tag costs don't seem like they'll stop anytime soon. That doesn't mean that I won't still get out and chase the experiences offered to me out there. There's plenty of fun to be had, and I hate to think about what the hunting landscape might look like at the end of my life. So I may have missed the best days, but I've got plenty of fun waiting for me out there.
Here at home, I feel like I'm living in the "good old days." Deer population is extremely healthy, turkeys seem to have leveled out and we haven't seen the decrease that other southeastern states have (harvest stats trending upwards, with a few blips along the way). I've got public land spots where I don't encounter another soul. Places I can go camp and hunt all by myself. It's great. As our population continues to boom, I doubt those spots will continue to exist as they are. So I'll remind myself when the mosquitoes are swarming and I'm sweating to death during bow season "these are the good old days, make the most of them."
For Western hunting, I feel like I probably missed the "good old days" from the way that many people talk about it. Point creep, population struggles, hunter crowding, and rising tag costs don't seem like they'll stop anytime soon. That doesn't mean that I won't still get out and chase the experiences offered to me out there. There's plenty of fun to be had, and I hate to think about what the hunting landscape might look like at the end of my life. So I may have missed the best days, but I've got plenty of fun waiting for me out there.
Here at home, I feel like I'm living in the "good old days." Deer population is extremely healthy, turkeys seem to have leveled out and we haven't seen the decrease that other southeastern states have (harvest stats trending upwards, with a few blips along the way). I've got public land spots where I don't encounter another soul. Places I can go camp and hunt all by myself. It's great. As our population continues to boom, I doubt those spots will continue to exist as they are. So I'll remind myself when the mosquitoes are swarming and I'm sweating to death during bow season "these are the good old days, make the most of them."
AlaskaHunter
Well-known member
At 63, I just retired and the good ole days will be my next 10 years at least...I now have the time to hunt with any friend who wants to go anytime in Alaska,
I can scout to my heart's content, and maximize days camping and hunting in the field.
Also I can now take advantage of my lifetime Idaho license I purchased 27 years ago when I moved north to Alaska.
I can scout to my heart's content, and maximize days camping and hunting in the field.
Also I can now take advantage of my lifetime Idaho license I purchased 27 years ago when I moved north to Alaska.
If I ever make the jump up there permanently I'll have to look you up. Hell, you're "just up the road"!
Panda Bear
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- Joined
- Apr 23, 2019
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- 845
as near as I can tell my parents had it better than their parents and I definitely have it better than my parents did. some things have changed for the better and some for the worse, I have no complaints, in fact I am not even trying to live my parents's life. While I honor our customs and love and respect my parents and elders, my life is mine to live and I am not going to worry about what might have been but what can be.
And speaking about what can be, I want Ben Lamb and Brent rifles and Aprl's attitude when I am her age AND I want to win the Yukon Quest race , thank you very much
And speaking about what can be, I want Ben Lamb and Brent rifles and Aprl's attitude when I am her age AND I want to win the Yukon Quest race , thank you very much
Pucky Freak
Well-known member
I’m 36 and hunting has hands down always been my favorite activity since I was first introduced to it as a kid. It would take hundreds of years to hunt all the places, species, seasons, and methods of take that are available in the US alone, so I have to chop my list way down to fit what I can in the next 45 or so years. It’s a great problem to have.
The two little ones pictured below came home to us on Friday. We’ll have them at least until June, and possibly permanently. While this significantly cuts into the amount of time I’ll have to hunt, especially in the near future, there are more important things in life. When I’m an old man I hope I’ll consider the “good old days” to be the ones I shared with family having fun and enjoying the outdoors.
In regards to the OP - Having your dad slowing down due to age and not being able experience Western hunting together as you once did - maybe that casts a shadow on the whole experience, and it’s not so much about shrinking MD opportunity or points possibly left on the table.
The two little ones pictured below came home to us on Friday. We’ll have them at least until June, and possibly permanently. While this significantly cuts into the amount of time I’ll have to hunt, especially in the near future, there are more important things in life. When I’m an old man I hope I’ll consider the “good old days” to be the ones I shared with family having fun and enjoying the outdoors.
In regards to the OP - Having your dad slowing down due to age and not being able experience Western hunting together as you once did - maybe that casts a shadow on the whole experience, and it’s not so much about shrinking MD opportunity or points possibly left on the table.
C17loadclear
Active member
When I was just out of high school I lived to hunt and fish. After joining the Air Force my focus on the job took over for many years. Now that I am getting ready to retire in Idaho I look forward to being able to get back to the mountains.
I am sure it will be different but it will be ok .
I am sure it will be different but it will be ok .
WanderWoman
Well-known member
It's interesting to see this thread pop up. I'm rather young (33) and have only been hunting for the last 10 years or so. I live in Montana, and while things are certainly changing with changing land uses/values, it is still pretty good here. I pulled up an old publication from Montana FWP, written in 1985, regarding management of big bucks and bulls. It's funny that even back then (before I was born), there were folks lamenting about the "good 'ol days" (see page 12 of the buck management attachment). I think it's largely a matter of perspective. Anyway, I've attached both files for your reading pleasure and historical perspectives.
Steiny
Well-known member
I'm 60 and live in Indiana. When we were kids deer were few and far between, people traveled out west or to places like Michigan or Wisconsin to hunt deer. First started seeing a few around home in the early 70's and we started hunting in 73'. That first season (2 weeks firearms) I saw 7 deer total and hunted quite a bit. Not unusual to see that many deer every sit now, and I pass up 130" stuff and don't give it a second thought, and we can bag about 6-7 legally. We also didn't have any; geese, wild turkey, river otters, or coyotes. All of those are abundant now.
My dad and his buddies used to travel to Wyoming and Utah every fall in the 60's & 70's and they would always bring home a truck load of big mule deer and antelope racks. For sure that's not as easy as it used to be with outfitter leasing up all the private ground and more pressure in the public ground.
In the end, it doesn't matter much. Take advantage of the time you have and have fun.
My dad and his buddies used to travel to Wyoming and Utah every fall in the 60's & 70's and they would always bring home a truck load of big mule deer and antelope racks. For sure that's not as easy as it used to be with outfitter leasing up all the private ground and more pressure in the public ground.
In the end, it doesn't matter much. Take advantage of the time you have and have fun.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
Keep stirring hank....
geetar
Well-known member
To the OP seems more like perspective than reality. Kinda sounds like you’ve been there done that and got burned out. Late fall and winter makes some of us think to much. I would know. I think you’ll find the fire again by the time season rolls around.
rtraverdavis
Well-known member
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- 4,078
Before kids I spent most of my free time outside. It was great. At times it’s been frustrating not being able to hunt and fish and do whatever I want whenever I want. But now my kids, who will soon be two and four, are coming to the age when they’ll be able to start coming along with me, and we’ll start a whole new chapter of good old days outside adventures.
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