Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Hows your outdoors / hunting desries / habits changed as you get older.

B

bigboreblr

5 year old buck +
So, I'm 45...... Used to be a huge iron sight fan. Just put a scope on my last peep sighted centerfire rifle.....

Fall is coming and folks are chatting about hunts they're going on and wish they could. Damaged my foot in a car accident years ago, was ok, then plantars foot came in bad in that foot 5 years ago, and last year I damaged it a little more sliding down a bank while fishing.

Short story long, dont really have any interests in travel hunts anymore. Wife loves the ocean, so we travel fish more. No more 4 mile hikes along the surf for rips n cuts where flounder and stripers hide.

Fought hard on buying an ATV, thought it would ruin my ADK hunts. But walking more than a mile is real rough for me. So, i 2017 got an ATV.

Used to stay in the stand up in the adirondacks until about 9am, then slowly stalk around for them. I'd be out sunrise to sunset. I till stalk hunt a bit, but it's from stand to cabin, or go between stands and take beaks. USed to take small game hunting hikes in new forstland in the catskill mountains too.

Gave up on the NH moose lottery a few years back too.

Wondering what you guys have changed, or are fighting against old man time on.......
 
I'm 41 and there is no question my desires have changed. From hunting our 200 acres to travel elk and waterfowl hunts, I've been at it for over 30 years. I think it is a natural progression once you achieve success (whatever that may be in your own mind). Throw kids into the mix and it really mudddy the waters. I'd say I am now transitioning to more of a land steward. Seeing through the establishment of trees and NWSG/polinator habitat is what's bringing me joy. Oddly enough, I find myself wanting to fix and do everything right for the next generation of hunters. It consumes my thoughts vs that 14pt that just showed up on camera.
 
I used to fish as a young man I do not fish hardly ever anymore. I no longer bow hunt pretty much just rifle and not really that much of it. Bad Knee, bad lower back, and arthritis in my neck vertebrae this getting old shit is not for the faint of heart.
 
well I don't do anything even a fraction as much as I used too, I wish I could blame it all on being older, but to be honest, a lot of it is simply due to, the I DID IT been there done that, so many times, the drive to do it again isn;t there as it once was!
then add in the long list of injuries over the yrs and new health problems, they sure sucked the wind out of my travels and drive to go all over hunting/fishing/traveling
then the ultimate deal breaker, getting injured, causing me to loose my job and my income, I was used too, always figured when I was older I'd be better off, what a hard opil,l to swallow now things ain;'t so!

but I can sure tell you, once that budget goes and unable to get it back, you;d be surprised what motivation you loose to do what you used to, then add in age and health issues?? you sure don;t do what you used too !
as when them funds ain;t there, your forced into a lot of things you maybe didn;t want to stop doing that forces your into stopping!
life is sure a lot of up's and down's if you ask me
enjoy what you can, when you can , is what I say
as I am so glad I did all the things I did when I was younger and could
had I waited till I was OLD/older I'd never be able to do them!
so I consider myself lucky for doing all I did when I could!

and will echo that getting old isn;t fun or easy!
 
I hunted Canada for geese and bears, and hunted several Western states for elk and deer and birds for some years. Great times.....and memories. I loved duck hunting in my youth and pheasant hunting in MN, Iowa, and Dakota. Never missed a fishing opener.....and spent as much time on the water as possible in the summers.....and to a degree in winter too. For many years I was into predator calling and varmint hunts. Even called a bear with a dying rabbit call. Did a lot of prairie dog shoots in the 80's and 90's. Trained dogs for field trials and at one time was President of our local retriever club.

Sold my fishing boat earlier this year.....as I lack the patience to fish anymore.....even tho I live on the lake. I still got a pontoon boat, but mostly use it for guests and going out to eat. I have never fished from our 'toon. Then too.....fish are far harder to catch anymore via "old methods".

There was a time when we would get into a hang-on or ladder stand before dawn and would stay in until after dark.....on many occasions. I would not consider that today. Did western spike camp hunts and horseback trips, etc. Not gonna happen anymore. Too much work these days. Like working on my land and developing the property, and still look forward to deer hunting and family coming for our event(s). Tho I hunt fewer hours and wont hunt out of anything but a quality (safe) blind with a good ladder. Yeah....I like heat too.

I started hunting before I was ten years old......and things have changed allot since then.....and continue to change now at 75. Still look forward to it....just less physical challenges.

I think the old saw: "Been there / done" that is quite applicable here. I do enjoy habitat work tho......satisfying.
 
Used to go on 200 mile waterfowl scouting drives 3+ days a week to find the hottest fields. That rat race became old and the waterfowl obsession died when my lab became too old to go anymore.

Used to spend 3+ weeks hunting out west each year. Moving back to MN, getting married, and becoming a dad reduced that to just 1 week long elk trip per year these past 2 years.
 
I'm north of 50, I used to hunt and fish constantly, a few years ago I found a site called Habitat-Talk. Now I spend my time planting and watering baby trees. I'm not sure yet which one of you to blame for this disease...
 
I will guarantee you young whippersnappers......your hunting days will change with age. Grin. Take care of your body....it's where you live.

Remember: "Time....it's the stuff life is made of." Philosophical Foggy.
 
I'm a little bit different. I turned 67 this year and should be slowing down, but I'm trying to make up for lost time. I didn't have a great place to hunt mature bucks until about 2012, but now set up pretty good. I have also always had a very demanding job that kept me from hunting (and traveling to hunt) like I would want to, but just retired a couple of months ago. I still have quite a few family demands, but I should have more time now. I must think so, because I just brough home a new Ravin R500 Sniper today.
 
Native Hunter said:
I'm a little bit different. I turned 67 this year and should be slowing down, but I'm trying to make up for lost time. I didn't have a great place to hunt mature bucks until about 2012, but now set up pretty good. I have also always had a very demanding job that kept me from hunting (and traveling to hunt) like I would want to, but just retired a couple of months ago. I still have quite a few family demands, but I should have more time now. I must think so, because I just brough home a new Ravin R500 Sniper today.
Click to expand...
I almost feel sorry for the deer..congrats Native
 
Last edited:
About 15 years ago I fixed up a 1990 ford E350 camper conversion. Lots of fun weekends big and small game hunting from there. Wake up, turn the heat and coffee on, go under the covers for a few minutes for the camper to warm up, and out I go. Sad day when she sold...... An older biker couple bought it so they drink at the bar and got get DWI's.......
 
I’m approaching middle age. I haven’t ever done the western or travel hunts and I don’t fish. I spent my 20s and 30s setting up my career. I’m looking to expand my land holdings so I can have more land to hunt and have a place the family can come and hang out.

I hunt less now than ever, not because of less drive but because I know better. I have a few absolute killer spots that require a certain wind and certain conditions, and I will wait until I have those before going in. When I want to waste time in a tree and the wind isn’t right at my place , I’ll hang and hunt on public land. Being more selective on when I hunt prevents the family and myself from burning out.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
In my 30’s and 40’s I was heavily into fishing. Then my later 49’s I moved to my hunting land and rarely fish, but I do take the boat out and cruise, troll.

I use to go to stand at 6 am, sit u til dark. Now, a couple hours in the morning, then go back out for a couple hours in the afternoon.

Since I moved to my land, I have been cutting down a lot of trees, so I can plant trees. You guys understand.

Bow hunting was daily from mid October-Rifle hunting. Then after, now I go out when the time feels right, and pictures tell me when and where.

I also am starting to enjoy vacationing, rather then can’t wait to get home to hunt or fish. My wife appreciates that.
 
I just turned 58, biggest change for me as I've gotten older is slowing down on chasing "limits".


I no longer feel I have to shoot my six ducks and five geese..but some days I do. When I was younger it was a must.
I stopped shooting does and young deer on our properties a few years ago even though I do like to eat them, I like to watch them more. I used to think I had to tag all the way out every year. My boys shoot nice bucks so there is always venison to be had.
I don't duck and goose hunt like I used to at all, if I get out 6-8 times in fall for them that's fine...sitting out late season in the cold isn’t as fun as it used to be, and I feel I have nothing to prove. I used to duck hunt every day I could and traveled all over north America to do it, was in duck clubs in Canada and Arkansas for years. I've transitioned more into upland bird hunting in the past five years, even though I've always hunted pheasants and grouse now they are my main things to chase. still enjoy sitting in a stand but I do more deer watching than shooting.
I can see in the near future when I will be putting down my bow and switching to a new crossbow.

I feel I have more empathy for the animals I shoot now too.

I get just as much fun doing habitat work and growing things as I used to hunting and fishing all day. I like vacationing with the wife more than doing out of state hunts now.
 
Yea its tough to get old! Just turned 50 this summer. Lots of days I long for the old days when I used to hunt almost every day of the duck season, seemed like I could set in a tree stand every day of deer season if I was so inclined. The last 4 years of life just seemed to have gotten busier and never enough time to hunt like that anymore. Now with the new land purchase I feel the excitement of getting back in a tree stand building. More so just a way I think to chill and relax from the normal every day rat race. I will shoot a big buck if one comes along and maybe a doe or 2 if they need thinned a bit. Would rather see the kids get the chance to shoot something, hopefully before I am too old a chance to take a grand kid or two. LOL None of our older kids seem to be in a hurry to have kids. I really should thin out the waterfowl gear as it takes up a lot of space. Used to trap a bunch, maybe I will run a few traps again this winter after Christmas just to be outdoors, fur prices are miserable not that was ever much of the real factor. Would love to run along predator line again someday, but not this year.
 
Wind Gypsy said:
Used to go on 200 mile waterfowl scouting drives 3+ days a week to find the hottest fields. That rat race became old and the waterfowl obsession died when my lab became too old to go anymore.

Used to spend 3+ weeks hunting out west each year. Moving back to MN, getting married, and becoming a dad reduced that to just 1 week long elk trip per year these past 2 years.
Click to expand...
I can well remember when avid goose hunters would follow flocks of Canadian geese from southern MN into Iowa......to watch them land for the night. Then get permission to hunt....and either try to put the sneak on them.....or wait for the next morning to get to those geese. Shooting a honker back in the 60's was a real trophy affair. Today? .....not so much.

When we hunted Saskatchewan for geese....we would shoot all the speckle bellies we could .....and perhaps take a few Canadians to round out our bag. If you shot a snow goose.....you would catch chit from everyone for shooting seagulls. We would put out 100 full body decoys and as many as 500 semi-silhouette decoys - which I made. We pulled geese from everywhere. We hired pit diggers, paid for our license, paid our gas, food and our booze, and paid to have our birds processed.......and a weeks worth of hunting would cost us $500. TOTAL. IIRC we had a 30 goose limit (or was it 50?)....plus ducks....which we did not try to get very many. Yikes....to be able to do that again.

The guys I hunted with all grew up as hunters.....and we all were pretty good shooters. My family learned to hate eating ducks and geese.....lol.
 
I had foot surgery and they screwed that up but I tough through it and I take alot of aleve.I think it;s harder on my body doing habitat work than hunting.If you have planter faciitis go get the shot.I had it bad and got 2 shots a year apart and haven't had it since now I get a shot in my hand so I can move me thumb without screaming.
 
I’ve become more jaded. When I was younger I would hunt hard on bad land in bad areas and still believe I had a shot. I also took pride in trying to understand game and how seasons and behaviors impacted movements. I would stare at topo maps trying to find pinches, points, saddles and funnels and then scout for hours and days pre and post season. Now with all the technology I feel we are going down a slippery slope, me included. We know when a buck farts on our property and when there isn’t one within our borders…and I hunt accordingly. If I haven’t received intel from a camera of a good deer on my place in a couple days or weeks I don’t approach my hunt with any optimism, it’s almost the exact opposite. I start wondering why im leaving my family when there is nothing worth shooting running around.
Luckily now I’m more and more into habitat work. That is my true pride. Yes I want to kill a booner every year but honestly I also want to hear quail or see poults or provide enough cover and food to save 2.5 and 3.5 year old bucks from my neighbors. Owning land has re-ignited my passion for being outdoors.
 
At 57 I too use to chase limits and filled tags and if the season went by with unused tags it was a failure but over the last 10 years I’ve mellowed out. Now I want quality time and try to fill specific goals in a season, my current goal is to kill a buck with a stick bow. For the last 7 years I tell myself any legal buck will do but when it comes down to it I pass up the smaller ones hoping they’ll wander by my wife’s blind. I’d rather she’d kill one than me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Shearwood Forest
2
Replies
34
Views
2K
Bowsnbucks
B
Top