Old Age and Hunting

[ourway77]

How many are still hunting at the age of 80 or better? I have but given up all together as I can no longer walk any distance. I applied for a permit to hunt from a car but it's just not the same any more. I never dreamed there would come a time when I couldn't go any more I always thought I would hunt till the day I die. Problem with old age is your mind is willing but the body isn't

 

[George P]

Guess it depends on the hunting. My friends in that age bracket still hunt dove and quail

 

[CaptHank]

I'm about to turn 73. Caught the flu on opening day deer season in Pennsylvania. My nose was running and hacking that morning. Decided to get breakfast and head to my afternoon spot. Well, about 12:30, all hell broke loose. I started to shiver, every joint in my body was in pain. I'm about 3 miles from my truck. This Amish is loaded with electric fences, I had to lay down flat to get under them. Then, I was having big problems breathing. I checked my cell phone, had a signal. My next move was to call 911. Yes, it was that bad. I made it to my truck, didn't have the strength to remove my hunting clothes.

Drove back to the house in full hunting gear, even my shoulder holster on. The next morning, still feeling real bad. I decided that if I was going to die, it would be in Florida. At 11:00, I got on I-95, heading south. Drove to Lumberton, NC, had a good dinner and two glasses of wine. Headed out the next morning and arrived home at 4:00PM. Took me over a month to get over that mess.

Yes, it gave me a wake-up call. I was hunting by myself and thought I would have to be medevac'd out. I really don't think I'm going to get a Non-Resident License, next year. Maybe it is age or the effect of the flu, or both. I really don't want to experience that scene again.

 

[George Dickel]

Old age sucks! I find that I can do less and less every year. I went on a prairie dog shoot in western Nebraska last year and plan on doing it again this year. The ranch we stayed at had ATVs we could ride in out to the hunting areas. If I had to walk there the dogs would have been very happy as I wouldn't have been there to shoot at them.

 

[PapaG]

I told my story a week or so ago "new deer hunting experience" in the hunting thread. My issue is fused spine, bad knees, and poor balance and I'm only 73. I still dove, Turkey and deer hunt, all from blinds and none over a quarter mile from the four wheeler.
Like my old pappy used to say, "gettin old ain't bad, it's the side effects that stink". He passed at 63.

 

[Steve S.]

63 here with a body of 95 (cancer and such); was just discharged from hospital today - three days from Flu Type A. I thoroughly love to hunt/ fish - it is in my blood but find that my once young, strong body is long gone. I don’t fret aging or illness as it was inevitable but I regret not savoring my younger time in the woods more than I did - I thought it would last forever - took it for granted. I can still get out a little on a good day but the intensity is not the same; I do miss those days.

 

[Captcurt]

As long as I can crawl onto an ATV I will be in the woods. I had a friend who had Parkinson's who had the biggest heart of any man that I have known. It might take him a couple minutes to get his feet set when shooting skeet, but when he called pull the bird usually went poof. Shortly before he died we went on an opening day dove shoot. His driver had to help him onto his ATV. He drove to the edge of the field, shot at a few birds and we had to lift him off his 4-wheeler and carry him to the truck. He never complained. That is the kind of diehard that I want to be. Hats off to you, Don.

 

[bikerdoc]

69 here, lots of cardiac and ortho problems.
cant roam like I used to but can still climb a deer stand.
Thank goodness for AT V's

 

[jmorris]

For me the work starts after the kill, dove are pretty easy but it just gets more difficult from there.

 

[Charliefrank]

How many are still hunting at the age of 80 or better? I have but given up all together as I can no longer walk any distance. I applied for a permit to hunt from a car but it's just not the same any more. I never dreamed there would come a time when I couldn't go any more I always thought I would hunt till the day I die. Problem with old age is your mind is willing but the body isn't

I dread the day. Being out in the wilderness feeds my soul. Is your vehicle 4 x 4? Can you get it out in the country. Think of it as a really comfortable blind.

 

[ourway77]

Yes my Jeep Commander is 4X4 I have a farm or I should say several owned by the same farmer and there are loads of fields that I can cover by car I became friends with him by accident after which being a mobile DJ I played at his mothers 80th birthday and did his daughters wedding of course free. The problem being he only allows me to hunt farmers are funny that way and I dare not ask if I can bring some one He does get the Deer for me. But I still miss being in a tree stand deep in the woods. I have an arctic cat 4X4 I can get into the woods but can't climb a tree any more and I never could hunt from the ground too fidgety

 

[jmorris]

All of our blinds have railed stairs to them, you could always just set one on the ground though (I would at least set it one cinder block high myself).

 

[Patocazador]

I consider myself lucky. At 74 and with a few potentially serious health problems, I still hunt public land usually from a climbing stand. I have killed at least 2 deer every year for ages. After open heart surgery with complications a year and a half ago, I managed to go bow hunting 7 weeks later. Sure, I have arthritic aches and pains but I still hunt at least 3 days/week during the seasons.

If you are at all able, force yourself to go. It will tire you out but it will rejuvenate you inside where it counts.

 

[quest4perfection]

How many are still hunting at the age of 80 or better? I have but given up all together as I can no longer walk any distance. I applied for a permit to hunt from a car but it's just not the same any more. I never dreamed there would come a time when I couldn't go any more I always thought I would hunt till the day I die. Problem with old age is your mind is willing but the body isn't

Seabees...my respect.
I sold some firearms to a guy who sent someone else into my house to look at them. Went out to meet him in driveway, of course. He is in a wheel chair but he has hunted elk (meadows, I presume), successfully, with his buddy. Sold him three. Respect him also.

 

[e rex]

Only 75 but took my deer again this year. Couldn't walk the snow and weeds for pheasants this year. 50 yards and I was played out, didn't think that would ever happen.
Lucky for the memories of when I could.

 

[J-Bar]

Pushing 74, knees are noisy. I still walk in the deer woods and drag my game out by myself, but I find myself seeking smaller deer these days!

 

[.308 Norma]

How many are still hunting at the age of 80 or better? I have but given up all together as I can no longer walk any distance. I applied for a permit to hunt from a car but it's just not the same any more. I never dreamed there would come a time when I couldn't go any more I always thought I would hunt till the day I die. Problem with old age is your mind is willing but the body isn't

I feel your pain ourway77. That is my wife does. She's not even 70 yet, but due to her atrial fibrillation, she had to get her Cardiologist to sign off on a Disabled Hunter Permit so she can hunt from the truck. She cried when she went to the Fish & Game Department to pick it up. Like you say, "It's just not the same."
And it's not the same for me either. My wife has been my hunting partner since 1971. I missed sitting up there on the hillside with her as the sun came up on opening day last Fall. She had to stay back at the truck.

 

[hdwhit]

ourway77 asked:
How many are still hunting at the age of 80 or better?

My father-in-law was/is a lifelong hunter, but he gave up bird hunting in his 70's, the last time he went deer hinting with is 308 was when he was 83 and the last time he went hunting with his muzzle loader was 87. Today, at age 90, his hips bother him enough that he can't tromp through the deer woods like he used to.

My father stopped hunting anything but nuisance animals when he was in his 50's. He stopped trying to do head shots on nuisance animals in his late 70's and went to using body traps with a gun to administer a coup de grace if the trap didn't kill the animal.

Me, I will be lucky to even be alive when I'm 80, much less physically able to be trusted with a gun. Hopefully by that point, I will still be able to load ammunition that my sons can shoot.

 

[alsaqr]

Killed five deer in the 2017 season; four from tree stands and blinds. i dragged a big doe over 100 yards to the truck: One should really do that stuff before he's 78 years old.

Was doing OK until my knee acted up: As a result i was unable to do much still hunting. Knee is presently doing well with cortisone shots and a brace.

Will continue to hunt hogs at least one day per week. Pray tell, if i live until the 2018 deer hunting season, i'll not change one thing. If worse comes to worse i'll simply buy a four wheeler and drive to my stands and blinds.

 

[sage5907]

I think there's a large group of people who are over 70 and continue hunting. My older brother said that when he wakes up in the morning he decides where he is going to hurt that particular day. As we age each one of us has some sort of affliction that affects how we can get around, how we can see and how we can hear. Me, I'm 74 and have no hearing in my right ear, and I have bad balance which I fight all the time. I can still do manual labor but I tire after about 4 hours. I can walk over 2 miles to a deer stand in rolling hills and I walk every morning and evening in the dark without using a flashlight. I tripped and fell 4 times during this past season and that is really frustrating. The worst fall happened when I stepped in a deep cow trail and lost my balance. I did take a good buck and several hogs. I plan to hunt until the day I die and hope my last breath is taken while watching deer in some drainage with the cold wind blowing in my face and the coyotes howling. I believe in going after what you want no matter how old you are.

 

[Duster340]

Just spoke to my wife about this the other night. While still young relatively, mid 50s, I commented that at some point climbing one of our ladder stands just isn't gonna cut it anymore. So we're thinking about starting some improvements to what we feel is the most productive spot on our parcel by adding small food plots and adding a water source etc. Then eventually building a comfortable, easier access, "fancy" permanent elevated blind and couple easily access ground blinds. We're thinking if we start the improvements now, it in theory should be nicely established when we are able to retire there. Time will tell....lord willing.

 

[PapaG]

We have two elevated blinds, on heated, one will be. Named Taj and Taj2.0

 

[eastbank]

at 74, I,m still able to hunt and fish and get around pretty good, but I don,t hunt the rocks very much and use a 4x4 to get to where I hunt and take deer in. no more dragging a mile for me. I,m blessed to have about 800 achers to hunt for the last 34 years. I hunt a lot slower these days and I think it helps me get more deer. eastbank.

 

[MCgunner]

I've just turned 65 and it's really started hitting me this year. I run out of breath pretty early, not sure why. I stumble over hog rooting and such more than I used to. I totally gave up my marsh hunting, just can't walk in muddy trails trodded by cattle and full of sticky mud trying to pull my waders off. That's always been rough hunting, but when I was in my late 30s when the place opened up, it didn't seem like THAT much work. And, I could stand all morning in the grass, never sit down. About 10-15 years ago, I bought a marsh chair, just couldn't handle THAT anymore. Now, I just can't get out there without more pain than it's worth. Hell, I'm afraid I'd have a friggin' heart attack out there.

So, I've modified my fun. I hunt my box blind here on my little place. Usually get a deer, plenty of hogs out here and they need killin'. I still hunt dove, we usually drive right to the spot and if it's muddy we have ATVs and UTVs. Doves are my duck replacement, not that I never hunted 'em, been hunting 'em longer than waterfowl, just that waterfowl had been my passion. Nothing like calling ducks. We usually get a goose hunt one weekend a season, but this year my buddy has been busy with his business and hasn't had the time. So, I just shot a buck and a hog before they quit coming around and called it a season. Yeah, it sucks getting old, can't do what I once did, but I still hunt SOMEthing.

Ya know, it ain't but 200 yards or a little more back to my blind and if I can't handle THAT walk, I can ride within 30 yards of it and the ATV is totally hidden behind the blind in the woods. If I ever get too old to do THAT, they'll be shoveling dirt on me.

 

[Patocazador]

I run out of breath pretty early, not sure why. I stumble over hog rooting and such more than I used to.----- Hell, I'm afraid I'd have a friggin' heart attack out there.

Just a cautionary note, before I had to have my triple bypass, etc., I was huffing and puffing just walking a half mile. I went and had a cardiac catheterization and they wouldn't let me leave the hospital until surgery was done. Get yourself checked out good or that heart attack you mentioned just might do you in.