Strange Day for Me in the Woods.

I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but understand the theme at 66. Something just comes over you, I dunno. I saw it in my old dad in his later years. He'd go, but not take a shot.

I like the anticipation that comes when the days shorten and the leaves fall. I get all sighted in and ready at the range still to this day. But, lately I have just not felt up to popping a cap at one. There's deer everywhere here now. There's no challenge to it anymore; any goomba can kill one. I got a danged herd that scrapes and ruts in my back yard for crying out loud. Multiple little bucks running around while ole big boy 12 pt grazes at the edge, just like a freakin' scene out of Bambi. But just to prop up on my deck rail and plaster one for the he!! of it at point blank? Nahhh. Add to it the infiltration of CWD in this area... I'll pass for now.

yellowhammer said:

I haven't read all the posts in this thread, but understand the theme at 66. Something just comes over you, I dunno. I saw it in my old dad in his later years. He'd go, but not take a shot.

I like the anticipation that comes when the days shorten and the leaves fall. I get all sighted in and ready at the range still to this day. But, lately I have just not felt up to popping a cap at one. There's deer everywhere here now. There's no challenge to it anymore; any goomba can kill one. I got a danged herd that scrapes and ruts in my back yard for crying out loud. Multiple little bucks running around while ole big boy 12 pt grazes at the edge, just like a freakin' scene out of Bambi. But just to prop up on my deck rail and plaster one for the he!! of it at point blank? Nahhh. Add to it the infiltration of CWD in this area... I'll pass for now.

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I understand what you contend. However, rest assured that it is not that way everywhere.

I do get tempted....

What a story. I had the exact same thing happen to me 30 years ago. I haven't killed another animal since. I shoot, own my fair share of guns and love everyone and they are going nowhere. But just for paper from now on.
David

I have found I get as much enjoyment swinging by the local butcher shop for venison steaks as I do traipsing through the woods for uncounted days. Especially now that the traipsing is no where as easy as it use to be.

50 years ago when I left home to make my fortune, one could stop by most any farm and gain permission to hunt the land. Many times the farmer would even tell you where they'd seen the deer and even help you pick a spot for opening day. 7 years ago when I returned to live once again in my home town, I find the farmers are not as cooperative and many have leased some or all of their land to local hunt clubs that have sprung up all over. And the clubs too own a lot of land. Just ain't the same anymore!

Yeah, the big properties are all tied up in hunt clubs $$$ and "family-only" hunting. I hunt a number of small properties on the islands here. None are farms. One is a landscaping company owner. Others are just good people who let me hunt. Lucky.

Appowner said:

...Just ain't the same anymore!

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Eloquent summarization.

I’m 52, took my last buck in 2018. Had the neighbors’ stock dog blood trail him, right into the pond… 2 hours, a rope-paddle-jonboat later… All that work, for meat I gave away. I don’t eat venison, have never liked it.
No problem killing vermin: coyotes, groundhogs, tree rats, feral pigs. Paid for a lot of dates in college getting $10/yote, all taken with a .22 that was 4 years newer than me. Still have that rifle, and several others. The feral swine are on contract hunts. Landowner comps my fuel and ammunition. His employees collect the hogs, process them in his family packing plant, and give the meat away to struggling families in their community. Yeah, he’s loaded, packing house, ammunition remanufacturing company, and a mid 6 figures city job.
I have stenosis in 9 levels of my spine. Both shoulders, both knees, right hip, right ankle and left elbow have significant degeneration. I’m now 6’2”, was 6’4” at boot camp… I look at it as I’ve had a great life. Still pulling 14hr law enforcement shifts. Medically retired from heavy haul trucking in 2012, got bored.

SeaBee133 said:

I’m 52, took my last buck in 2018. Had the neighbors’ stock dog blood trail him, right into the pond… 2 hours, a rope-paddle-jonboat later… All that work, for meat I gave away. I don’t eat venison, have never liked it.
No problem killing vermin: coyotes, groundhogs, tree rats, feral pigs. Paid for a lot of dates in college getting $10/yote, all taken with a .22 that was 4 years newer than me. Still have that rifle, and several others. The feral swine are on contract hunts. Landowner comps my fuel and ammunition. His employees collect the hogs, process them in his family packing plant, and give the meat away to struggling families in their community. Yeah, he’s loaded, packing house, ammunition remanufacturing company, and a mid 6 figures city job.
I have stenosis in 9 levels of my spine. Both shoulders, both knees, right hip, right ankle and left elbow have significant degeneration. I’m now 6’2”, was 6’4” at boot camp… I look at it as I’ve had a great life. Still pulling 14hr law enforcement shifts. Medically retired from heavy haul trucking in 2012, got bored.

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You need askeleton replacement! And you are not all alone.

SOLANCO said:

You need askeleton replacement! And you are not all alone.

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Hey, I need one of those too! Where do I sign up. My misspent youth has caught up with me but I had fun at the time!

Sometimes just knowing you can is enough.

Like I told my wife when I die don't bury me just take me to the scrap yard, I must be worth something with all of the metal I've got in me!

Boomerang said:

When we get older, it all ain't about the killin' any more. It's about the experience out in the woods.

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As we get older, we tend to think more about our own mortality.
Knowing my time on this old earth is rapidly become more limited, I sometimes am more hesitant to deprive fellow creatures of their chance to enjoy being whatever they are for a little longer.
I pretty much limit my killing animals to the pest species like starlings, armadillos, etc.
I don’t really care any more if I shoot another big game animal or not. Will probably not.

bud in pa said:

Like I told my wife when I die don't bury me just take me to the scrap yard, I must be worth something with all of the metal I've got in me!

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Amen, Brother, amen! I recently saw my chest x-ray and it looked like the concertina wire around a POW camp! Currently scheduled for a new knee and shoulder this winter. Good! Now I have an excuse not to fly... TSA won't allow me near an aeroplane with a bottle of nitroglycerin in my pocket and chock-a-block full of shrapnel cleverly hidden in and about myself.

I go to drink coffee in the stand and insult everyone around a campfire.

smoothshooter said:

As we get older, we tend to think more about our own mortality.
Knowing my time on this old earth is rapidly become more limited, I sometimes am more hesitant to deprive fellow creatures of their chance to enjoy being whatever they are for a little longer.
I pretty much limit my killing animals to the pest species like starlings, armadillos, etc.
I don’t really care any more if I shoot another big game animal or not. Will probably not.

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I discovered this in me a couple years ago. I simply do not have it in me anymore.

Last year , first day of Pa. buck season , I allowed a mega buck to sneak up on me . I walked right past him laying down at an old gas well site. I went down wind of him and sat down on my old seat w/my back against a tree. Had a 15 + mph steady cold wind blowing from my left rear side and did the natural thing , pulled my hood over my face to keep what little heat there contained. Kept watch every where around me , but only occasionally in the direction of the wind. I finally looked into the wind and mister buck and I made eye contact at about 10 yds. distance. He gave me no time to even cock the hammer , and trotted off. I can't say I've ever seen a freak set of antlers like his. Each end of his rack had a vertical tine , with so many vertical tines straight up from his left and right beams they couldn't be counted , as he went from sight. Back tracking him , found out I had passed him by 15 yds. , bedded behind the lee side of the gas well brine tank on the my way in in the morning. He was hidden in a 15 ft. circle of laurel. The hiding place showed he was living there , due to the large amount of deer poop . I want a rematch with him to cap off a 70 yr. long hunting experience. ........oldwoodchas

smoothshooter said:

As we get older, we tend to think more about our own mortality.
Knowing my time on this old earth is rapidly become more limited, I sometimes am more hesitant to deprive fellow creatures of their chance to enjoy being whatever they are for a little longer.
I pretty much limit my killing animals to the pest species like starlings, armadillos, etc.
I don’t really care any more if I shoot another big game animal or not. Will probably not.

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I've told my wife many times, one good thing about being older is we won't have to put up and deal with all the bad stuff that's going on and what's coming for very long. I know it's just the nature of things and history repeating it's self but getting tired of it. Yes i don't hunt much either for the reason you stated. Last year got some deer meat because of road kill .

David Petzal said a lot about hunting. Good stuff. As I've got older I've let more deer walk. (don't tell my wife). But with great -nieces and -nephews who love venison, I've taken a couple-three. But I always think about the deer. I don't give a damn about the horns anymore. Let the young guys brag about who has the biggest uh, ****, I mean horn size.