Age and Hunting

[buckhunter]

I guess I'm lucky. I do hunt on my own but have a good bunch of guys that fill that outher bill. Heck if something happens to me when I'm alone I just couldn't think of a better way to go.

When I'm alone I always give my bride a detailed description of where I will be just incase she needs to send the insurance adjuster out to verify my demise.

[Cal Sibley]

I'm 69 now and lost my interest in hunting a few years ago. I shoot a lot more now than before since I'm retired and spend most of my time at the shootig range. My interests turned toward reloading and accuracy. To be honest I don't miss hunting game all that much. Some of us seem to lose the desire to shoot animals with age. Actually I shoot much more now than when I hunted. Just one mans opinion. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Nulle]

Cal you know now that I think about it I am going that way myself on many things.
Deer hunting is still great but the interest in taking that big buck or anything is second to just going out. Bird hunting has slacked off also with the problem of finding places to hunt and slob hunters you run into while in the field and on the roads.
You know fishing is not looking toooooooo bad these days lol

[larryours]

I'm just waiting until the day I can take my grand-daughter hunting or fishing!
I've taken my niece's boys camping and fishing, I'm- great uncle Larry to them & they told their Mom, he did this or that. Took trout fishing and then camp out on Mothers farm, let them help build a fire and cook their own food, the oldest now 13 loves sports, baseball, hockey ect. Said Uncle Larry(about fishing and camping) this is best time I've had in my life(they are from suburbs of Pitts. Pa) hey, that makes the whole trip worth while.
My grand daughter will be two this year and I think(hope) she will be a tom boy for a little while, so Grand Dad can teach her about the outdoors.

As the saying goes "Pass It On !"

[12GA guy]

I still enjoy getting out in the bush, and love spending time around the campfire, with hunting partners, to swap lies. I hunted a few times on my own, when I was younger, but as moose is my main prey, I pretty well need a partner, to help with packing, etc. We still hunt individually, when in the bush, but remain in contact by radio, or have set meeting times, and know where each other is going to be.

A good friend of mine, and fellow goose hunting partner, was on a moose hunting trip a few years ago, when he had a major heart attack. He was in the process of field dressing a moose, when the pain, and shortness of breath hit him. Fortunately one of his partners arrived to help with the job. He built a fire, and rounded up some wood for the victim to stay warm while he went for medical help. As they were quite aways away from civilization, it took several hours before the chopper arrived to do a medivac.
This was a case where a partner saved anothers life. There was no way that he could have walked out of the bush in the deep snow, and driven to help, while suffering the way he was. Likely they would have found him frozen stiff.
This happened in Alberta, where you are not allowed to use radios while hunting..stupid law if you ask me.

I will only hunt with a partner now.

[AK NIMROD]

MY HUNTING PARTNERS ARE 15-20 YEARS YOUNGER THAN ME. I'M 57. I DO FEW HUNTS ALONE HERE IN ALASKA. NOT JUST DAY TRIPS. PUT 7000+ MILES ON MY TRUCK LAST FALL IN 5-1/2 WEEKS ON 3 TRIPS.
THIS YEAR SOMETHINGS GOT MY ATTENTION SO I HAVE HAD A VISIT TO AN INTERNIST AND A CARDIOLOGIST. PASSED THE STRESS TEST AND STRESS ECHOCARDIOGRAM JUST FINE. SO I GUESS I'M GOOD FOR MY GOAT HUNT THIS FALL.
HUNTING ALONE TO ME WOULD DEPEND ON THE TYPE OF HUNT FOR DEER IN LOCAL AREA I WOULD SEE NO PROBLEM DOING THAT IF IT WAS AN ELK HUNT OR REMOTE DEER HUNT I WOULD PREFER TO HAVE PARTNER TO SHARE CAMP WITH MIGHT HUNT ALONE DURING DAY. HUNTS ARE MORE FUN WITH FRIEND TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE WITH.

[Cal Sibley]

Hello Nulle,

Another thing that has to be considered is how long your body is going to hold out mechanically. I don't walk well anymore so more and more of my shooting is at the rifle range. Even that is less frequently than previously. Age certainly has many ways to catch up with us. Best wishes,

Cal - Montreal

[MacD37]

Like a lot of guys my age (71) I hunted on my own since the age of six years, with my first rifle, a brand new model 67 Winchester 22 single shot. I still like to hunt alone, and again like most here, I really don't care about the outcome of any hunting trip. I just enjoy being in the hills, and mountains with God's creatures!

I lived in El Paso, Texas for about 45 years, and hunted vast areas of uninhabited land in West Texas, and New Mexico, in low deasert, and in mountains up to 14 thousand feet above sea level, alone! I trnsfered to the D/FW area in 1982, and retired in 1996. I retired from a job with the largest airline in the world, ans that job allowed me to hunt tree continents, and many countries, for some of the world's most exotic game. Of course many of those countries mandated I hunt with a PH, or guide, but in most I could have done as well on my own, and would have prefered it that way. Well that came to an end about a year ago, when I developed canser, and have been in doctor's offices more than I've been home since! I've take to hunting some game ranches in my stste, (Low Fence) for wild hogs from blinds, and doves on water holes, where I don't have to expend too much energy. It ain't my style, but better than sitting at home, cleaning my rifles! Sure a let down after spending as long as a month by myself in Alaska hunting, and fishing, dropped off, and picked up by bush plane.
Like someone else said above, if I die while hunting, I'll die happy. Infact! If you look at my tag line, you will see my feeling on the subject.

[newB]

Thought I'd add my 2 cents worth.

This thread is a little old but it pertinent. Each replier obviously had put some thought into the idea of hunting alone and hunting into the older years. I just recently turned 49 and for the past couple years have given thought to these ideas.

Hunting in/as a group has many rewards, I have found that often the hunt is because of an invite from one or the other of the hunting buddies in the group. Even if the group at one time or the other might have only been 2 people.

Because of the different connections each member of the group has this has enabled us all to hunt in places where we might not other wise have been able to as a single hunter.

As a single hunter it has lead to opportunities that other whys would not have been possible as a group because the group idea scared many land owners, mostly because groups perviously spoiled the opportunity given them. Also as a single hunter I have had more flexibility in making outing plans and certianly learned the hard details of hunting the animal I was after not just from the experiences of my hunting buddies.

Some of the issues about safety and health are pertinent. I have been out many times as a single hunter, even as youth, and came in thinking "that was kind of crazy" or "bringing the deks would have been easier with another" I don't want to take chances with my life but some times I/we do so because I/we enjoy the hunting so much that we kind of forget self preservation. Some times I go out because there is no one else to go that day... just something you've planned to do.

I've given thought to the old age thing and know that things start to happen in our bodies in the 40ies and don't get better. We all want to keep going like an old mountain goat, but just can't. I want to be able to hunt with my kids or perhaps my grandchildren, mostly because I want them to experience the joys I've had. I plan to hunt into my 70's -80's if that is what the Good Lord has for me, but if my knees give out or my eyes fail I will have wait on Him.

With the idea of getting older and thinking of potential harm that might come to me I've recently given more thought to hunting with others. In fact, because I feel that I am still able to go hunting, I'm offering to take older hunters who don't want to hunt by themselves and or perhaps have considered giving up hunting because of just such concerns.

I consider myself to be an avid waterfowl hunter and offer to any hunter 65-ish or anyone who considers themselves to be "older" the opportunity to join me someday on a waterfowl hunt in Illinois on the Des Plaines River at the confluence of the Illinois River.

For replies to the invite e-mail me at flethcrew433@att.net
. I am also willing to take disabled hunters of any age.

[rickjordan]

I agree that cell phones are a hassle! I am 38 and hunt either by myself or with my Dad. I know what people mean by the aches and pains and just not feeling like it! My Dad- I used to not be able to keep up with him when he was my age and now I have to be careful and wait for him and pace myself so I don't overdue it for him! I really don;t have any fears about hunting by myself! Most of the deer I have shot, I was hunting by myself and I have almost fallen out of tree stands and have learned my lesson regarding that! I have a son who is five years old now and he will be hunting partner for the next 30-40 years and I am sure he will say the same things about me when he is my age!