When is 'old' too old?

[firefranco]

Great post. Just hit 62 this year and this topic is frequently on my mind. As someone told me a while back "Growing old is not for Sissies". The extra weight around my mid section is more of an impact than it used to be. Aches and pains I never used to think about (damn "itises" arthritis, plantar fasciitis, bursitis) are starting to show up. Sad part is I am finally starting to accumulate enough points to draw some great hunts. Maybe I should have dumped them at a younger age? This year I have Mule Deer, Antelope and Coues Deer hunts scheduled along with chasing Quail and Chukar with my one year old GWP. I didn't include Turkey hunts and hunting at my duck blind as those don't seem to impact me much yet. Antelope hunts are now more appealing than Elk hunts. "Night time" pain relievers are a must. Taking along a Son, Grandson or other younger person to help out has been a great plus. They can help and I can pass on my experience. I am fortunate that my youngest son who is 27 now is far enough along in his career as a Tax Consultant/CPA that he can take time off in mid to late fall to join me on both Deer hunts. These will be his first out of state Deer trips.

 

[danadrums]

Too old when it's no fun

Hey Devon,

I'm a year behind you, and the weirdness has been happening to me over the last few years:
arthritis in the elbow, half-torn rotator cuff, bunion surgery this February, blah blah blah. I also took (and passed!) the toughest black belt test I've ever had last October, a week after deer hunting in Co GMU18, and three weeks before deer hunting in Nebraska. My point? You're too old when it isn't fun any more. Anything you enjoy, you will find a way to do. To me, if it's still enjoyable, so what if it's a bit slower than it was 25 years ago? I see more animals now than I did then, and probably BECAUSE I've slowed down. What is the alternative, sit at home and make excuses? No way, brother. If the passion is still there, then you're too old when you're dead. Until then, make it happen.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Best to ya.

--Dana

 

[Ghostrider]

My dad is 77 years old and is still gettin around the mountains pretty well. he's not as fast as he used to be but his eyes are still pretty sharp and his years of experanice are priceless. He walks alot and ride his staionary bike in the garage. Just know your limits and pack around some Advil for the aches and pains. Good luck

 

[10Dogs]

At 46 I can only gain from the perspective of all you folks.
I can attest from experiencing my Father passing at 65 that if you can see your way to retire when you are still relatively young and healthy....Go for it !!

+1 on what Capttowboater said regarding dying doing what you love or where you love.
I had a distant relative fall over dead while on post during a deer drive in NJ. Maybe he saw the buck of a lifetime??

And regarding Big Fin`s moniker....I had a good friend 2nd guessing whether to buy a new Grady White 23 footer with 300 HP....I told him what Randy says below.
"Hunt when you can. You're gonna run outta health before you run outta money." Randy

Hunting is a way of life......take a kid hunting.
I have killed many Eastern Whitetails but my favorite skull cap on the garage wall is that of my 10 year old girl`s 3" spike buck killed with the same H&R 12 guage my Father bought me in 1980.

10Dogs

 

[teej89]

Love seeing this thread! Gives me hope for convincing my old man... I posted a thread earlier about looking for a hunting partner cuz my buddy is bailing on me... And my dad being 65 he thinks he's too old.

I think I can convince him to come, he has the mentality of a 25yr old and at 65 still runs/bikes every day. He works a shift supervisor job at a paper mill and is climbing 10 stories of stairs multiple times a day. I know the elevation will be different for him but I'm gonna guilt him into doing it. Killing my elk this year in Wyoming with him is something I'll never forget. Now if we can do it on our own, that'd just be priceless.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'm just hoping to make it until the end of next week.

 

[NoWiser]

Love seeing this thread! Gives me hope for convincing my old man... I posted a thread earlier about looking for a hunting partner cuz my buddy is bailing on me... And my dad being 65 he thinks he's too old.

I think I can convince him to come, he has the mentality of a 25yr old and at 65 still runs/bikes every day. He works a shift supervisor job at a paper mill and is climbing 10 stories of stairs multiple times a day. I know the elevation will be different for him but I'm gonna guilt him into doing it. Killing my elk this year in Wyoming with him is something I'll never forget. Now if we can do it on our own, that'd just be priceless.

Don't let him back out! I'm 31 and my dad is 61. I like to think we are both in pretty decent shape, but I won't say who is trying to keep up with who on the mountain. He shot his first elk this year with me sitting right next to him. I watched as the arrow sailed and hit it perfectly. The seconds that passed after I saw the arrow hit are a blur, but I know I grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him pretty good! It's a memory that I will never forget as long as I live. I hope he is next to me when I shoot my first. It's funny how he used to drag me with him scouting and hunting for whitetails in MN. Now I drag him all over hunting anything we can. I hope we can be hunting together 20 years from now.

 

[DRAFTSTUD]

My dad is 82. He and a friend killed an elk last year. He spends more time on his ATV but still walks. Another hunting mentor, Gary, is 81. His back bothers him, but he still makes it to elk camp and got a mulie buck last season. That said, another good hunting buddy of mine dropped dead at 43, even though he was in top physical condition, of an undiagnosed heart flaw. My son will never hunt because of his epilepsy, but he can still fish. I think the "secret" of both my dad and Gary is, just don't stop. Whatever time you got, whatever health you got, USE IT.

I am pushing 60 and Damn good Looking for my age.....but this year has been one of my toughest in many years, mostly Sinus and Congestion issues that even put me in the Hospital. But I will be taking my butt out west every chance I get because "It is what I do" regardless of age. Now Ben, the reason I quoted your post is that at age 13 I was diagnosed with Epilepsy and it ruled my life as now it does your son's life. I think my record was 2 an hour for 2 days until the Meds caught up. Jobs, friends you name it were affected. But you can and I pray you see a reduction in the severity of attacks, both Grand and Minor Maul. I eventually got down to one or two a week and only when I was asleep. I have not had one for 20 years now, but I still take my meds. I hope that one day you and your son stand over a Mule Deer and an Elk and remember the journey it takes, sometimes all the hard stuff is at the beginning! John

 

[Straight Arrow]

I am a young 70 years old and on average have taken an elk each year of hunting. I took a raghorn Sat before last on the mountain solo, as that is usually how I hunt (unless my 8th grade grandson is along). Used the gutless method as had been schooled by Big Fin's video and packed all the meat in my large Cabela's game bags. I cut and wrapped it solo and now have a freezer full of great venison. Once friends and family have finished cutting and trimming, I will break out my big-a$$ Cabela's meat grinder and grind some tasty burger.


'Don't have any idea how long my knees will sustain the mountain challenges, but ibuprofen is my friend and I still run a few road races each year to stay fit. (Although I use the term "run" rather loosely.) It's like my mother says, "Use it .... or lose it!" My Mom will be 97 yrs old next month and walks to the senior center in Great Falls twice a week for aerobics exercise. If she cared to elk hunt as I do, then I'm certain she'd be up there on the mountain too.

 

[Rooster52]

When the body says no , the mind makes it go.

 

[Rocklin Hunter]

I assume like most of you, hunting for me started at a early age. My father shot a buck on my 8th birthday and 33 years later I haven’t missed a season yet. I have a six year old and he started going when he was five. God willing I’ll still be going for another 30+ years.

My father turned 70 this year and is still hunting, four years after a liver/kidney transplant I keep pushing him to go with me. Yes he can’t travel far from the truck and we need to find warm places to stay, but he still wakes up each morning and tells me to go find something to kill. After looking back at this season I was fortunate to see my son hunt with us this year. He was able to see his PaPa shot a big deer here in California and is thoroughly obsessed with hunting/fishing now. Hopefully in 30 years I will be able to experience the same thing with his children. He's never been able to get a bull elk, hopefully in the next couple years I can help him cross that one off his list.

I can’t imagine not going, it’s what I do.

Regards,
Terry

 

[teej89]

Awesome thanks for the encouragement guys! Just had a conversation with him last night and it went well! He's trying to find a lodge for us to pay for the week so we aren't dropping thousands next year for camping equipment and what not

 

[ringer]

66 and never took any pills. Drowned in Alaska in '83 and that made me weird and not afraid of death. Rolled the quad on myself 5 years ago and never saw a doctor. Just limped for a few months and now have a hitch in my left hip. I still hunt, prospect for gold and fish all the time. Saw a good friend on a salmon trip to Oregon last month. He had just retired and bought a $55000 sled. He had a bad pain in his lower back and they found cancer in all of his organs and he died within 6 days. Lesson learned is keep working ten hour days, always be planning the next trip and never retire.

 

[jbm]

i bet you have a few good yrs left for chasing elk. i hear that on your last elk hunting trip you out hiked a cpl guys half your age
as long as the feet still work keep putting them 1 in front of the other till you reach the top

 

[oleefish2]

I have a man that took me in when my dad passed in 1986. I was in my 30s then and he said I will be dad now. His son and I are as close as any 2 brothers can be and some times we all go together and sometimes we go separately. He was with me when I killed my biggest bull and I used his old sako 270 he was only 83 then. This year he was with his son and he got a 3x3 bull elk and he will be 92 next month. I have several guys I take fishing and hunting that call me the kid and I am 64, so quite why?

 

[Wapiti Warrior]

I turn 50 in a few months. I have had one back surgery and a knee surgery. Going hard when I was younger is catching up with me. I try and stay in shape all year long and still walk 10 + miles a day hunting. But I do believe genetics and history play a part in how your body does as you get older. I have a friend who's dad is 82 and still hunts and goes ice fishing. where my Dad had heart surgery at 75 and can't hardly walk up a flight of stairs. Is this my destination? Maybe, but I don't plan on it. Each person will have a different outcome, and sometimes we don't have any control over it.
John

 

[mtmander]

you are only old when your body does not let you do the things your mind wants to do..... I can't do what I did when I was younger but I still go out but just not as fast

 

[dmserpa]

Just turned 70 this year,,, don't plan on stopping as long as I have a good mule to carry me to the top of the mountain. I'm training my grandsons to help me after I reach 80 so I can keep going ,,,,,don't plan to stop as long as I have my health!!!!

 

[Devil Diver Down]

My dad is 72 and has an AZ bull hunt starting next week. He never really ventured too far from the roads in his younger years, so maybe he banked some energy hunting like that. Or maybe he just has a smart aleck kid who gives him crap and forces him to walk farther in. Lots of talk about this being his last hurrah, but we'll have to see.

 

[idnative1948]

Know I have posted this before, but keep invited those who want to keep hunting and let them do what they can do and like to do in camp. Dad at 91.