When is it time to stop pulling the trigger?

Drew the Wyoming elk tag, will take 3 rifles(1 a 45-70 Knight kp1). This year I'm going to up my walking(non running days) by wearing a weighted vest. I think it will help avoid the shoulder joint pain that can come from shooting the bow or wearing a pack.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogLOL, every year I say this is it, I'm done. But when October rolls around I'm in the woods again. Kinda like when I say I don't need any more rifles and buy three in two weeks. LOL! Last year the nice 9 point I shot about killed me getting it out of the woods and into the truck but I got it done. Just took me a little longer than it did when I was younger. And..I was a little more sore the next few days.

Never say,"I'm done", Bill, half the fun is adapting. With every passing year, something else bends, breaks, rips or tears, but, ya just gotta know your limitations and adapt.

I've had a bad back for most of my adult life, always paid a price if I tried to manhandle a buck, so got a head start with makin' do at a relatively early age.

First edition, mid 1970's (around age 40) built this telescoping boom using hand boat trailer winch. Worked well on several different vehicles for 30 years as long as deer was largest quarry. Of course, limited to areas with vehicular access.
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First attempt at handling bigger game was a ramp in truck bed, which worked great, but required emptying the bed prior to loading larger critters. Boat trailer winch in front of bed and rolling drawer w/ramp deployed handles 700# animals w/ease.
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To avoid having to empty truck bed, used same winch in conjunction w/external boom to transport the few miles on ranch roads back to camp. First large cow bent the 1 1/2" schedule 80 pipe boom. Resolved problem before next attempt
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by changing boom angle.

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But the best revision was to put the boom on the jeep. Much more maneuverable in tight places.

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Where there's a will, there is a way.
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Regards,
hm
 
pycodog,
I haven't drug a deer out of the woods in twenty years. If I cant drive to it, it gets boned on the spot and carried out in a pack. Google the gutless method of cleaning elk. Works great on deer. Carry a couple of pillow cases in your pack and do this makes them easy to get out. I can usually have a deer skinned and boned in around 30 minutes. I hunt in rough country and this makes it easy to get them out.

drscott
 
hm- I guess you can say I adapted on my last buck. LOL, I walked back to my truck and drove it back on the road to where I walked in. Then left all my un-needed gear in the truck. A couple of knives and a chunk of rope was all that went back in with me. After field dressing, I tied the rope around his antlers and made a loop that would go around both my shoulders. After about 10 yards of dragging, I figured out real quick this wasn't working. Waay to much brush and limbs on the ground for my drag to work. So, I un-tied and grabbed a handful of antlers and proceeded walking backwards to the truck stopping every 20-25 yards for a break then started again. Wasn't to bad doing that and only had to stop a few times. I finally got to the road and noticed there was a pretty good size drop between the road and where my buck was laying. I dropped the tailgate and back the truck up to the deer and the tailgate was all most level with the ground. Bingo!! Works over!! The buck was a 130+ nine point and guessed weigh of 130-150 pounds. Pretty good haul for a 70 year old 165lb'er. But I guess I adapted and overcome!!
 
Quote:I figured out real quick this wasn't working. Waay to much brush and limbs on the ground for my drag to work. So, I un-tied and grabbed a handful of antlers and proceeded walking backwards to the truck stopping every 20-25 yards for a break then started again. Wasn't to bad doing that and only had to stop a few times. I finally got to the road and noticed there was a pretty good size drop between the road and where my buck was laying.
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Been there, done that, but I was in my 40's at the time. The hog hangin on the 61 Ford in picture above was similar situation.

I arrived at lease with just an hour so of daylight left, so rather than go to camp and get my old hunting car, went straight to the pasture. Shot the hog with light fading fast and he ran into really thick brush. Fortunately, he didn't run over 50 yards, as the crow flies, but I couldn't get through the brush in the straight line he ran. Had to ditch my rifle to enter the brush, it was so thick.

I knew I was alone on the ranch, so had to get him out unassisted. First thought was to take off my belt and loop it around behind the shoulders and try to drag him out. First thing to happen was the buckle failed and I heard it fly through the brush.

By this time it was dark so didn't even look for buckle. Finally figured that with hog on his back, I could straddle him, squat down, grab both front legs and when I straightened my knees could barely get his snout off the ground and waddle a dozen steps before my grasp would slip. Don't have a clue how many times I had to stop to rest, but finally wound my way out of the thicket to a point I could get my truck in.

Fortunately, truck was 2WD (tailgate not as high as a 4WD) Didn't have a block & tackle or come-along but managed to use a nylon rope, tied some loops and stringing that like a block and tackle managed to lift his butt up high enough and tie it off to a tree so I could back truck up and lift head & shoulders onto tail gate.

Would have been easier to have gone to camp and switched vehicles but there was several miles and three closed gates between camp.

Regards,
hm
 
Like you, I was alone. Usually a car or truck comes by. Not that day. LOL. Oh well, it makes for a good hunting story. And it didn't kill me even though I wasn't sure about it at the time.
 
My grandfather stopped hunting when 84. He said that way no one would have to drag him out. It wouldn't be fair to them lol He still does benchrest shooting
 
A guy I know bought a plastic sled. He says it works pretty good. The main problem is the deer get hung up in the brush and those dam vines with the stickers on them. I had a cart with big wheels but it tipped over really easy. Spent more time loading it back up after it tipped over. I gave it away. My son says he wants to start hunting again with me. I may have my problem solved. He's big, young and strong as a bull. LOL!!
 
About 10 years ago, I put my paraplegic buddy in a snow sled and stalked both of us into muzzleloader range of a whitetail buck. I think it was harder getting the deer back to the truck, then him out and back. But the the buck was second trip, that probably was the issue. A while after that he put himself in the sled and went about 1/3 mile out and back with his rifle for a coyote. Called me afterwards, from home trying to warm up, asked me to snowshoe out and retrieve the coyote. Said it had spotted him after he had left the sled to go prone to shoot and RAN at him. I kid him all the time about coyote having a sixth sense, what's easier prey.
 
You've seen tougher nights, right? I refuse to sleep in a tent until I have too. My kids are caught up in camping and such, but like I said I'm done waking up in tents... You probably spent plenty of time in a cheap, Gov't issued tent, thanks for that.
 
Originally Posted By: SubpaRYou've seen tougher nights, right? I refuse to sleep in a tent until I have too. My kids are caught up in camping and such, but like I said I'm done waking up in tents... You probably spent plenty of time in a cheap, Gov't issued tent, thanks for that.

What I hate and refuse to do anymore is roll up a wet tent. One of the few things I hated doing in the Marine Corps, never got over it
 


I will be 73 soon. I survived the 60's.
I completed 40 radiation treatments 3 months ago.
I am getting my strength back bought a new rifle yesterday.
I am sending in a form 1 for a new SBR today.
Looking ahead to a great year, everyone should do the same.
The best thing that has helped me the most is my lens transplants.
I can see my iron sight once more, no glasses.
 
Originally Posted By: willy1947

I will be 73 soon. I survived the 60's.
I completed 40 radiation treatments 3 months ago.
I am getting my strength back bought a new rifle yesterday.
I am sending in a form 1 for a new SBR today.
Looking ahead to a great year, everyone should do the same.
The best thing that has helped me the most is my lens transplants.
I can see my iron sight once more, no glasses.



Good on ya; hang in there, Willy!

That cataract lens implant is a game changer, isn't it!?

Regards,
hm
 
Cabelas has a product called the "deer Sliegher" or something like that. Its a sheet of hard plastic that you lace up. Goes thru brush and rocks better than a sled and slides real slick. They make two sizes, get the large one. I've had mine over fifteen years and its just starting to wear. Works great for bears as you can really tighten it up.
 
I'm 71 now, gave up game hunting a few years ago. Sold off the big calibers but still hunt groundhogs and other varmints.

Hope I don't have to give up the varmint hunting.
 
I am going to be 67 in July, and so far the thought of giving up hunting hasn't gotten serious consideration...But my almost 67 year old body is warning me the day is coming. I have a 7 YO Chesapeake Bay Retriever, so I will continue to duck hunt until she can't...Then duck hunting is probably going to change from big lakes, big boats, and massive decoy spreads, to a stool sitting next to a wild rice hole, just off the Middle Branch of the Embarrass River, with a soft shooting shotgun. I might have to borrow my brothers Lab, if a woody falls in the marsh.

As for deer hunting, I am out ahead on this one. First we own a pretty piece of deer country in central WI. So as landowner, I can build roads, trails, heated box blinds, etc., on the property, to make old guy deer hunting possible. I keep a Polaris 250 4x4 ATV(2 cycle), in good working order because there are very few places it can't go to get to a deer carcass. I have a big wheel cart, and plastic sleds, that can get it thru a morass to the ATV if need be. All of my box blinds have fold down windows, insulation, 5 gal. "poop" pails, with TP and red cedar chips keep the blind fragrant, a LP heater, extra LP tanks, and a big old cushy executives office chair, that makes a great napping chair.
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I can drive my ATV to the box blind, throw a Gilly suit over it, and crawl in the blind. But even with all of the old guy planning and enhancements, I am sure there will be a day when I can't physically do it...I hope I die before that happens.

Shooting is another topic. I hand load, and get hours of enjoyment out of shooting and loading. I fear my Sons are going to have to sell a bunch of reloading equipment and supplies.
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Squeeze
 
Just turned 70 and am more passionate about calling coyotes than I have ever been, and I have been doing it for 50 years. Don't run as hard as I used to, but enjoy it just as much or more. With my back problems it takes me forever to get up and down. However, I enjoy it so much that if I happen to fall asleep on a nice fall or winter day laying in a bunch of sagebrush so be it. It is all good at my age. I do have to be careful where I go because I hunt alone and getting unstuck is not as easy as it used to be. My wife worries that I might have a heart attack or stroke while I am out calling. I tell her what a perfect time and place to die. I just take my time and enjoy it more than ever. It is nothing for me to sleep in the bed of my truck or in a tent in cold weather.
 
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