At the ripe ole age a 51, I just finished my 1st season of Trad Hunting.....I discovered hunting itself only 4 years ago when I bought a wheelie bow. Loved it for those three years, but fate took me to TradGang and I began reading many posted topics and made a decision. I mean I made the decision before I even purchased my Montana Longbow. I have no idea how I knew without even taking one practice shot, but it just felt totally right......so I went and purchased the bow and felt like I definitely made the right move after I took it out back and started practicing. I didn't feel so sure about the decision because of any legendary accuracy mind you. You see I am a total greenhorn in shooting compared to all of you guys who been partaking for many decades longer that myself. The reason I felt so sure was a whole lot less measurable than how close my pie plates were....(not hard when it is a PIZZA PIE plate
mind you ) .........more to the point, the reason just seemed to come from my gut. It just feels good....the whole idea of a stick and a string is comforting in some way. People not into it, like my wife for instance, do not get it....I have tried to explain it to her and even some friends that see that I have become fairly obsessed with the romance of the sport, but only a handful of them even remotely understand. But that is ok. I can't expect everyone to understand, as we are all different. All I can say is I am so glad I am blessed to be able to enjoy this art. Even if I am at a level of a wanna be artist, thats cool, I still love it.
The purpose of this topic is to ask some of the old timers out there who are still enjoying the chase with traditional bows how they are managing, and what their ages are.....my biggest fear is that having started this at 50 years of age, I have a real small window to work with here....if there are stories out there of some of you still releasing arrows at whitetail into their 70's or so, I know it would help motivate a lot of us. Particularly those like myself that started out late and are hoping to enjoy the sport for as long as possible in life....
Look forward to hearing your stories...Thanks in advance
:goldtooth:
Trab
I'm going to be 53 and like everything else when we break half century, how long we do this or whatever else depends on how well we took care of ourselves in our younger years, and more importantly how well we take care of ourselves
from here on out.
I'm only 41 but I say stay in shape and keep shootin'!
Trab I will be sixty in June and still loving it.I still climb trees,just more careful now.I hunted with mostly 55/57 most of my life but have recently dropped wgt.about 5 lbs.b/c was not as accurate with the heavier wgt. unless I shot evey day.Killed a doe on Jan.23rd. and plan on killing some till no telling when.Kip
I'm only 44 but I can give you a little encouragement I called John McDonald (Big River bow Co.) this Past October to talk to him about a bow He had just built for me. John's wife told me he was away hunting for the week. I believe John is in his early to mid 80's.
Old age is a state of mind---I will be 68 next month--and at times my body lets me know---but
my mind does not match my physical age. [at least to me anyways]You have to keep both your body and your mind active---the longer the better.-----------ELF.
Some of these guys look ancient and smell even older :biglaugh: I think as long as your mind is semi-strong and your body too, you can always adjust draw weight and continue for years. I'll be 56 this year and hope to last as long as guys like Norm Blaker, Ron LeClair, and George Stout.
I'll be 55 soon, stay in shape and if your not, get in shape! Don't let anyone tell you you have to shoot light bows if you want to shoot heavier ones. Even if you don't intend to hunt with a heavy draw weight, shooting them is great for building strength and keeping you in shape. Plus it makes shooting lighter weights much easier.
If you want an exercise program that will really get you and keep you in shape try P90X, It really does the job.
Like I said I'm 55, and regularly practice with an 80# bow. Hunt with anything from 50# to 80#.
:archer:
I'm not telling you to shoot heavy, but it will definitely keep you in shape for many years (if you don't try and do to much at one time). Put that in there to keep from getting flack from all those who will begin telling me I'm setting you up for shoulder injuries. If you build up to the heavy weights intelligently this will (most likely) not be a problem.
The biggest thing is just stay in shape and you should have more years ahead of you than you may think!
Mark,I am 55 but I can still overrun lots of 30 years old guys.It depend of what kind of use you have made of your body and how much exercise you make.To shoot the bow is like any other thing in the life,if you are dedicated it is good as long you are able to walk.If I am not wrong Mike fedora is still able to shoot 80 plus pound bows in his mid 80's.I am still able to practice with my 73# bow,but i hunt with 55-65#.take care of yourself and let the love of traditional archery gives you a excuse to stay fit,you'll make yourself a big favor.
I'm 55. I shoot my bows at least 3Xs a week. I work in the Construction Industry and l workout 3 or 4 X's a week. My Grandmother lived to be 106. I figure I still have a bunch of years to hunt and shoot. :archer:
yer only as old as yer thinkin'.
however, you can do only as much as your body will allow.
it puts money in the activity bank to exercise and eat a balanced diet.
sounds like yer on the right track!
Here is a link to an old pfaarttz thread:
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000293
Killdeer (53)
I will be 63 next month. I have noticed the elk mountains are getting a little steeper, but I can still put on 10-12 miles per day without hurting too bad. I hike a lot, ride a bicycle 3 or 4 days a week in good weather, and do pushups and pullups regularly. I shoot a 56# bow just about every day. If I keep ahead of the curve, I think I can be hunting for many years to come. Like most things that are worth doing, it takes determination and a bit of pain from time to time to keep going. But a little bit of pain is well spent when you consider the alternative.
I heard a story on the radio early last hunting season. Seems an archery hunter had been missing for a couple of days. A search was sent out for him and his body was found a couple of hundred tards from his truck. The radio folks were calling it a tragedy, I'm not sure he saw it that way. He was 91. If I can make it into the woods with a bow in hand, into my 90's I would be happy to check out right there.
You got a good 40yrs in front of you if you are lucky and do everything right.
I'm 56 and feel like I have a few miles left in me. Like stated above I also hunt out of a tree and always wear a harness, something I never did when I was younger and thought I was bullet-proof. I wear a insulin pump so I have to monitor myself while hunting and always carry a cell phone. As the picture shows I had to find ways to make the drag to the truck easier.
For me there is nothing like a cold morning watching the sun come up and listening to the wood come alive....Ken (http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac265/lurefish100/Picture957.jpg)
I'm 48 I say exercise and don't try and shoot to heavy of a bow. If you pull something it takes longer to get back in shape. Mike
My boss and mentor is 75, and still shoots a 75# Hill Big 5 and goes to Colorado to hunt elk.
Age is in the mind, (but you gotta take care of the body).
Eat well and stay in shape. Age is sometimes a matter of mind. No matter what age, even if you can't get out in the woods for big game there's always short walks for squirrels, rabbits, stumps...anything to get out there.
I'm 44 ( will be 45 in April ) To some I'm still young, but after having a Heart Valve replaced I feel older. Take care of Yourself, We are not cats and don't have 9 lives.
It's hard to say how long any of us will be doing this, since it comes to the old saying. "When Your time comes, Your time comes" You can help to prolong this. Get checked out by a Doctor. I would also recommend getting a Cardiac catheterization and a prostate checked out for all men 35 and older. Cardiac catheterization , pap smear and a Mammography for the ladies. Better being safe then sorry.
Enjoy this sport of trad archery and hunting as long as You can. Hunting got me off of drugs and alcohol. Bow hunting gave me more time in the woods after My heart surgery. Since then and being on blood thinners I got a enjoyment from life in the woods.
Trab,
I'm 65 and I took up archery when I was about 50. At the time, I was heavily into mountaineering, and didn't take archery very seriously. I mainly shot arrows around the backyard to have something to do with my kids and to relieve stress from working.
When I was about 55, I became interested in traditional archery, and bought a 65# bow. It was on the edge of my ability to pull that bow then, although I was able to crank off 20 pullups as part of my training for rockclimbing. Although I soon switched to lighter-weight bows that I could shoot better, I always kept that 65# bow. It is a beautiful bow, and I guess I keep it as sort of a benchmark as to how I'm doing physically. And you know what? Even though I can't crank off anywhere near as many pullups as I could 10 years ago, and I can't run up mountains anymore, I can shoot that 65# bow better than I could 10 years ago. I took it out to the archery range yesterday, just to see how I could do, and I managed to shoot 25 good arrows, holding at full draw, with rest breaks in between shots as I walked between targets, before my shooting fell apart. 10 years ago, I couldn't even shoot 5 good arrows with that bow.
BTW, I shot that deer you see in my picture two years ago at the tender age of 63. I have found that as I have become less able to climb the high mountains, I have become more interested in archery and bowhunting, which have become my #1 activities as I get older.
QuoteOriginally posted by NDTerminator:
... depends on how well we took care of ourselves in our younger years, and more importantly how well we take care of ourselves
from here on out.
Worth repeating.
My own plan is to get another 20yrs of full on hunting.
At 50 I can't advise you on how it is after this age, but I can tell you the folks I see who are active in later years are the ones who watch what they eat and how much and exercise.
Joshua
64 here, but I don't feel much different than when I was 34, except for some minor arthritis in the knuckles. At 50 you have a long way to go son....just don't ever think you can't do something, because you can talk yourself into not doing it. Lots of guys twenty years older than me still shooting on a regular basis.
Mark, you may have discovered traditional archery later in life but it's better than never having discovered it at all. The beginning of the journey is the sweetest of all. Savor today, the tomorrows come too quickly.
A few years ago I wrote a poem on the highlights of my life with the bow... trouble is every year I have to change the last line. Next month I'll be 74 and I'll change it again... :biglaugh:
Quote"A boy's dream, A man's life"
The bow and arrow spoke to him when he was five years old
It said, come play with me young lad if you should be so bold
The singing string and whispering shaft was music to his soul
He knew it was a part of him when he was twelve years old
The bow was small for a lad so tall as he grew so long and lean
A new bow he sought, and finely bought, this lad who turned sixteen
The years they flew and at twenty two, a bow for the bride he took
Together they hunted for whitetail deer from their camp by a babbling brook
Soon a little bow hung along side the bows of mom and dad
Then another,.. and still another,.. three little bowmen this couple had
As time went by the children grew, then Grand children came along
Once again, the longbow sang, it's captivating song
This new generation was soon to learn the wonders of stick and string
They watched as Grandpa showed them, the joys the bow could bring
No one can count the arrows that this man has sent to flight
Someday he'll shoot his very last shaft into the murky night
But for now there's a great grand child who must learn of the bow from me
This old man, still loves his bow, at the age of seventy three.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ron LaClair is pretty much my hero at 73, and apparently we were looking at this thread at about the same time. ;)
I just turned 66 and my wife and I did a DIY moose hunt here in NH this year and each year we do a Fall bear hunt up in Nothern Maine (www.hunterspointguideservice.com). In '07 my wife drew a NH moose permit and we did a DIY hunt and did just fine. Just join a gym with the intention of working out so you can continue to do the things you like for as long as you like and you will be surprised at how good you will feel and how easy hunting will be. I still have at least a dozen tree stands that I continuously move/use and we just bought 23 acres just to hunt on. I don't plan on quitting anytime soon. Here's my '07 moose which we had to quarter and haul out on our backs.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a322/Arrowworks/BillsMoose.jpg)
Great poem, Ron.
Bill C., 66 and a moose! Now that's walkin the talk!
Trab, first off, welcome to the addiction that the "stick and string" can be. I'll be a young 57 on Tuesday. I've been shooting since the 60's and love it more now than I did then. It has probably kept me sane during the stressful days my business life brings.
One of my shooting buddies is 66 and we shoot 3D almost every weekend from spring till the hunting season starts in mid September. I don't know of anyone who enjoys archery more than Bill and he's been shooting most his life. He was an NFAA champion in the 90's.
Everyones days are numbered but no one really knows what their number is. Just go out, shoot, and enjoy it. If I were you I'd start planning to go to some of the big "Traditional" shoots this summer. If you're from NY you may not be far from Denton Hill. I guarantee if you go there, you'll never look back.
I`am 69 and I don`t feel any different than when I was 30, maybe get few more aches and paines, been going out west from 78 till 2008 hunting elk, shot my last one in 08 me a friend boned it out and packed it out to the trailhead,I can still do it, but had to miss the last 2 years since my wife has had to have two brain operations in Rochester,MN she doing a little better and maybe I will be able to get after those elk this fall,
Don't look at it as "How much time have I got left"...
Look at it as, "How can I make the most of everyday I'm here"
The rest will take care of itself :thumbsup:
Really nice guys!
I'll be 59 in a couple of months. Don't shoot as high of poundage that I use to but still go deer hunting at every chance I get and still climb trees. I sure hope I can go deer hunting many more years. I really enjoy it.
I am soon to be 55. I got a little out of shape and felt it. So I lost weight and started excercising more and it has made a world of difference in the fun factor(got off meds too).
Warm up a little before excercising to include pulling a bow. Lots of stories out there about guys hurting themselves and not being able to shoot anymore. I always have a heavier bow around to use as a "training bow". I have also learned to shoot both sides in case something strange happened to my primary side. You can build muscle at an older age. I have increased from 55# to 65# pounds. Lets me shoot more bows too instead of being limited to a certain weight.
Have fun!
I'm 65 and could be dead by this evening-you're 42 and could die in your sleep tonight-could happen.
Stay in shape-regardless of numbers and don't put stuff off! Do it now.
(http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q291/bjornweb/Admehog.jpg)
I'm 66 going on 15 :p I do anything I want to still but try to keep my bow weight in a reasonable 45-52# range as the knuckles age and heavier bows are more prone to aggravate some arthritis. Last year I took this Maine bear with my 48# Hoyt Dorado at Eldon Jandreau's operation (Bill C. posted his web site). Had plenty of horsepower. Age is simply a number!
(http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/davidmitchell_6466/Maine%202009/Maine%202009/Maine2009036.jpg)
I'll be 71 in april and I hope the good LORD allows me many more years of prowling the woods.I have had to overcome stroke cancer chemo broken leg neropathy planter-faciatus or what-ever.I keep trying to show the younger ones how its done and enjoying every minute of it.I am now hunting with my new 50lb grizzly longbow and my 52lb palmer recurve.It's all in the mind and you've got many years ahead of you!
I am 58, disabled due to a back injury, knees are not so good, and I have a problem with my right hand release fingers from shooting 90 pound bows most of my life. I almost gave it up this year because I got my myself into a bit of trouble, but I am not done yet. I think because of the organic food and all the natural supplements I take, I must have a faster healing rate than I did years ago. So I have a new Robertson longbow on order, I am going on a Canadian canoe trip in June, and I may do a leg a RAGBRAI again. But this winter is getting boring, Can't hardly stand the wait for turkey season.
Go back to page one of this thread, click on the link that Killdeer posted. You wil find some of the best old photos and stories ever put on the web.
I'm only 53,a couple of my hunting buddys are in their mid 70's and one is now 83.
As everybody else says,your over all health will decide your future.
I reckon I have at lest another 30 or so years before I even have to really consider this stuff.
In our local 3D league we have an old folks senior class that begins at 50,none of us will enter it,it's an insult.
QuoteOriginally posted by Guru:
Don't look at it as "How much time have I got left"...
Look at it as, "How can I make the most of everyday I'm here"
The rest will take care of itself :thumbsup:
You can't respond to this post much better than Curt.
We will never know how much time we have left, so make the best of every moment. At 56, my focus is to enjoy what I love and to be the best person I can be, for my family and those around me.
Many people go through life without a true passion . Hunting was a passion for me even before I could participate in it legally. Having grown up in a hunting family in PA, I could not wait until I was old enough to buy a hunting license. To this day, I still look forward to purchasing one every year.
If I'm gone from this earth tomorrow, I can truthfully say right now that I've enjoyed life because I have been able to do what I love in many breathtaking places.
Don't concern yourself with how much time you have left. Concern yourself with how much you will enjoy yourself (and your new found passion) in the time you have left.
My dad is 67 and is talking about hunting elk, off-and-on, for a whole month this year in Montana (how I'd love to be retired at 34!). We hunt together a lot and he's right there with me on the climbs. He has said a few times that if I'm not with him, and he isn't within a mile of a road, he won't shoot. Doesn't want to see an elk go to waste while he tries to figure out how to get it out of there. And no big holes. But he seems to love the walk, the elk talk, and the hunt more now than he did even at 50. Its not too difficult to find public land that is walkable for a 70-year-old that holds a lot of elk, even today.
"It just feels good...the whole idea of stick and string is comforting in some way".
Great statement Trab!!!
Your bow will give you a great return on your investment. You will breathe deeper, you will get stronger, you will notice more of EVERYTHING around you. You will enjoy all aspects of your life more.
Don`t worry about how much time you have left, just push yourself away from the dinner table a little sooner, and go for a walk with your bow.
The flight of an arrow will keep your heart light, and your eyes brighter.
Great Topic Mark! And so many wonderful posts. We all can see that you fell in love with Traditional Archery... So Did We! Not just for hunting but for shooting all year round. Get yourself to some of those Trad Shoots. You'll see plenty of gray hair on them fellas and gals alike.
... mike ... :archer: ...
PS... See ya at the 2010 JLMBH! :jumper:
Vern Struble will be 90 in May and he hunted last fall. He also just got put in the Oregon 4H hall of fame for teaching archery to kids for 45 years.
I'm 62 and will continue my pursuits of critters this fall.
I find my desire to hunt with my longbow one of the things that keeps me exercising. I know if I don't I won't be hunting the mountains this fall and I'm going to put that sad day off as long as possible.
I'm just starting in trad archery. I'm 53. I've been bow hunting for about 15 years but, this is my first rodeo with trad. I hope I can get at least 40 more. Maybe by then I'll be able to hit the target. LOL
I'll be 65 -Only have 2 problems
1-had to go from 60 to 52 on the longbow-and shooting better now than ever
2-having trouble with my electric razor-skin's getting a little rubbery.
Well at least I don't have to hit the head to often.!
I'm 72 and still hunt 70-80 days a year. Enjoy it.
I am 63 and still hunt 4 to 5 states and over 80 days a year. In comparison to some of friends on this post I am still a kid. Your just getting started. Better late than never and best of luck to all of you.
Mike
I am 63 and have been bowhunting since 1957, I have suffered a stroke 2 years ago and had a bad setback last year in Mi while deer hunting. I plan on hunting Mi and Ga this year only hunting along old logging trails and pop up ground blinds. I intend to hunt till I can not get into the woods either alone or with someones help to my blind. Have fun GOOD LORD willing you have a LOT OF YEARS of hunting left.
Dave
I'll be 57 next month. One of the philosophies I live by is that "Man does not live by bread alone"-part of that interpretation to me is to have dreams and to pursue those dreams.
I have spent a lifetime in the Canadian bush, yet I am still looking forward to having more of, and all kinds of, outdoor adventures.
No one knows how much time we have left, but I like thinking that I am a participant in life and not a spectator.
i'll be 63 in may and just suffered a shoulder injury from a slip on a frosty deck in nov. Hope ill be able to turkey hunt in April. I've found that as I age that I now hunt slower and better. I see a lot more game.
You are just getting a good start on this deal. Get one of the game carts and go hunting. Age is a state of mind and physical fitness. Exercise and eat food made by God not food made by man. Make long term plans and go hunt often.
You guys are all awesome and I love hearing all these storys :notworthy: :notworthy: :goldtooth:
Weres the starter of this thread?? Maybe he went out for a run or got some wieghts and started getting in shape for the next season :D
Tracy
Bjorn, I like that picture...
I am still cruising the brush at 60... and still just as passionate.... ( about archery)
One of my best memories was all but carrying my grandfather into a turkey blind when he was 86.
My daughter and I made the blind for him and he killed the last turkey he ever shot out of it.
He couldn't get his own shoes on but, by god it was turkey season and he was going hunting.
Getting old is in the mind - just read all these posts.
Matt
I just turned 59 and until last year had not shot a bow for 30 years. I started last year with a Mathews compound bow. It is amazingly accurate and powerful, but it just did not feel right for me. I purchased a Bear Grizzly and Montana Longbow and they feel great! Ordered 3Rivers wood arrows and have found my comfort zone again. It took me about 4 months to get my old muscles back in shape. I started at 45# and have stayed with it and I am glad I did. It has been a good weight for me to pull. In my early years I was pulling 65# and looking back it was too much for me then. I have found that the lower weight has allowed me to have better form and I am shooting far more accurately.
Scott
i'm turned 75 last fall. still hunt, climb, pack my own meat out etc..
also still farm, do all my cow work horseback, and change a mile of 40' handlines every day all summer.
just don't let yourself rust, your body or brain!
QuoteOriginally posted by larryh:
i'm turned 75 last fall. still hunt, climb, pack my own meat out etc..
also still farm, do all my cow work horseback, and change a mile of 40' handlines every day all summer.
just don't let yourself rust, your body or brain!
Larry, hat off to you!
You gave us the best advise right there :thumbsup:
F-Manny
I am 55 which isn't to bad yet , my main problem is I am stuck in a wheelchair , this aint gonna stop me I shoot at a indoor range 2 - 3 times a week and have gotten my ATV set up to hunt on it. I shot a doe last year and I normaly have no problems seeing game in my range they just do not always give me right shot. You got along time to go!!
Keep pluging away MARK :thumbsup:
Your'e 51?
how much time you have left? to do what??
I think you should give up now and send us all your "stuff"
I do not think you have a lot of time left for anything, take this for what it's worth my friend, please look at some of the replies here and if YOU think your'e done at 51 then I guess you must be getting awfull close.
I'm 66 and still pulling the same weight I did in my 20s. I work out and try to stay healthy despite a bypass 2 years ago.
Since death is always just at arms length, and can tap us at any moment- The important thing is to just get out there and use what time we may have, in some meaningful way. Some guys spend more days in the field in single season than others do in a decade. I'am 63 and don't hunt anymore, though I shoot daily. Iam perfectly capable of hunting,but have choosen other interests. Between the ages of 40 and 60, I averaged about 100days hunting per season. Id have to say that although Iam in fairly good shape, at the age of 63, I know that Mule deer hunting or Elk in elevations above 8500ft. very taxing. This would not have been true 5 or 6yrs. ago. I say, if you have a desire for this mountainous hunting--do it sooner rather than later.
Waal, I'm 69. That means Im 70 later this year if I ain't winter kill. I'm still pulling 65# bows of pure hickory that I made and treking out in the woods around the house. Don't climb though. I've shot the tops off many a dandyline.
I am 51 and plan on spending my Septembers out west chasing my favorite species, the great Wapiti!! I have come to realize that I love the preperation leading up to this hunt every year. The level of commitment that is required, the love of shooting your bow daily, the love of practicing your calling! I just hope that when I am in my 70's that I will still be chasing elk out west!! Go live a little!!!!!!!!
Fred Kasch was still shooting until the end, I believe. He was 94 when he passed. Don't spend time worrying. It only shortens your fun time.
I,m just 57 but still doing the same things as far as hunting as i ever was. Just maybe go at a little slower pace now. But I,ve got friends a lot older than me that are still going strong.
I'm 56 and in better shape now than in my 20's. Still shoot 70-80# bows and still do all my hunting on my own effort. Never owned a 4 wheeler and never will. My father-in-law was still hanging treestands and bowhunting at 85. If God will allow it I may have a few good years left.
I just turned 56 and hunt every chance I get . I never went skydiving or bungee jumping or white water rafting but if they were the only ways to get to a hunt then sign me up . I always knew I would get old just never thought I would wear out .Don't worry about things you can't change . Hunt every chance you can as there's no hunting in the ground .
Fred
I'm 60 and still pull a 65# bow without difficulty. Hunt and shoot within the limits of your physical condition and always stay within the fun zone. You should still have quite a while left to enjoy. Besides starting older has on distinct advantage. You won't go through many years of youth in awe of the old timers. You'll start out immediately as one of the grouchy old farts.