As we all age I notice things change in my hunting. This year it was really noticeable.....it was a series of firsts. First time in over 40 years I never went up north to hunt the Adirondacks. First time I had a shot at a deer in years. Also the first time that I never hunted with any one else the whole season....not once. As time goes on anyone else notice that things change or is it just me........?

Ron,  things are always changing, as are we.

Now... an outsider looking at your statement might say.... hmmmm no shots, long time, hunting north.... shots hunting elsewhere.....   ummm try not going north again next year, go back to elsewhere, and see if you get another shot next year.  Then you will know the answer to at least one question !

Change happens, every minute of every day.  But they often happen slowly and we don't notice until it makes a big enough difference.  We all need to pay more attention, before something is taken away  from right under our noses.

Good hunting

ChuckC

I'm 61 and I'm noticing it's getting harder to wake up at 5am when the temps hit 16 degrees and your in for a good 4 hour sit.

Also started rethinking about heading deep into the woods by myself and thoughts of dragging out a good size deer. Even though I carry my cell phone, my wife worries like heck when I'm that far back into one of my spots.

I love the solitude of bowhunting alone but really miss not bowhunting with Bamboo and Southpawshooter in Jersey this year. Family issues here have kept me away. I miss the banter, ball busting and the hard hunts we put in.

I also an 61 years young, my wife likes to have me closer to home when hunting alone. But we all have to do what we can while we can. As far as the shots that I missed [one out of state] I have been blessed to have a chance to hunt private land [southern zone] the last 2 years and my deer encounters have more than tripled.

hah!  i WISH i was 61!  7 years later and it's HARD to do things that USED to be EASY!  and new for this year - NO tolerance for cold any longer, too.  ack!!!!

I know that the mountains are taller and steeper than they were years ago.

me too (change not age, lol)  at 45 I guess I'm just a pup.    

firsts this year
- that I had absolutely no drive to get out and scout over the summer, no trail cams hung, nothing...I didn't even shoot.  it wasn't until the the first week of September that I got the urge to pick up a bow.   very strange for me...so much so that I didn't dare hunt with my trad bow until mid october when I felt comfortable again.

-time in at least a decade that my woolens fit.  this might explain the paragraph above, but I tend to hyper focus on one thing, and this year it was getting healthy...I joined a gym and changed my diet.  working hard, I've lost over 20 pounds and feel better than when I was 35!  I was so focused on exercise, I neglected my hunting/shooting    

-also tried a ground stalk on a bedded buck for the first time I can remember.   got to 40 yards before he melted into the marsh.  it was heart pounding fun!

QuoteOriginally posted by Rob DiStefano:
hah!  i WISH i was 61!  7 years later and it's HARD to do things that USED to be EASY!  and new for this year - NO tolerance for cold any longer, too.  ack!!!!

Ditto that Rob. Except I have 2 more years on you.        :rolleyes:

Almost mid 60's I am not as mad at them(deer) as I use to be.Still love to camp and be in the woods and see my grandkids have fun.I still put many hours hunting but not quite as much as my younger years.Kip

This a bit different but I am moving to a new state so the change hasn't happened yet but next year will be a whole new ball game. I've learned so much over the past four years since I started hunting and feel like I'm really getting the hang of it. In one way I fear having to learn some of it over again but in another way I am excited to search for new stand locations, perhaps even the proverbial honey hole. As for you older fellas, I'm twenty five and my wife worries just as much as yours I can assure you! I guess some things will never change.

I turned 70 this year. I have come to understand that I'm not as good as I once was. But, I'm still as good once, as I ever was.    

QuoteOriginally posted by ron w:
   

Whew! Glad 61 is not old, Ron. I'll hit that number in exactly three months!

My big change this year was hunting my own land. I don't know that I hunted any more or any harder, but I certainly enjoyed each day. I find myself passing on more deer each year. The joy of the hunt is as great as ever, perhaps even more, but I find less need to make a kill to make a successful hunt.

I've enjoyed hunting with my sons, but I really miss hunting with my brother.

Ric!  

I'll hit 60 in Feb. Things are constantly changing. I take more joy out of hunting with a camera vs. a bow. Always have my bow, it just takes second place, at shot time, more than before. Much more fun to hunt with the Grandkids and let them do all of the shooting. Also, I think it's a age thing, much less tolerance for rain and cold weather.

Getting old aint for sissy's!

LD

At 64 years old I find that I am less tolerant of the cold and though I prefer morning hunts I have a hard time dragging my butt out of bed in the mornings. I've also been thinking about climbing down from the trees and giving ground hunting a concerted effort.

Raising 4 Kids I took every deer I could , now with my Kids grown and out of the house I find I pass up more shots than I take . I have been fortunate to have taken a doe early in the past few seasons and then find myself getting pretty picky .The other thing thats changed is my perception of deer , I thought I knew them pretty good but I've found that the more I hunt them the less I really know .

Life, is every changing and hunting is part of our lives.

I admire you guys who can pass on shots.....Having only had 3 shots total in over 40 years, 2 this year, I'm not passing on a chance to harvest a deer. You folks must see a lot more deer than I do,,,,,lol!

I'm 72 (i think) and i can't remember what i was going to say.