It's time to turn the page..

[hoochiepapa]

I'm 66 next month, we've decided to sell the camper, and my osteo-arthritis is getting bad.
My wife and I have talked about things quite a bit lately, and agree that it's just getting too hard to go hunting by myself. All the family members I used to hunt with are dead, so I've had to go it alone the last few times I hunted. The arthritis makes it hard to pack anything out, and to keep going up and down those hills. My left hip is almost ready to face replacement, I just had a cortisone shot in it and it doesn't feel much better.
We love the house we moved into last year, sits on half an acre of huge blue spruces and pines, all of them around 50 years old. We have all the privacy we can stand, a koi pond with waterfall, and a view of the mountains. The koi are multiplying often (anybody want some fish??) and we have witnessed the drama of nature with the hawks and foxes that frequent our yard. We were discussing the camper and getting it out to go somewhere, but we like it here so much, we both asked "why" should we go through all that work and then have to cook and do dishes out when we do them at home?
Don't misunderstand, I love the mountains, hunting, the fresh meat, but my body won't go anymore. I've killed 22 elk, I think, and it has been a wonderful life. But things change.
I remember my last hunting outing with my dad. We had hiked up a mountain we call "treeless". When we got to the top, I saw a look on my dad's face I had never seen before, and heard a statement from him I had never heard before. He said, "I'm tired."
The Lord God Almighty has blessed me with many years of hunting, some successful, some not, but I cherish the memory of each one.
I'm going to continue rifle building and engraving, my shoulder getting better with each day.
I guess my point is that each one of you enjoy your life and hunting wih gusto, live as though you have no limits, and hopefully all of you will experience the satisfaction that I am, that I did my best, and respected each and every animal that they deserve.
"I'm tired".

 

[BrownBear]

Well said, Mike. I'm passing along guns by the fistful to the next generations of family as we speak. The mountains are getting taller and I'm getting shorter. Good reasons for me to lay back a little and enjoy the things a little closer at hand while I take pride in listening to the tales (also tall and short) of the inbound generations.

Hats off to you! And I look forward to seeing lots more of your fine work. :hatsoff:

 

[Roguedog]

God Bless you Mike. I guess we will all reach that point someday. A good friend of mine is 81 years old and I think he may have hunted his last season. His old body just can't go anymore. It always makes me sad to see someone no longer able to do what they love to do but the main thing I take away is that you enjoyed every moment and have no regrets. I will try to appreciate my time in the woods this fall just a little bit more knowing that my days are also numbered.

Jeff

 

[roundball]

Well said Mike, a good practical attitude and completely understood. I turned 67 last hunting season and...knock on wood...even without any limiting ailments at the time began wondering how much longer I'd be able (or willing) to answer the alarm at 4:30 to go out in the cold to get a deer I'd just give away. Coffee with my wife by the fireplace gets more and more enjoyable the older I get, LOL.

Hope you continue to enjoy your other hobbies right along
:thumbsup:

 

[wattlebuster]

We will all turn that same page my friend. Im getting closer to that chapter lots sooner than I want too. Keep shooting those rocklocks and maybe the smell of the smoke will keep all those wonderful hunting memories fresh as the whitesmoke air

 

[Britsmoothy]

Beautifully written and God bless you. You have truely enjoyed creation and apprieciated it. Enjoy each other to the full as you clearly do.
Thankyou :hatsoff:

Britsmoothy.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

Just a thought, but maybe a transition is all that is in order. There are a lot of small game out there, the hunts need not be long and you can haul um out in a haversack. Also there are a lot of young men who would gladly trade there hard work for your knowledge. When I was a kid I was camp mule many a hunting trip,just part of young guys getting a chance in the "old guys camp".

 

[VEARL]

Mike,
I know where you are coming from.
I'm 68 yrs old and enjoy my time in the woods. Yes those deer hunting trips are getting fewer and fewer. I too have to hunt by myself since a lot of my hunting friends have passed away or are to frail to continue. Having a good friend to hunt with and to be with at camp is a great pleasure. I do miss the evening chats around the camp with everyone. Guess that is why I visit everyone around the camps.
When the good Lord takes me home, I hope he does it while I am hunting. They can honestly say that he died doing what he loved to do.
Seems that the wife will have to sell all of my guns, since I have no one in my family to leave them with.
Vearl

 

[Spikebuck]

Mike,

Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this, so I can only wish you the best and leave you with this quote from Primal Dreams:

"When we can no longer draw bows, when sinew has shrunk and bone gone brittle, we will hunt in our dreams because hunting is part of our souls."

Look forward to your continued participation and knowledge sharing on the forum, even if it's not hunting stories.

 

[cynthialee]

You made me cry.

:thumbsup:

 

[jamesthomas]

I've almost quit the 4:30am morning stuff myself. I say why? when I've never seen a early morning deer in years of hunting. Mostly its the evening hunt for me.

 

[silly goose]

To everything there is a season. Sad as it may be. Time nor tide, folks...

 

[Carl Fowler III]

Mike, I turned 60 last year and also wondering when it will end...used to say "get it on the ground and then worry about getting it out" now I wonder how close to a road it is before I shoot! But like Sean says, maybe it's just time for a change...lighten your load, .40 cal for squirrels and such...still not a bad way to go...best of luck to yea, whatever you decide upon! :v

Oh, by the way, has anyone seen or heard from my long lost uncle Vearl? :wink:

 

[Flint311]

Very well said, sir. Sounds like you've been blessed and at ease with your life. Not many can say that. May God continue to bless you on this new chapter of your life.

I'm not to your age, but am going through this with my dad, so I kinda understand. Part of the reason I'm teaching my kids the most I can at the present......

Thank you! :hatsoff:

 

[dbutch]

Best of luck in this new chapter..Let your body heal.
Time to get camera with good long range lenses.
Remember there is no bag limit with pictures.
Keep moving..Enjoy your days...dan

 

[Rat Trapper]

I know where you are coming from. Saturday morning I was helping a friend string barb wire for a fence. Before we started that I threw his knife once and then my shoulder started acting up again. Yesterday I threw my own knife couple times and same thing again. I think I'm done with knife throwing. Shoulder just hurts to much to continue. I enjoy shooting my bow in an indoor league during the winter and outdoors on our 3d course. But in the fall when it gets cold I have problems drawing the bow. Every couple years the bow keeps getting dropped in weight and that helps, but the age is catching up. As I get older, I find less desire to chase the critters than before. The trapline will no doubt have to go too one of these years. I hurt like heck when I get done skinning every night. But after the season is over and I have time to think on it, I start planning for the next season.

 

[VEARL]

I'm here. Wanna go huntin' ? :thumbsup:

 

[hoochiepapa]

Sean, I have thought about that also, I started hunting on small game over 50 years ago. But small game here on the front range is just as hard going as big game. Everything is up and down. Where I grouse hunt is steep as the dickens going in, and it just hurts too much.
But I appreciate the suggestion. I'm not sure I'm ready to totally give up, I my have to find new small game territory.

 

[necchi]

There ya go, just find a different way to go about it.

Growing old ain't for sissies, and yet it's still much better than the alternative.

 

[BrownBear]

When I was younger I was kinda disappointed when aging heroes like OConnor and Keith pretty much quit publishing about big game and started publishing about bird hunting. Now I understand!