OP
OP
Hokkmike
Member
I have often thought that I'd rather die in the woods than most any other place. Of course it would be sunny, warm, and the dying would have to be painless.
Keeping Older Hunters Interested. How can it be done?
- Thread starter Hokkmike
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I have often thought that I'd rather die in the woods than most any other place. Of course it would be sunny, warm, and the dying would have to be painless.
sixgunner455
Member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2006
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- 3,052
I’m not as broke down as I hope to get someday, but I’d still rather die in the woods doing something than lying in a bed in a nursing home wearing a diaper.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Wow. Maybe it is just that they have been there and done that enough already? Sometimes when you have to work to have fun, it stops being fun and just becomes work.
Speedo66
Member
I'm not quite ready to go yet, regardless of where or how. I'm even wearing masks.
Thankfully, I can still take risks on my motorcycles, on road or off. lol
Daveboone
Member
I am 59. of my former pretty numerous hunting partners, only three still actively hunt. All of them are very active runners, etc. I am not, but try to keep active, doing what I have always done. Several freinds have stopped due to age, heart conditions or just wear and tear, and tell me they are surprised I am still hunting as much as I am. Since I was very small I was driven to be outdoors...first with Dad, (who was never a successful hunter but enjoyed the outdoors) then with friends previously mentioned. Mostly I hunt alone now at my camp. I bought it about 15 years ago largely because I couldnt even think of a time to come when I wouldnt be able to get out, and having my own camp allows me much more freedom to do that. A warm place to stay and warm up, easily gotten to stands, a place for family to gather. I certainly have made adjustments. All ladder stands for ease of access. A four wheeler for retrieval. This year my wife bought me a sturdy black outdoorsmans sled to help get the deer out. I have a good pully system for hoisting.
Very important to all of this is keeping as active as I can year round so i can safely be out there. Even though we have snow now and winter is fully upon us, most week ends I will be up to the camp at least one day clearing brush, cutting trees, etc. Use it or lose it.
I cant help but get depressed over several friends who no longer hunt basically because they seem to find reasons not to do what they used to love to just stay at home and watch TV. Shoot me if it comes to that.
Very important to all of this is keeping as active as I can year round so i can safely be out there. Even though we have snow now and winter is fully upon us, most week ends I will be up to the camp at least one day clearing brush, cutting trees, etc. Use it or lose it.
I cant help but get depressed over several friends who no longer hunt basically because they seem to find reasons not to do what they used to love to just stay at home and watch TV. Shoot me if it comes to that.
Sav .250
Member
Recently back from the mountains of West Virginia . Spent 7 days deer hunting. Means of travel... ATV.
Then on my return, I had a 5 day permit hunt at a WMA close to home. Deer and feral hog.
I`m in my 87 th year. Either you`ve got it or you don`t. Have to have good health for starters.
Then on my return, I had a 5 day permit hunt at a WMA close to home. Deer and feral hog.
I`m in my 87 th year. Either you`ve got it or you don`t. Have to have good health for starters.
Good luck with that. You'd end up carrying all of her gear, gutting her deer, and dragging it to the truck. A year later you'd lose all of your guns in the divorce settlement.
Hunted a lot more after retirement, than before, only because work got in the way. Retired in 98 @ age 62 and have hunted every chance I get thereafter. Got on a great lease in 2004 where I can hunt native game in season and predators the year 'round. In 2015 kept track and logged over 200 days in the field. Fortunately, I have a very understanding wife of 64 years, who doesn't hunt but enjoys outdoor trips occasionally.
The last 4 years have been forced to slow down due to our health issues, but don't stand between me and the door when health allows! Still manage to keep the freezer stocked and the rest of the time you'll find me callin' coyotes when able. 
The last 4 years have been forced to slow down due to our health issues, but don't stand between me and the door when health allows! Still manage to keep the freezer stocked and the rest of the time you'll find me callin' coyotes when able. 
sage5907
Member
Where I live there are very few young hunters, and most of the hunters are running on a quarter of a tank. The main reason for this is because older people have more money and more time to spend hunting. Hunting is expensive because landowners want money for hunting on their land and good places to hunt are becoming harder and harder to find. I just turned 77 and I hunt at least 30 days a year and I reload ammunition and shoot a rifle all year long. I am a dedicated trophy hunter and when I go hunting I plan for and hunt the biggest buck I can find. I can walk long distances in the dark without a flashlight and my only shooting aid is a shooting stick. I prefer to use natural cover for a blind but I will use a box blind during rain, snow and temperatures below 20. I don't care how other people choose to die, but if I spend my last living moment laying in the grass on some cold wind swept hill during deer season I will be a very happy man. A good wife, good friends and good dogs have all been a bonus in my life.
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alsaqr
Member
At age 81 i still love to hunt. Most friends are deceased or eating, crapping and waiting to die. i hunt alone and normally kill 4-8 deer each year. This year i did it differently, killing two deer and a few coyotes: Last day of gun season i passed on a buck that scored over 170 B&C. Watching that deer graze for 20-25 minutes at 40-60 yards distance was great.
Holiday doe season is open and i'll be out again on Sunday.
Holiday doe season is open and i'll be out again on Sunday.
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sage5907
Member
I also passed up a deer on the 1st day of our rifle season and I understand why you did what you did. This buck walked across in front of me and stopped at a tree to rub his eyes on a branch and freshen up a scrape. Sometimes a hunter has to let one go and it's just as good a feeling as having fired a shot. This buck was built like a D6 Cat and I think he had 11 points. I ended up shooting another buck but his one is still here.
alsaqr
Member
That is a heavy bodied buck.
entropy
Member
He's a Thicc boi, for sure.
Captcurt
Member
I'll be 70 in February. I have deer hunted more the last 6 seasons than most people do in a lifetime. Still love it. I couldn't believe my ears when a customer invited me to hunt his farm. 800 acres of cattle farm that had not been hunted much in several years. There would be so many deer in the creep feeders that the calves couldn't get in them to eat. I now have 3 blinds, 2 feeders, 4 ladder stands and 4 climbers scattered around this place. I leave my little Yamaha ATV parked by the barn for 5 months of the year. In fact, our Christmas season opens tomorrow and there is a 3 day private land doe season following it. That is 6 more days before I have to get my bow back out of the closet. Life is GOOD!
Captcurt
Member
In my ramblings in my other post I never answered the OP. I really don't know how to keep older hunters interested. Many are not physically able to hunt the same as they did in earlier life. Age has a tendency to cause new pains and ailments that were not present 5 years ago. I had an invitation to hunt elk in Colorado with friends. They pack 6 miles into a wilderness area with mules. I would love to, but camping at 8000 ft and hunting on a 45 degree grade is not for this old man anymore. My idea of an old man's western hunt would be pronghorns. Now that I might do.
Then there is the monetary side of it. A lot of us oldtimers spent most of our money trying to live and raise a family. Now on a fixed income it makes little sense to spend $600 on a elk tag plus all of the other expenses when a good steak is cheaper and a lot easier to come by.
We used to bird hunt when we had quail here in the Ozarks. Then went out of state to shoot pheasants in later years. Now it is more economical to drive 30 miles to a preserve and pay $100 for a quail package. Add another $100 and you can have a guide with a brace of good dogs.
Then there are the elders who just lost interest. They may have shot their fill and hung the gun up. Or maybe they lost their hunting buddies to the Grim Reaper. Most will still have the memories of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, the bite of the cold air in their nose, or relive the thrill of a 10 pointer stepping into the open. Until that time overtakes me I will hunt every chance that I get. I think that is what the Lord put me here to do.
Then there is the monetary side of it. A lot of us oldtimers spent most of our money trying to live and raise a family. Now on a fixed income it makes little sense to spend $600 on a elk tag plus all of the other expenses when a good steak is cheaper and a lot easier to come by.
We used to bird hunt when we had quail here in the Ozarks. Then went out of state to shoot pheasants in later years. Now it is more economical to drive 30 miles to a preserve and pay $100 for a quail package. Add another $100 and you can have a guide with a brace of good dogs.
Then there are the elders who just lost interest. They may have shot their fill and hung the gun up. Or maybe they lost their hunting buddies to the Grim Reaper. Most will still have the memories of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, the bite of the cold air in their nose, or relive the thrill of a 10 pointer stepping into the open. Until that time overtakes me I will hunt every chance that I get. I think that is what the Lord put me here to do.
Shanghai McCoy
Member
^^^
Well said Sir.
Well said Sir.
I agree that being active is the key. And having the financial means with willingness to spend a little money are also important.
Some people die broke. And some people die sitting on lots of money which the kids, relatives or state gets and squanders away.
Some people die broke. And some people die sitting on lots of money which the kids, relatives or state gets and squanders away.
Axis_of_Sika
Member
66, live a bit out of town in central Texas. Got lots of deer and plenty opportunity but I refer to that as harvesting. My neighborhood is changing a lot and shooting gets tighter every year with the rapid filling of the empty lots ( 3 -12 acre) I call it urban fringe and the deer are fairly tame. I have some spots where I hand throw a bit of corn and for parts of the year the deer almost follow me around. They do seem to know something is going on during hunting season cause they're fairly skittish right now. Yes its not as exciting as it once was but I still like to fill my freezer.
In the last few years hogs have moved in. Never see them in the day. the game cams show they're coming and what time. Night time hog hunting is way more exciting than harvesting deer. I tried various things but sprang for a real IR scope and its the ticket ( I think) kinda fun watching the foxes and deer play at nite with it. I feel its almost a duty to kill hogs, and they sure are tasty. This is staying up late, in the cold vs getting up early to go out. Hogs can be really spooky. Sitting out in my chair at nite, listening to the owls and coyotes, enjoying a adult beverage and suddenly hear oinking a couple hundred feet away. Big pigs are scary
A lot of folks commented in this thread about going out west to hunt Elk. In Texas we have several species of exotics that are established with wild escaped populations. Axis and sika deer taste better than whitetail deer. aoudads are goats and a plague almost as bad as hogs. They're out west of San Antonio and run in hilly /ridge country where you might see them 300- 400 yards away. Nilgai are very delicious, live in the south Texas scrub and big. The cows run 400 and the bulls up to 750 lbs. When your thinking of a out of state hunt there are more options than just arduous elk hunts out west
I love getting out in the woods. Like to watch the frost vanish when the sunlight creeps across it. I say about fishing that you cant let catching fish get in the way of your fishing. same for hunting. sometimes I just watch and say Not today
In the last few years hogs have moved in. Never see them in the day. the game cams show they're coming and what time. Night time hog hunting is way more exciting than harvesting deer. I tried various things but sprang for a real IR scope and its the ticket ( I think) kinda fun watching the foxes and deer play at nite with it. I feel its almost a duty to kill hogs, and they sure are tasty. This is staying up late, in the cold vs getting up early to go out. Hogs can be really spooky. Sitting out in my chair at nite, listening to the owls and coyotes, enjoying a adult beverage and suddenly hear oinking a couple hundred feet away. Big pigs are scary
A lot of folks commented in this thread about going out west to hunt Elk. In Texas we have several species of exotics that are established with wild escaped populations. Axis and sika deer taste better than whitetail deer. aoudads are goats and a plague almost as bad as hogs. They're out west of San Antonio and run in hilly /ridge country where you might see them 300- 400 yards away. Nilgai are very delicious, live in the south Texas scrub and big. The cows run 400 and the bulls up to 750 lbs. When your thinking of a out of state hunt there are more options than just arduous elk hunts out west
I love getting out in the woods. Like to watch the frost vanish when the sunlight creeps across it. I say about fishing that you cant let catching fish get in the way of your fishing. same for hunting. sometimes I just watch and say Not today
Axis_of_Sika
Member
Teaching new hunters is very rewarding. I have had requests from people I would have never thought they'd be the least bit interested in hunting. And they are really interested in learning how to field dress and butcher out. I learned as a kid when we were visiting the family that still lived on the old home places in Arkansas. Chasing the coon dogs at nite with old carbide cap lamps, exploring the woods listening for grandpaws squirrel dog to find one
Comfort, warmth, and ease of access are all contributing factors. The better your health the more you are apt to hunt later in like. My FIL hunted with me well into his 70s, but he is gone. BIL quit before 60 a number of years ago now. I’m in my mid 50s and I only have a couple friends still at it.
Our hunting property is a 3 hour drive from home so nothing is easy. We don’t go for an afternoon hunt, we go for a weekend or more. Every time we scout or do work on the property it requires a trip up to the camp. If I’m still hunting in 15 years I’ll need to hunt closer to home. Luckily I still have my health so I imagine I’ll still be at it god willing.
Jeff
Our hunting property is a 3 hour drive from home so nothing is easy. We don’t go for an afternoon hunt, we go for a weekend or more. Every time we scout or do work on the property it requires a trip up to the camp. If I’m still hunting in 15 years I’ll need to hunt closer to home. Luckily I still have my health so I imagine I’ll still be at it god willing.
Jeff
stillquietvoice
Contributing Member
I’m still hunting in 15 years I’ll need to hunt closer to home. Luckily I still have my health so I imagine I’ll still be at it god willing.
Or move closer to your hunting property. Then it wouldn't be as long a trip.
Jeff Flannery
Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2018
- Messages
- 195
I too am in
Pa. Tioga county. And I TOTALLY understand your dilemma. I am also in the crowd of staying in a warm bed instead of a cold seat in the woods. I used to get up every day I had for hunting with no problem at all. I bowhunted relentlessly. This year I didn't go out once! This year I didn't even shoot one deer. I went out with my brother and son for rifle season twice. I have no idea what's going on, but I sure wish I had an answer!!
glockgod
Member
Case in point. Today is first day of primitive weapon deer season. My back feels like the antichrist stomped on it. Going up to the farm anyway. Nephew is recently over coved and still not strong. He's deer hunting bless his heart. I'm not taking a gun other than carry gun. Just want to be there in case of emergency or to help load a dead deer on side by side. Going to sit in the car with camera and take pictures of farm cats and listen to radio. Feel bad about it but hey,I ain't as young as I used to be. If I fall I'm afraid the bad back will become REAL bad!!
md7
Member
OP,
I’m still relatively young in age, but I’ve been hunting for almost 30 years. While somewhat young in age, the time I’ve spent hunting is extensive considering that I’m no older than I am.
It occurred to me this season that I no longer experience the anticipation or thrill I used to have when taking game. As an example, I took a decent buck recently. There was no racing heartbeat, no excitement, no buck fever, etc
Rather, I found myself going through a mental checklist in an almost mechanical and calculated way. I saw the deer, judged his antler size, observed his speed of movement, made the decision to shoot, pressed trigger, and retrieved deer. It was purely mechanical from having done it so many times I suppose.
I’m not unhappy over a successful hunt, just sort of......well here’s another one to put on the grill and hang on the wall.
Decided to change things up a bit. Instead of stand hunting, I’ve been creeping slowly through undeveloped woods. Instead of watching over the same fields, I’ve been setting up near rubs, scrapes, and game trails. Instead of sitting still, I move slowly and quietly. Instead of the same plot, I’m venturing further and further into national forests surrounding my property. To boot, it’s been kind of fun to toss land navigation into the hunt.
Maybe none of what I’ve done is applicable in your case m. I just don’t know. But it could be that the routine has become more of a chore than a joy. Perhaps some sort of doable change could inject the spark needed to help old hunters find their passion for the hunt again.
Being a father, I’ve also found joy in teaching my children to hunt. Granted, they’ve not quite taken to it just yet but I’m seeing some interest and have taken them a few times. That’s been a real pleasure for me. Maybe teaching the next generation could bring you some measure of satisfaction also.
I’m still relatively young in age, but I’ve been hunting for almost 30 years. While somewhat young in age, the time I’ve spent hunting is extensive considering that I’m no older than I am.
It occurred to me this season that I no longer experience the anticipation or thrill I used to have when taking game. As an example, I took a decent buck recently. There was no racing heartbeat, no excitement, no buck fever, etc
Rather, I found myself going through a mental checklist in an almost mechanical and calculated way. I saw the deer, judged his antler size, observed his speed of movement, made the decision to shoot, pressed trigger, and retrieved deer. It was purely mechanical from having done it so many times I suppose.
I’m not unhappy over a successful hunt, just sort of......well here’s another one to put on the grill and hang on the wall.
Decided to change things up a bit. Instead of stand hunting, I’ve been creeping slowly through undeveloped woods. Instead of watching over the same fields, I’ve been setting up near rubs, scrapes, and game trails. Instead of sitting still, I move slowly and quietly. Instead of the same plot, I’m venturing further and further into national forests surrounding my property. To boot, it’s been kind of fun to toss land navigation into the hunt.
Maybe none of what I’ve done is applicable in your case m. I just don’t know. But it could be that the routine has become more of a chore than a joy. Perhaps some sort of doable change could inject the spark needed to help old hunters find their passion for the hunt again.
Being a father, I’ve also found joy in teaching my children to hunt. Granted, they’ve not quite taken to it just yet but I’m seeing some interest and have taken them a few times. That’s been a real pleasure for me. Maybe teaching the next generation could bring you some measure of satisfaction also.
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