Old Age and Hunting

[Armored farmer]

Saturday was our annual "Bunny Stomp" get together where a few of us go hiking with our stick bows and call it rabbit hunting. Saw some but none were harmed. On the up side, no arrows were lost either...

I need to go back to the recurve and rig up some wooden shafts with blunts.

Bow season opener usually comes and goes without much fanfare because the whole family is usually fully involved with harvest.
One year i had a little time to spare on October 1, so i grabbed my recurve and hdd to our woods, mostly to just scout. My youngest son came along. I soon spotted s squirrel about 25 yards away, so i nocked a field point and drew and released. The arrow pinned the squirrel perfectly to the base of a tree.
My young son ran ahead shouting "you got him!", then he put his foot on him and pulled my arrow. I yelled "dont move your foo.........." (too late) when he lifted his foot the wounded squirrel climbed his leg up to his crotch! I just knew he had sunk his rodent teeth right into a testicle. I dove for the squirrel and gave a yank expecting to fling him away by the tail. All i got was a handful of hair. My son grabbed the squirrel, who then climbed his arm, jumped off his shoulder, and dissappeared up a tree!
After a quick check revealed no wounds, we had a good laugh.
I no longer carry field points, broadheads or small game points only.

 

[Captcurt]

View attachment 777822
Bow season opener usually comes and goes without much fanfare because the whole family is usually fully involved with harvest.
One year i had a little time to spare on October 1, so i grabbed my recurve and hdd to our woods, mostly to just scout. My youngest son came along. I soon spotted s squirrel about 25 yards away, so i nocked a field point and drew and released. The arrow pinned the squirrel perfectly to the base of a tree.
My young son ran ahead shouting "you got him!", then he put his foot on him and pulled my arrow. I yelled "dont move your foo.........." (too late) when he lifted his foot the wounded squirrel climbed his leg up to his crotch! I just knew he had sunk his rodent teeth right into a testicle. I dove for the squirrel and gave a yank expecting to fling him away by the tail. All i got was a handful of hair. My son grabbed the squirrel, who then climbed his arm, jumped off his shoulder, and dissappeared up a tree!
After a quick check revealed no wounds, we had a good laugh.
I no longer carry field points, broadheads or small game points only.

I had one bite through the sole of a All Star tennis shoe. Missed my big toe.

 

[Paul7]

A guide on a cow elk hunt I had said he had an 85 year old client. Very doable if doing spot and stalk. Successful big game hunting doesn't have to involve walking miles.

 

[NWPilgrim]

Ya'all need to take my sig line more seriously.

You only got so many heart beats dont waste them on exercise.

To be fair the rest of the quote says " get out and do stuff.

Hear! Hear!

I was too damn busy with my career to go hunting with my dad when he was in his late 60s and early 70s and still fit to wander fields and woods. One year we finally planned an elk hunt together and were getting everything ready. Then his heart valve failed, and after the operation Parkinson's set in bad and he never walked again without aid and eventually went wheel chair and bed ridden. I've kicked myself many times for not taking time off earlier to go hunting with Dad in the later years. Raising a family and building a career can be all consuming but we need to consider good times with our parents before they are laid low with health issues.

I'm trying to get out with my daughters, son-in-law and grandkids as often as possible now while I am retired and still fit. Going to the range with them in two weeks to try out some .22 upgrades, and then to the gravel pit for "reactive" fun next month.

 

[.308 Norma]

I'm trying to get out with my daughters, son-in-law and grandkids as often as possible now while I am retired and still fit. Going to the range with them in two weeks to try out some .22 upgrades, and then to the gravel pit for "reactive" fun next month.

Excellent!
I'm not trying to brag here, nor am I'm asking for sympathy. But our own daughter, Chrissie and her 20-year old son, Jake stopped by the house last fall on their way home from a deer hunting trip. Jake had an absolutely huge 4-point mule deer buck in the back of their truck.
The reason Chrissie's husband (Jake's dad and our son-in-law) Robert wasn't with them was because he passed away 3 years ago from a sudden heart attack, leaving Chrissie a 38-year old widow with 3 teenaged sons. They're doing great though. And I'm so proud of them I could bust!
Anyway, I guess my point is that if it's at all possible, we should spend most of our time doing the things that we love with our loved ones. Because, we never know when we're no longer have the time to spend with them. Our son-in-law wasn't 50 yet when we lost him. I'm almost 70 now, and while Jake (our oldest grandson) will be starting his career a long ways from home next fall, if I'm able, I'll still be out their deer hunting with my wife, our daughter and her two younger sons.

 

[ourway77]

I went Hunting all the time never gave it a thought that this day would come But it did and it's hard to accept when the mind is willing and the body won't cooperate I say if you have children grandchildren go with them as often as possible hunt as much as you can do all the things you like while you still can Life is not a Merry Go Round we only go around once.

 

[NWPilgrim]

Excellent!
I'm not trying to brag here, nor am I'm asking for sympathy. But our own daughter, Chrissie and her 20-year old son, Jake stopped by the house last fall on their way home from a deer hunting trip. Jake had an absolutely huge 4-point mule deer buck in the back of their truck.
The reason Chrissie's husband (Jake's dad and our son-in-law) Robert wasn't with them was because he passed away 3 years ago from a sudden heart attack, leaving Chrissie a 38-year old widow with 3 teenaged sons. They're doing great though. And I'm so proud of them I could bust!
Anyway, I guess my point is that if it's at all possible, we should spend most of our time doing the things that we love with our loved ones. Because, we never know when we're no longer have the time to spend with them. Our son-in-law wasn't 50 yet when we lost him. I'm almost 70 now, and while Jake (our oldest grandson) will be starting his career a long ways from home next fall, if I'm able, I'll still be out their deer hunting with my wife, our daughter and her two younger sons.

Family is always worth bragging about! Too many don't care at all. Always good to hear family successes, especially in light of devastating loss.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I'm 74 and find it more difficult to go hunting each season. Some health issues plus walking a slow unsteady pace with a cane all the time don't help things too much. I'd rather hunt in the afternoons now than in the mornings. Morning time I'd rather toss some more wood in the stove and drink some black coffee.

Still like to go though.

Cane on back of the 4-wheeler, piggy on the front