Talking with my good friend this afternoon while taking in some sun on the deck...and sipping some wine...He thanked me for getting him into trad bowhunting 15 yrs ago. :scared:
Where the heck did all the time go? God, I wish I could turn back the clock to the late 60's early 70's when we had more land to hunt and deer were plentiful and big and bowhunters around here had the woods to ourselves. :campfire:
I'll be 60 in a few weeks and sure wish I had another 44 years of bowhunting ahead of me....Sept
15th for CT and Jersey can't come soon enough. :pray:
Time sure flies. I've been at it a little more than 50 years. When I was in my teens and 20s, one could hunt about anywhere just for the asking. Was a dearth of information about archery though. Had to pretty much learn everything by trial and error. It's still possible, though much more difficult, to get permission to hunt private land around here. Most is now spoken for or leased. Have as many deer in my neck of the woods as we've ever had. Sure are more bowhunters after them however. Don't know how many more seasons I have ahead of me, but I'll cherish every one of them.
Yeah, I second that. A place to hunt is so darned hard to come by now. I may be wrong, but I credit a lot of that to LAWYERS making farmers afraid of litigation. Everybody is afraid of lawsuits now.
I do remember, however, sitting in a tree stand in the 70's for 9 days straight before ever seeing a deer... then I killed him! Here in Missouri, we have a LOT more deer than we did in the 70's. It is becoming very frustrating to hold on to good hunting property though.
I wish we could at least slow time down! The older I get, the faster it goes. The only thing that seems to make it slow down is to order a custom bow to be made... then time stands still until you receive that new toy!
Yep 58 this year. Where did the time go? Hope I've still got at least 20 more yrs. of good bowhunting left in me but..... Good luck this season to all.
I'm with you Joe.
Turned 58 last month, been shooting since I was six.
Where did it go?
BUT, life is good and I can't wait for fall!
Deer are more plentiful now then ever.
Same with hogs.
Keep on bringin' it.
Widoweater depends where you have access to hunt!LOL but yeah there are a bunch of em. Not as old as some and older than others - time does seem to slip by us.
Time dilation or something. Each year seems to get shorter the longer we live. Think back to when you/we were in elementary school. Those summer vacations lasted forever. Now, they don't.
Turn 62 this year and yep real hard to find a place to hunt now. Back in the 60s and 70s just ask for permission. But yes way more deer now.
Turned 60 in June.....bought my first recurve in 1967 for a cost of $37. Now good raw wood shafts are more than that....lol! Been retired for 5 years and it seems like yesterday! Time does fly! Heck I worked at the same place for over 37 years, that don't happen much anymore!
Remember when the best woodsman got the deer,or bowhunting anywhere you wanted.Stick and string standing next to tree killing deer.Gun hunters asking what your doing[thought you were crazy]playing with a bow and arrow.Getting a deer and small game with 45# bow and the old razerhead.64 still going.
44 years ago I was involved in another kind of hunting; much more serious and with a much more deadly opponent. But when I got back to the States, it wasn't long before I picked up a Bear Grizzly and got reacquainted with the pleasure and tranquility of bowhunting.
Congrats! I sure wish I had started the trad thing way earlier in my life.
Bisch
Go get 'em Joe and Good Luck this year.
Billy
Had I started 44 years ago, I would have been 3. :scared: :biglaugh:
Shooting a bow for 67 years and hunting with a bow for 61. The only regret is that I can't look forward to another 61.
take it EASY ya old fart!!!we still got few good years left!!----see ya in jersey!!!don't forget the ny opener was moved up......
41 years Bowhunting, a little longer than that shooting a bow.
The years do seem to fly by the older I get, 59 in November, but that just means it's shorter time waiting for each fall to come.
Good Luck to all this fall, enjoy the experience..!
Im 59 and started shooting when I was 14.Late sixties early seventies you were lucky to see a deer in Mo.Now its rare to not see one.We are blessed with lots of public land (archery only)
QuoteOriginally posted by Tater:
41 years Bowhunting, a little longer than that shooting a bow.
The years do seem to fly by the older I get, 59 in November, but that just means it's shorter time waiting for each fall to come.
Good Luck to all this fall, enjoy the experience..!
That's a good way of looking at it, Tater!!!
:biglaugh:
Im 29 now and the guy who taught me to hunt and shoot (dad) said big bucks are a dime a dozen these days. Back when he was at it a big buck was a 2 1/2 year old 8 point.
He encouraged me when I wanted to go the compound route and endlessly said how they were inferior for serious hunting. Glad he taught me the old way because I came back around after a few years.
Dont hunt anymore but still shoot recreationally.
44? Congrats. But heck you're a rookie. I'm 73 and have 60 years under my belt.
Keep the passion and I hope you have many more years!
Dang I thought I had shot a number of years. I started when I was 10 yrs. old. I'm 54. I'm like you joe time sure does fly and if I could only turn back the clock I would of hunted and shot more!
I've been at it a few yrs. also..since the 1950's. I too remember when bow season was extra special. There were so few bow hunters in the woods it was the time to see the big bucks before they got spooked from the gun hunting crowds.
No days they are spooked before archery season from the scouting crowds.
keep on rocking Joe!
Wow Joe, you are 44? :readit:
I have a Lot of respect for you all. I grew up in KY and saw almost no deer. I went to spend two weeks with an uncle in WI and saw many down in Spring Green. I got a scholarship to 52 universities and I became a Badger, just because they had deer. I killed one with a rifle my second year there. I carried my recurve with me up there too. Our farm in Ky has deer and turkeys now! Access is such a big problem, and one cannot blame fsrmers for leasing land, as every buck helps the bottom line. This Fall will be a real £itch withe the drought. Iwill be 65 soon, and had hoped for some SS to help, but working is a better option financially
62 and haven't reached my prime yet. Can' live in the past, thankful I have the ability to do what I do. Loving life ever day!
Joe, way to go buddy... I wish I could find that PBS magazine pic, I posted a couple years back of the "younger" version of Jskipp...
I can't wait for another fall. It is a blessing that is not taken for granted...
Now I really fell old, I started around 1957-58, but unlike some of you, I am 62 years young at the present time, and I plan on felling one year younger in a few months.
Hey Joe, hopefully I'll see some of you old guys at the Muzzy this coming weekend.
Use to sneek a gun out of the gun case and chase rabbits in the local orchards at age 14.The gun shots would alert the farmers who would call the sheriff. We needed something Quieter so we saved our money and bought a bow. That is how it all began for me some 59 years ago.
43 years with the curves and longbows here. I turned 59 in June.
Lots of great experiences and treasured memories. Still kickin' - although at a much slower pace. :campfire:
Tell me about it. Approaching my 45th bowhunting year since 1967 and my 57th shooting a bow.
yup I hear you bro' I'll be celebrating my 23 season this year (2 weeks, 3 days and 22 hours). At 61 the Colorado rockies are getting a little bit steeper, the tree stands are heavier and my success rate has improved.