Originally Posted By: SixsixtyMagsI'm 72, and it is getting harder!
My hunting buddy is 67, everywhere we hunted this year we made sure that we could get a deer out with a deer cart. Without that deer cart there is no way I would want to drag deer out of where we were hunting, we both have homemade carts with 26" wheels on them, what a difference getting deer out. I can hunt deer on my property and did get a buck there 2 yrs. ago, at least I still have that option if things really go downhill!
Might add, my buddy may have stopped hunting without me to go with. He had a back operation and wears a patch for pain, new patch he feels pretty good, next day some pain, and the 3rd day he's really in pain, then time for a new patch. I don't know if I would even want to hunt anymore if I were in his situation, sure doesn't sound like fun.
I'm "only" 54 next week, but broke my lumbar spine when I was 14, put my head into a couple of windshields along the way, and now have 2 double-level spinal fusions - one lumbar, one cervical - and at least 3 more "bulging" discs that I know of. That said, I'm more comfortable in the last 10 years or so since my surgeries, than the prior 30 carrying all those unhealed wounds around. Just flat out hurt!! Point is, I guess I got old young, and learned NOT to cross over every hill and mountain in my way to testosterone-laiden glory, due to increasing the pain. But I "wanted" to cross all said hills and mountains.......point - although it isnt as glamorous, there can be just as many deer, turkeys, bear, etc. next to the road in places, and since you only are gonna eat less than half of a given animal's body weight, boning the meat out in the field 1. saves a LOT of weight to be drug out! A decent lite wt. pack makes this all that much easier, 2. a good lite wt. seating arrangement your body likes when your resting, on stand, calling, etc. is much the same, 3. good boots that work for you are also the same, 4. choosing "easier" terrain, or easier modes of transport (like AWS's cycle, or a mt. bike, etc.) are definite options to make the experience more enjoyable), etc., etc. And probably most importantly, at any age or stage, a good exercise regime that works for your body, needs and problems will eliminate/minimize a lot of your issues going afield regularly. On the physiacal end. And it helps the mental too.
Now if your talking about the mental aspect of when you just dont enjoy hunting anymore, well.....I dont know anything about that....yet....LOL! So far, I've just found ways around all of that. In reality though, I dont go out near as much as I used to when I could push though the pain mentally. And for no good reason, either, other than I just got tired of hurting all the d**n time!! And I finally got to a point where I got off the pain pills - no addiction issues, just needed to get healed after so long of being injured w/o correction, enough so that I could dump the pills, and deal with what pain remained. The drugs can mess your mind up. I do WAY more reading on here and other sites, than I do hunting.....and that is sad! No offense intended, guys!! LOL - great site, with a BUNCH of great knowledge and chatter here. But pain "taught" me sitting still was easier, in a reclining comfortable chair......but in no ways better. I digress.....enjoy your life the way you wish, as it is only so long that we get to enjoy the bounty of this life.