First Time!

[Bluegunner]

My first time posting here, hope I qualify! Will reach 64 in September and still going strong. This is a unique thread primarily designed for older hunters. I like that!
It going to be a hard day when I have to hang up my guns and I'm trying to do everything I can to push that day futher and futher away. Started by throwing away my cigarettes (14 years now) . Have just lost 30# and working on the next 30, goal - 195# less that what I was in ninth grade. Also got myself a Brittany (Ginger) three years ago and we put in two miles every morning that we're not hunting (rain or snow, hot, warm, cold, or very cold - live in Southern Minnesota). Constantly pursuing My dear of 33 years and white tail deer in the Fall, turkey (getting ready for the Spring Hunt - Mn. and Black Hills), upland game (Ginger's 1st choice - pheasant. wookcock, quail, etc.), love yote and hog hunting. Would love to go on an Elk or Moose trip someday but need to win the lottery first.
Anyway that's enough about me, hope I didn't (boar) you.

Bluegunner

[skeet]

Good to see you here. I'm sure you'll like this site. Lots of friendly discussions. And keep on losing it. I gotta do that too. :rolleyes:

[Dan Morris]

Heck, I'm 62 and still hunt Elk and Deer at 10K plus...........don't have any problems with it. I plan on doing it till I find the white buffalo! LOL
Dan
:D

[ringneck 1]

Glad to see you on here.Im 63 .I can still get to the top of the mountain it just takes me little longer.may be we can get this part of the forum moving

[Nulle]

WELCOME and when you get to the Black Hills drop me a line and maybe we could hook-up. This is a neat site and gets slow at times but the more we get the more it will improve.
Welcome again

[shonkster]

I am a bit younger than you guys at 53 and really enjoy my camping and hunting over here in Australia its just starting to cool off a bit as winter approaches that when I get out a lot more hunting, its to hot to do a lot of walking around in summer

[Nulle]

Give us some hunting stories shon.

[shonkster]

In the area where I live there are wild or feral goats some of the property owner want you to shoot them because they breed up to sometimes a lot of numbers and cause a lot of damage to the fencing and crops. this old billy goat I shot in the back of the head
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v298/AUSSIES/MVC-044S.jpg

[fastsixgun]

At 55 I still Chase any thing on 4 legs and is legal to hunt. The more mature you get you find more effecent ways to put game in the freezer.

[Bluegunner]

Sure is nice to see that there are others (Senior Hunter) who still are finding their way around the hills and mts. of this great country.
Dan Morris, would love to hear more about your Elk hunting in Colo. ( I'm sure many of us in other parts of the country envy you) and hearing about it is the next best thing to doing it. Was stationed in Colorado Spring (Air Force - Cheyene Mt.) in 65-66 and tried an Elk trip into the Sangre De Cristo Mts. Hiked up to base camp, started snowing that night and snowed for two days, never in any real danger as we went prepared, but we pushed out on the third day in waist to chest high powder. As you might quess, we didn't do any hunting!
Nulle, it's looks like we will be hunting the Black Hills sometime after the 22nd of April. Will be in the Pringle area, hoping to be there 5-7 days unless we get our birds early. We'll have to talk about hooking up, you have an interesting hobby (raising birds). Went to your web site and it sounds like you do it right. Ginger got her start on Chuckers that were pen raised.
Will let you all know if I come home with a nice Eastern (Mn. Turkey season April 18-22) Have been fortunate enough to have 4 nice birds over the last fews years (all 22-24#, 10 1/2-11" beards and 1/2-1 1/2" spurs). The biggest and oldest was the most exciting hunt. He, 3 subtoms and 6 hens came about 400 yds. through a spring alfalfa field to my decoys. Shot him at 30 ft.
heart beating so hard I would have thought they would have heard it. Would like to grand slam before I have to hang up my spurs, the Black Hills trip is a try for a Merriam. Have tried the Santee in Neb. for the last few years but every nice bird was a hybrid and I passed.
Also love deer and pheasant hunting, have been doing it since 10 years old and have shot my share. Deer hunting has produced lots of nice eight pointers (eastern count) but never anything that I would spend the money to have a shoulder mount done. One of these days!!!!! Also have been making an annual January trip to Texas for Quail and Hogs. Nice 240# boar this year, guy gets lucky ever onces in awhile!
How to hear more about each of you!!!

Bluegunner

[Cal Sibley]

Hello Bluegunner,

Welcome to Huntchat. You'll find a lot of nice, helpful shooters here so jump right in with your questions and comments. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Nulle]

Back in the 70's I was working construction in the Loveland, Greely area of CO. and we did some bear hunting just West of Loveland. Had the snow thing going on with tent camping it was quite a week to be sure and we had a blast.
Now there are houses in that area and doubt if there has been a bear around that area for years.

[Bluegunner]

Took a nice Tom in the Black Hills - 18# 2 ozs. 11 1/2" beard, spurs 11/16"
Followed with a Tom on the Santee - 18#, 10 3/8" beard, spurs 5/8".
Both were Merriams

Love that Turkey hunting. My wife lovingly says one turkey hunting another.

Turkey Hunting Truth! Sometimes They Win, Sometimes You Win, Most of the Time They Win!!!

[ringneck 1]

way to go Blue on your hunting

[Cal Sibley]

Enjoy your health while you have it. You never know exactly when the demons of old age are going to hit you. It sounds like you have a few good more years in you. I was going great guns (no pun intended) until last year, then it seems everything started breaking down. At 68 I've had a pretty good run though.
I just wish I knew what was on the other side of that wall! If I have a choice I want to go where my dogs went. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Bluegunner]

Cal, I couldn't agree more! I've already had a couple of hits and I'm doing what I can to push back the day when I can no longer go afield.

Started taking steps about 18 years ago when I was laying in bed one night having trouble breathing. That's when I went from 2 1/2 to 3 packs of cigs a day to zero. I honestly believe I wouldn't be here today if I hadn't made that decision.

Next major wakeup was about seven years ago when I had blood in my stool one morning. Made an appointment with the Doc that day and found I had a cancerous tumor in my colon.
Two days later I was in surgery. Results: got the cancer, but have a permanent colostomy. The last part is not a big deal, and I am extremely lucky. Learned a new appreciation for every day the Good Lord is allowing me.

About 4 years ago, started having trouble with my knees and found that I have osteoarthritis and not much cushion left on the inside of my knees. I now look like an old cowboy, a little bowl legged!!! Thats when I started walking, minimum 2 miles a day and it seems that I've been pushing back the need for knee surgery.

Three years ago last January, brought home and eight week old Britanny. Since then Ginger & I have tromped the field in the fall from Minnesota to Texas. She has me up every morning at 6:30 for our walk. Rain, sun, wind or snow, we're like the mailman, we go!

I make a real effort to maintain a "look at the glass half full" attitude. To keep a little fun in my life on a daily bases and not spend a lot of time worrying about those thing I cann't do anything about. I also don't spend any time listening to those people who try to make me believe that I should slow down.

I realize that sooner or later age is going to catchup with me, but I working hard to make it later not sooner!!!!

[Cal Sibley]

Hello Fastsixgun,

Ok, you can chase anything on four legs. That's great, but how are you on chasing anything on two legs. That becomes a bit problematic. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal