I did something yesterday I never imagined doing. The bank I'm a director of had a 'fun' meeting at a swanky local released bird "plantation" yesterday morning and a quail 'hunt' arranged for the afternoon.
Lately, I've begun to have balance problems leading to being a little tangle-footed walking in rough cover. I consider that to be a safety issue and advised I'd go along but wouldn't join in the shooting.
They insisted on providing me with a Polaris ride and driver so I could just get out and shoot the covey rises. I took the ride and thoroughly enjoyed the outing and watching the others shoot. However, I think my decision was sound and did not shoot. Well, that's not completely true; one Tennessee Red lit in an oak tree over the Polaris while the others were out on a round. I got off the wagon and shot him.
I'm only 70 and in pretty good physical condition considering both a stroke and open heart surgery, so I wonder if I made the right decision. I've hunted birds with older guys I didn't think were safe to be in the woods with anymore. Once a man makes that call, its not something that's easily reversed. I think I'm the only one who can make that call.
George, sounds to me you are very conscientious. All of us age differently so the call can only be made by you. I have seen older men continue to hunt long after they had lost much of their cognitive ability. And they were dangerous to be around with a gun. Doesnt sound to me you are anywhere near that though. Just the fact you are asking the question indicates you still belong in the field. Im 77 and have been blessed with pretty darned good health but I know my limitations. If anything I think Ive become an even safer hunter, being far more concerned about proper gun handling than I ever was years ago. But the time will come.....
One of the most enjoyable aspects of growing older is I no longer have any desire to fill a bag with dead birds but primary emphasis has become the social aspect of the hunt. Im no longer competing with others for bragging rights.
Last edited by Joe Wood; 11/16/1811:16 AM.
When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)
Oh I ain't quitting by any means. I just don't think I'm going to shoot with a group at kick-em-up quail anymore. Too often that turns into a Chinese fire drill!
No wild birds left anyhow, so I'll just take my personal frustrations out on the 'bird of peace'. I like shooting doves too much to quit till they make me...Geo
I'd say when your physical limitations take the fun out of it.
Changing HOW we do things is a necessary part of getting older.
So, if you were always safe, you'll probably always be safe. But, if the way your friends do released birds creates unsafe shooting circumstances, then do't do that.
I don't do skirmish lines or "group" blasting. If 2 guys want to walk up the covey, you take right, and I'll take left flying birds.
You can ease up to the point alone if you want. I'd just do the next one.
Otherwise, sit in the wagon and enjoy the day.
It didn't sound like you were the unsafe member. More the circumstances surrounding you.
George, you'll know when it's time. Just as Joe and I will know when to quit flying. Complacency is more of a danger than physical prowess, believe me.
I'm really old, balance an issue. Upland here mostly solitary, man and preferably a dog. Waterfowling is guns cased to the blind in the company of buddies who know the drill. Invited meet muster.
Practise does wonders for balance, particularly on springy ground of branches after a woods operation, a stick in hand to assist confidence. Those quail, dove, prairie shoots down there look like Manhatten lawns to me.
Practise, practise. Attitude, attitude. With good buddies, it's still heaven.You're good for another 15 years.
Well I am 84 and just came in from pitting out buck lore and will be in my ground stand in an hour or so. I have a talk to myself and if find myself doing anything stupid then I will hang it up but so far so good. That said you will be just fine George you will know when it's time.
one Tennessee Red lit in an oak tree over the Polaris while the others were out on a round. I got off the wagon and shot him.
So what do you think?...Geo
I don't think you should go out with a quail shot off a limb....
jOe, that bird was in the air and all I can tell you was he did not have a foot on the ground. No ground sluicing! And I ain't 'going out'! I just ain't messing with group shooting kick-em-up quail anymore...Geo
Just ask your daughter. They seem to have all the answers for this kind of thing. Beware of them getting a bee in the bonnet about your drivers licence. O.M
70 is too young to give it up. My great grandfather was still having kids at that age with his second wife. She was 35 years his junior. They kids did age him though. He died at 109. I was told he still went duck hunting up into his 80's.
It is all about how well you get around and how you feel about hunting. I took my father dove hunting for the last time at 90. Now six years later he has no interest in hunting at all. Still fairly mobile I would gladly take him again if he changes his mind. Age is a number it is all about how you feel and what level of activity you can handle.
I have shot clays and hunted with men 70+ and had no worries and also been at clay shoots with much younger and older people that I wouldn't want to be around again. If you follow safe practices and don't worry about your score on either game or clays you will be fine.
This ain't a dress rehearsal , Don't Let the Old Man IN
Geo, Hopefully, you have some opportunities to hunt that dont involve running with the youngsters. It is common on pheasant and deer hunts in this part of the world for the oldsters to block the ends of driven fields, taking what comes out before the people pushing it. This give guys an opportunity to avoid being dedicated camp cook for a few more years, if nothing else. I would tell you bravo on having a clear mental picture on what you are, and are not up to at the moment. Perhaps you will see some improvement that allows more participation, but, participating in some is better than none.
A few years ago, on a cold snowy afternoon in January, during our late flintlock deer season, I happened upon an interesting scene. I was still hunting and came to the edge of the woods where a small overgrown field dropped down toward a small wooded creek bottom. Out in the field, overlooking the creek bottom was an old man in a folding lawn chair. He had hunting clothes on, and was cradling his rifle. An old wool Army blanket was partially wrapped around him. I'd say he had to be in his mid 80's or older, and he seemed to be napping. Four wheeler tracks in the snow showed that he was transported there, and left to his hunting. I'm quite sure no one forced him to be out there, but given the opportunity, he made the effort to get dressed and go and sit for hours in the cold, snow, and wind. I assume his son was probably not far away, and would come to do any gutting or dragging if the old guy happened to shoot a deer.
He never knew I was there, and I slipped back into the woods, changed direction and circled toward the other side of the hollow, hoping I might push a bedded deer toward him. I thought it was really cool that he still wanted to be out there, and if I could choose the time and place where I am when my life comes to an end, it would be doing just as that old guy was doing.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
one Tennessee Red lit in an oak tree over the Polaris while the others were out on a round. I got off the wagon and shot him.
So what do you think?...Geo
I don't think you should go out with a quail shot off a limb....
jOe, that bird was in the air and all I can tell you was he did not have a foot on the ground. No ground sluicing! And I ain't 'going out'! I just ain't messing with group shooting kick-em-up quail anymore...Geo
Keith, Thanks for sharing that great story. It's nice to imagine doing what we love when our expiration date comes. I hate to think of giving it up when the time comes due to age, but we have to know our limitations. I want to make the right choice if that happens. Karl
My dad was in his 80's when the doctor said he shouldn't be shooting guns with oxygen on. He was still golfing, he just got a longer tube for his oxygen when he had to keep it on to hit the ball.
I'm 72 and am looking at getting a motorcycle for back country coyote hunting as I don't spend enough time on the bicycle to ride it very far on back country trails anymore.
Like I say retirement is great, the only draw back is you have to be old to do it. I did take a number of years out in mid-life and spent them hunting, fishing and trapping. When fur prices dropped I went back to work to make a grubstake for retirement. I've been retired 10 yrs and love every minute of it, just wish I had the body I had 30 years ago.
I'm pretty sure I'll know when it is time to hang it up.
Interesting George's balance problem has not been addressed. You did mention a prior stroke. Are you a type II diabetic. Loss of sensation or numbness, tingling in the feet. Any medical conditions that impact balance or equilibrium. I would suggest a visit to a good ENT physician or local Physical Therapy clinic that specialies in balance disorders. Advancing age does have it's pitfalls but rule out all the easy stuff before you become a permanent fixture in the spectator section.
We need to walk and hunt the road going through my place. Also you can now drive your buggy back to our duck spot unless you would like to walk it. Trail is more open now. After all....someone has to tell us where the birds are going to land
I posted earlier that I was 84 and still at it and had gone out earlier in the day and put out some buck lore. AT 4:30 PM I shot a fine 9 pointer with a drop tine, field dressed it and the young ones where we live came out and brought it home for me.I still have a tag and will be hard at it again. never give up if the old brain is still in place.
one Tennessee Red lit in an oak tree over the Polaris while the others were out on a round. I got off the wagon and shot him.
So what do you think?...Geo
I don't think you should go out with a quail shot off a limb....
jOe, that bird was in the air and all I can tell you was he did not have a foot on the ground. No ground sluicing! And I ain't 'going out'! I just ain't messing with group shooting kick-em-up quail anymore...Geo
You said he "lit"
Maybe you should check out that single shot rifle in the sale section.
How much walking do you do, Geo.? While the suggestion given prairie ghost may also have some application, I cannot imagine that slowly increased amounts of walking, eventually in uneven ground, and even in some ground cover, wouldn't help some.
My Grandad had a stroke in his mid 70s, leaving him with limited usefulness on one side. He was a very determined man and exercised and walked until he got back so much of his lost function that you couldn't tell it had ever happened.
All cases are different, but walking a lot is great for many aspects of our health and well being. Walking a mile around fields on the uneven end rows, etc. carrying a gun might even better in your case than walking 4 miles of sidewalks.
I think around other folks that may have some unpredictability issues, you do what your best sense tells you to do.
I'd take Stan's thought a bit further. With your doc's okay, I'd consider joining a gym with a good trainer. They might take a look at how you walk and move, and figure out which muscle groups to strengthen, coordinate and condition. Only a thought.
I like Stan's analogy. What I do to keep bird hunting fit is to bicycle a lot in the summer, sometimes as much as 1000 miles and just to stay as active as I can comfortably. At 71 it has worked so far. I also try to listen to my body and be aware of my limitations. I imagine myself hitting the ground like a well used shot shell someday, doing what I love to do. Karl
I'm a walker. Never got in to running that much, but I walked to school and back as a child and still walk a mile or two 3 or 4 times a week.
I can walk fine in the woods where I can see my feet, but the released quail hunt I mentioned last Thursday was pretty grown up cover and this was the first time this year it had been hunted. I didn't shoot because I didn't feel safe.
I completely agree that exercise is an absolute necessity for continued mobility and quality of life as we grow older. I'm going to work on the balance aspect, but I've reached the point where if my better judgement says don't, I won't...Geo
My father is 96. Walks 1.5 miles every day except if the weather is good and he ups it to 2.5 miles. Does three .5 mile walks or two 1.0 mile walks with a .5 mile walk at mid day. This after having a minor stroke at 92. He worked to get full recovery, his stroke was limited but he did the PT like he was splitting firewood.
His diet is a cardiologist night mare. If you can fry it he will eat it. When I visit him I cant eat what he does. But like most men who grew up in the Depression, hard work, long hours or physical activity is all he knew when growing up. He never lost the ability or willingness to just do it. Still cuts his lawn and his neighbors lawn. Needs the xtra spending money. I cut his allowance last year. He was spending too much on his girlfriend.
Thats funny about Dad, Ky Jon DDS. Sounds like hes quite a man. In terms of when to hang it up, I just turned 60 and this year I had a bit more trouble maneuvering through the Grouse woods than times past. Im not ready to hang it up, but Im finding trails are all the more enticing. I always hunted some trails, but not as much as humping the bush. I guess this is writings on the wall, but .....just keep going, stay active, exercise.....the only fountain of youth we really have.
Thanks for sharing the 16ga Wyoming Chukar link. At 71, I can admit my mountain hunting days are in the past, but prairie long walks for Sharptails and Huns are still on the menu.
Old Harold the Chinese guy at the range (RIP) was shooting a nice 20g M21 on the skeet fields with his O2 backpack for the last year. He would shoot and stumble back a step or so. Anyone that shot with him would stand behind him and steady him. I once told him not to worry, I'd catch that beautiful 21 before it hit the ground. He replied, and I quote: "Thanks a lot!". Everone helped him, near the last part of his shooting days, we carried a chair around the skeet field for him.
Stan, I hunt nearly every day ice permits lakes and ponds, after that open and moving salt water, blinds on fresh and salt water at each end of our property. Many days don't shoot, enjoy the company and watching my Lab pick up for my buddies.
I hunted without a dog with buddies who had dogs or boats when my last Lab died several years ago. At my age, I couldn't train another and see it through. My mostly retired kids said I couldn't live without a dog, and James was pushing the arse off me to get smart and start living.
I lucked into four-year-old MH Lab last year, out of Iowa. My life is back. Independent, free to pick up gun, dog and bag of decoys and out the door. Every hunt takes me back 75 years although I seem to take more notice of the sights and smells; every day is a premium.
But to your point: the kindness, sometimes a tenderness, comes from younger buddies I've hunted with all these years. You may not have reached that point, judging from your photos and company, but if you haven't you've many pleasurable years ahead---dog or not.
You could try changing your negative views about our 2nd Amendment and our NRA. That would be an improvement, but such an abrupt change could cause withdrawal symptoms in you.
There is a steady rain and falling temperature today for our first day of deer season. Once again, my hunting umbrella that screws into a tree is proving to be one of the best things I ever bought. I've only seen a couple does so far, but there is lots of time and I always regretted filling my tag early after waiting all year for this.
It's funny how the alarm clock going off at 4:30 am is such a welcome sound when it comes to going hunting. I hate to even think that there may come a time when I can no longer do this.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
I am half past 67. I am actually better health now than a number of years ago. Most folks say I do not look that age. Here is how I have come around. I started lifting hand weights about a year ago. When I first started in could barely do it 10 times a side. Now 90-100 times each side. I do this 5-6 days a week. Working various muscles. I now walk with my wife 1 1/2 -2 miles 5-6 days a week. Also floor exercises. Not heavy stuff, more toward lifting legs, back and stomach muscles.
George. I read in a health magazine that is is common as we age is a loss of balance, which accounts for more broken hips and other various bones due to falls. I was doing exercises to help my balance, but dropped the ball on this one. I was noticing a difference. I need to restart this again. These are very simple and easy stuff. My biggest problem was procrastination.
Now you have my input. Stay well all
John Boyd
John Boyd Quality Arms Inc Houston, TX 713-818-2971
I'm still trying to answer the original question. I don't need to be sold on the joys of being outdoors; I just got back from a five day fishing trip to the Everglades snook fishing. I still love it but getting in and out of my own boat has become a challenge.
John, my exercise routine is quite similar to yours (when I do it) and it works but has not solved my balance and strength problem. I can do it for six weeks and get ready for a trip, but I'm a little sorry about it if I have nothing to look forward to. I've stopped accepting kick'em up quail invitations for safety sake. However I still love dove and duck hunting, I killed a buck this Fall and a gobbler this Spring. I'll quit it all when my body makes me. Meantime it will be a safety issue for me. Best to all...Geo
After my drowning late last summer I recovered very quickly. I pushed myself to get back the weight I lost (20 lbs.) while laid up in the hospital, and my strength back. By sometime during the holiday season I felt I was fully recovered. At a checkup with my GP during the late winter months he asked what was up with my blood pressure. It had risen to the 160s over the low 90s. He said he wasn't going to tolerate that and then asked if I was still exercising. I replied that I didn't resume after my recovery from my accident. My "exercising" consisted of jumping rope in the style that fighters do in training, jumping twice for each revolution of the rope (jumping the rope 100 times means you jump 200 times). He told me to get back to work with the rope and see him again in one month to see if I had to go on blood pressure meds. I started back in earnest the next day. I could only jump about 20 times when I started back. But, each day it increased and I would push myself to do as many as I could. Before too long I was doing as many as 150, twice a day (that's 300 jumps for each, or a total of 600 jumps that day). Monitoring my b p at home I found that it was dropping fairly rapidly. My lung capacity increased drastically which made me feel better all over. When I went back to see the dr. after one month of jumping rope the nurse checked my b p and wrote it down on the chart. When my doc came in to see me he looked at it and said that he had never seen anyone who hated to take meds any more than me. My b p was down to 132 over 83. He grinned and said for me to keep it up, and he would see me in 6 months.
Cardio exercise is amazing in what it can do for a person, even at my age of 69. Jumping rope gets you to that heart pounding pace quicker than anything I know of. Looks like I'm stuck with doing it from here on out, or go on meds. Some days I have to really make myself do it, but it's far better than the meds.
Age 60 - playing basketball in Romania smoothly with knowledge, jumping well.. problem with pulled muscles - average drive 280 yards Age 65 - After Afghanistan. Right shoulder replaced. But doing personal rehab (5 mos) afterwards could take wallet out of left pocket and throw better than ever. Balance was excellent. Average drive 260 Age 70 - Africa - swimming a mile. No weights. excellent balance. 45 min 5xweek on alternatively elyptical, treadmill and erg/rowing machine. (all cardio - low impact - do not jog!!) Average drive 240 Age 75 - Africa - Arthritis in left shoulder - can't swim the crawl anymore - no weights. But still on the machines and doing a lot or walking with pack. Balance getting sketchy. Average drive 230 Age 77 - Today...on the way back to Africa. Walking 3 miles a day. No weights . Average drive 225. Like to support myself when getting dressed (re balance and neuropathy). Still can jump with surprising spring in the ankles...working at it.
Aging is not for the faint of heart. But if I couldn't shoot, jump, fight and run..(the old Special Forces Vietnam era "Maryann Barnes" song mentioned a variant - "Shoot, jump, fight, f**q")...I wouldn't be headed back to the Sahara.
http://itsligorfc.wikifoundry.com/page/Mary+Ann+Barnes (And Note the internet is in error: this is exclusive...Mary Ann Barnes was never identified as "fat." That verse should be: -- "She's a great big son of a Byatch, -- twice as big as me, -- Got hair on her @$$ -- like the branches on a tree
-- She can shoot, jump, fight, f**q -- Fly a plane and drive a truck -- She's the kind of girl who's goin to marry me -- She's Special Forces Ranger Airborne Infantry -- And Mike Force toooooo
But I think the key as Stan says is always cardio...get the pulse ups to 70% and keep it there for 30 minutes. (For your 100% take 220 and subtract your age...so at 77 my 100% should be 143 - 80% is 115., 70% is 101 - In walking at a fast pace I'm usually at 105...I regularly hit 140 on the machines when I jack up the incline....not sure that's good...).
And Stan..knees go..try the low impact cardio - especially the erg/rowing machine. (you know water...and I grew up rowing flat bottom punts in north Florida black-water lakes....never heard of the competition stuff..but you'd love it).
And stay the hell way from medicine. I got persuaded to take a Statin 6 years ago for high cholesterol (hereditary) and it gave me gout!!! Don't take squat other than aspirin unless you're force too.
Finally personal discipline is everything...you have to do this stuff... I was doing it 6 days a week, with one rest...then 3 x 3.. I'm down to 2 days on 1 day' off...not training for the olympics so be sensitive to how your body feels.
Argo is right on the money. Stay the hell away from the meds unless you have no-other choice. Diet and exercise is the only way to age with even a small margin of grace. Start by walking your dog regularly (What? You don't have a dog....get one! Great motivator and a purpose to keep moving.) Walking should then lead to other physical activities, like sit ups and leg lifts to tighten up your core muscles. Slow and steady is the ticket. Free weights can be added in after that for upper body strength. You might see a medico for blood work and recommendations on supplements and anti-inflammatories to help keep you moving. I do lutein for eyesight and Relief Factor (TM) for the inflammation. Testosterone replacement is useful as well, if done prudently. And...even if you can afford it, don't outsource your life. Mow your own grass, shop for your own food, cook your own meals (learn how!), and wash your own vehicle. Get outdoors every chance! Pick berries and make jam, plant a few flowers, fish in the warm months, and hunt in the cooler ones! Fill your life with people (family, church, car clubs, gun clubs, etc.) Watch the booze...a little is fun, a lot is usually trouble. Be proactive medically, don't let things drag along. If you can afford it, fix it! Make plans and execute them, don't sit around and feel sorry for yourself. Have a mission! And finally....be fun to be around, don't [censored] and criticize how things appear to be going in the world. You're an old fart now and nobody gives a shit about what you think.
There....I feel better already.
BTW: I'd like to hear your version of "Mary Ann Barnes" be sung by a bunch of hardasses....
I can't help but note how the life expectancy has increased during my lifetime. Modern medicine along with it's range of pharmaceuticals must have been some advantage over my granddaddy's time even though there seemed to be more fit old men back then...Geo
I'm counting on that. Fix your damn teeth so your heart doesn't crap out. If a hip wears out or knee goes bad...replace it and keep moving. Stem cell repairs are commonplace now (I did my lower back 5 years ago now, it was life-altering). Eyesight sucks?, go get the lazer or the "crystal" lens replacement, can't hear? Go see the folks at Costco for their cheap but effective units you can tune from your smartphone. We all know about the significant downsides of tobacco (smoking and otherwise) and carrying excessive weight. There is no mystery about eating real food (and not the processed stuff). There are clearly some things you can't do a work-around on just yet, but... it's pretty remarkable when you consider what the options are that you now have if you do your home work. Even 20-years ago they mostly weren't around, but they are now. Get on with it.
For all of us who want to continue our outdoor pursuits well into our 70s, 80s and 90s, I highly recommend the "Younger Next Year" series of books by Chris Crowley. He's 87 and is still doing downhill skiing, rowing, long distance bicycling, etc. As some of you have already mentioned, functioning well into your older years is largely about diet and exercise. I found this series of books to be really entertaining and informative.
These are the good old days. Don’t ever forget that.
The boy and I just completed 90 miles around Lake Pepin on elderly, if not antique bicycles (24” Raleigh rod braked Roadsters) so, I guess my fitness level is into the pink, if not exceeding it. Stiff muscles today, that hill between Bay City and Maiden Rock on Wisconsin 35 gets a little steeper every year, I think. I’m no longer waiting on the boy, he flew up that hill, flew through the whole course on a 1969 DL1 with 8” cranks and 28” wheels. I’m with the other old guys, floating into the rest stops for a break. I had a few Red Stripes on the ride, both days. 7 hours with no beer would be a dull ride. Yea, I drank water, too.
I know a few people in their 50s-60s that prattle on about how they want to live to be 100. Funny thing, I’ve never met someone in their 90s who wants to do that.
Careful what you wish for. Use the active years, wisely.
_______________________________________________________ I’ll be a first responder to Lonnys’ first grand mall event, but, he is going to wake up with a bunch of boot marks on his head and groin from me trying to wake him up, before the actual lifesaving starts.
_______________________________________________________ I’ll be a first responder to Lonnys’ first grand mall event, but, he is going to wake up with a bunch of boot marks on his head and groin from me trying to wake him up, before the actual lifesaving starts.
Grand mal maybe?
I bet I outlive every one of you old women. And have 10x more fun.
____________________________ Roll me up and smoke me when I die.
_______________________________________________________ I’ll be a first responder to Lonnys’ first grand mall event, but, he is going to wake up with a bunch of boot marks on his head and groin from me trying to wake him up, before the actual lifesaving starts.
Grand mal maybe?
I bet I outlive every one of you old women. And have 10x more fun.
____________________________ Roll me up and smoke me when I die.
Talk is cheap. Ride the hill.
Best, Ted
___________________________________________________ Guys bring antique pipes to show people at the wall, but, nobody smokes them.
Geo, I logged on here this morning before I took the 3 grandkids (5, 3 1/2, & 2) for their weekly trip to the lake so your question was on my mind as they paddled and played in the sand and then ate a picnic lunch. Since I've already lived past my "three score and ten", I've dealt with your concerns and I keep coming back to the same answer as John's above. I'm not going to hang'em up. I'm going to make another adjustment and keep going.
I used to not even think about grabbing a 50lb kayak and carrying it down to the lake. Then the time came when I had to drag them up and down the beach. Finally, two years ago I bought one of those two wheel dolly's that slips over one end and you pick up the other and roll it down to the water. Grandma asked me today why I had three kids pushing on the boat as we pulled it back up the hill to the truck. I told her that I was getting ready for the day when they were going to have to launch it for me. That will be my final adjustment.
Then last weekend I told my son that we already have a pair of small earmuffs but I need him to buy a pair of child's safety glasses. The oldest just turned 5 and he can start going to the range with me. The BB rifle is ready and a couple of months ago I stumbled on (& bought) two boxes of 22 shorts for the old Stevens Crack Shot. After that I've got an extra short LOP Ithaca double in the safe for the next step.
When I finish posting this, I'm going to the bench to load some light load, low pressure, low speed 16's for my next trip to the range. Sure, they're for the 100+ year old wood on my doubles but they're equally for my cervical spine which responds to recoil by numbing my trigger finger hand. I've experimented with and settled on some low pressure loads that I can shoot 100 rounds of and not have any residual effects. I admit that I don't have much more room for adjustment in these loads but I'm going to keep adjusting as long as I can.
And when I can't shoot anymore or can't get on the water anymore, my happiness is still going to be full. You can see a pretty good reflection of why right here.
I have had the pleasure to introduce all five of my kids to hunting. Two are big time still, two go with me to humor me and be good company and the last has no interest anymore. Grandkids are still a couple years off and only then with mommy’s consent. I figure the eldest will gladly be my hunting partner for the next decade until he discovers girls or goes off to college. I hope to shoot another 20 years but will give it up whenever I can’t do it well enough to have fun. If grandkids are shooting then I’ll just go watch them and enjoy that.
I’m good. Me mum taught me how to go down a slide when I was a little bitty baby.
___________________________ mmmm….motor boatin’
A 60 horse bike, and a 60 horse boat. Keep it under 80, brother.
Best, Ted
_________________________________________________________ I can almost hear the soft rock on the radio, and taste the Diet Pepsi. Sorry if I hurled on you.
There is an easy way to know when it is time to stop hunting and shooting....
If you are a shooter and a gun owner, but feel compelled to vote for anti-gun Liberal Left Democrats., then it is well past time to hang it up. This foolproof test shows you are unable to connect the dots, and you are obviously too mentally unfit to handle firearms. In fact, you should probably stay away from sharp objects like pencils, and switch to crayons.
Unfortunately, there appears to be no cure for this affliction, and you will die stupid.
A true sign of mental illness is any gun owner who would vote for an Anti-Gunner like Joe Biden.
_________________________________________________________ I can almost hear the soft rock on the radio, and taste the Diet Pepsi. Sorry if I hurled on you.
This thread started in 2018 regarding giving up hunting. There are likely very very few of us who have not been forced by events outside our control to give up some physical/recreational activity which we enjoyed, and likely was part of who we were. Some emotional/relational "traumatic amputations" are also pretty painful...and just don't heal. And although diet and exercise matters, most of what determines our long (and good) health is our genetics...for which we have no say...and for which we shouldn't brag. But we can do our best to deal with what we get. When my FGF was in his teens, he had something wrong in his gut, and went to the early days of the Mayo Clinic and was told he would be dead in 2 years. So he went to Central Baptist Seminary in KC Kansas, started waiting to die while giving his life to ministry, continued to have lots of problems (some of which was likely gluten sensitivity which no one knew about back then), and lived to 107.
There are many once young men who were at the 99th percentile who lost a lot, and spent time at Walter Reed, who are more of a man than I'll ever be. They had to decide, as each of us must, if we want to just live...or be alive.
I don't have time for reading books right now. I took down all the window shutters around my house, which required removing 180 screws. Had them repainted. Today I'm putting them back up, on an extension ladder, by myself again. Stopped for a few minutes to get something cold to drink, and cool off. Back to it in a few minutes.
Don't quit. You are never beaten until you give up. Scrap on!
I spent about 40 days this winter and spring working on a bird habitat project, clearing brush and trees. 4 hours a day, chain saw in hand the whole time, making sure the 20 yo helping me knew he wasn’t going to outwork me. I’m 62.
I retired from my career 5 years ago. After over 30 years I’d had enough of airports, hotels, restaurants and my partners. But it sure wasn’t time to sit around. I’ve been more physically active in the last 5 years than in the previous 30. Hard physical labour, skiing when Covid isn’t getting in the way, picking up tennis again after a 30 year hiatus. Recovery takes longer.....I’m not as strong as I was in my 20’s......clearly I’ve aged. But the way to stave off the years is to keep the body moving.
Also, hang out with people substantially younger! They don’t want to hear about your aches and pains......they want to go do something. Doesn’t matter if it’s kids, grandkids or friends. It helps keep the mind young.
The world cries out for such: he is needed & needed badly- the man who can carry a message to Garcia
Also, hang out with people substantially younger! They don’t want to hear about your aches and pains......they want to go do something. Doesn’t matter if it’s kids, grandkids or friends. It helps keep the mind young.
Hunt as long as its fun. For me its about the dogs. If I kill a bird its for them anyway. I was never into the kill a pile of birds and take the pics and flash them around. If I didn't have dogs I wouldn't hunt except perhaps sitting on a haybale and pass shooting doves. That doesn't count turkey hunting. I'll do that as long as the lord allows it. PS. I have a friend in his mid 70's who has Parkinson's. He should hang it up. Hard to walk and hard to shoot isn't a safe combination. However he has two excellent bird dogs and his wife does the handling and he does the shooting. All preserve birds at this point, but he lives to watch a pair of dogs work birds.
- If one has an extensive collection of firearms, I think it is worthwhile to begin reducing the collection (via sales or gifts) after celebrating one's 65th birthday. Don't leave your spouse and/or friends with the responsibility of liquidating the armory. Keep the few that you regularly shoot.
At age 68, and upon my wife's request, I've begun liquidating what was a fairly large accumulation (not organized enough or focused in a fashion that would justify calling it a collection) of shotguns, rifles and handguns. None of my children have any interest and the grandchildren are too young and, given their parents' lack of interest, unlikely to have any interest. I'm hanging on to the ones I really like (mostly hammer shotguns and .22 rifles), a couple that were my father's and might end up with one of my brother's grandkids, my deer rifle and a spare, and some that I hope to use more regularly when I finally retire. I still have a long way to go to get down to the handful I'd want to keep to the end, but I'm about halfway there. I haven't really worked hard on selling handguns, but given my eyesight, any thoughts of heavy handgun use without some sort of red dot sight or a special lens for my glasses is pretty unlikely.
I have far more ammo for .22s, handguns and centerfire rifles than I ever realized until the pandemic. I'm going to have to work hard at shooting it all up over the next several years. But I'm sure going to try.
I hope and pray that this is not taken in some other way than how I intend it. And it is not intended to be critical of anyone in particular. But, if you decide it's time to start getting rid of stuff because of your age, you have decided "I'm going to be gone soon, and I'd rather dispose of it my way". That's a recipe for disaster, IMO. You may well rid yourself, successfully, of all the guns you have dearly loved for many years, and saved those who succeed you from the effort to do so, but you may have also imprinted into your mind the idea that you're not going to be here much longer. And, that's a good prerequisite for checking out.
My mantra is that I am going to use all that stuff next season, next month, next week, tomorrow. And, do it. I learned some time ago the importance of thinking positive thoughts, and denying negative ones that creep in. Really competitive people, in all forms of sports (and shooting), understand the importance of thinking positive thoughts, programming your mind to believe what you will achieve. The mind accepts what you tell it. The problem comes when you tell it negative things. Like, "I'm 69 now, that's nearly 70, and Lord knows how many of my classmates never made 70. I'd better get my things in order because I may not be here much longer." Damn that!! I will NOT think that way.
Hunt as long as its fun. For me its about the dogs. If I kill a bird its for them anyway. I was never into the kill a pile of birds and take the pics and flash them around. If I didn't have dogs I wouldn't hunt except perhaps sitting on a haybale and pass shooting doves. That doesn't count turkey hunting. I'll do that as long as the lord allows it. PS. I have a friend in his mid 70's who has Parkinson's. He should hang it up. Hard to walk and hard to shoot isn't a safe combination. However he has two excellent bird dogs and his wife does the handling and he does the shooting. All preserve birds at this point, but he lives to watch a pair of dogs work birds.
Pretty much how I feel except for the turkey hunting as I just never got into that due to no dogs being involved.
At one point I was an avid whitetail hunter & now I would rather just observe them although I still enjoy eating venison. Fortunately my wife keeps the freezer well stocked & I'm OK w/ that.
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![[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]](http://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/57865_80x60.jpg)
Everone helped him, near the last part of his shooting days, we carried a chair around the skeet field for him.![[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]](https://i.imgur.com/n5e4zlj.jpg)