Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Knee replacement and hunting ???

For those of you who have had to get a knee replaced, how has the surgery and re-hab affected your hunting? Can you still go and do pretty much how you did before?

Thanks, RS

Everything except kneel down.

I have just a bit of loss so far has lifting the leg up and over things.

My brother had both knees replaced. He still pheasant hunts, a lot.

I had TKR and I am up and at 'em. I took out the Beagle today for a 4 mile hike up and down the mountains.

These replacements are amazing. My partner had a double hip replacement more than 25 years ago. He's 77 and will outrun most guys 10 years younger in the hills. He was having some hip pain this fall. The joints are 25 years old and past their due date.

Had hip replaced in 2005. Going on a 20 years. Still good.
Shoulder replaced in '19. It's going great.

Dr. who replaced my hip used an implant designed by a Dr McBride.
In 2015, he told me he sees a patient every year that had her hip replaced by Dr. McBride in 1958! 😳
Maybe he got a cheap implant. 🤷‍♂️
Could be a number of things besides the implant.

Complete replacement ,had 3 ortho’s tell they’ve never seen one as bad as mine. I’m doing everything I did before actually a bit more.

I had full replacements on both knees when I was 48 years old. I had to give up coon hunting with hounds. But I still hunt deer,turkey, pheasants and fish as much as I can. Don't half ass the physical therapy and you will come out ahead.

Assuming you have a good surgeon, a good post-op outcome, and do all the PT, you should expect to be better than before the surgery. I can actually do more, because I don’t hurt.

You will still lack full strength even after PT is over, so you need to regain that and fitness.

My knees were pretty much shot when I had them replaced in 2017. Before having them replaced, I was limited to how much walking I could do or face swelling and pain for a few days following. I couldn’t hardly sleep without knee pain. After replacement I went at the rehab like I was on a mission. Exercising and working on range of motion. Now, I can do things that I couldn’t do before. Up and down hills. Walk as much as I want. No problem. Getting my knees replaced was the best medical thing I ever did. The only things I can’t do are run, and kneel down. I gladly trade those 2 for strong , painless legs.

Ron

Had both of mine replaced in 2009. Retread on the left in 2020. Not so much the knees limiting me. Pretty much my heart issues. Now I want to ride as close to my blinds as possible. Truck or ATV. Even needing the retread didn't slow me down much hunting.

Before you go all-in on replacement surgery, take a look at platelet-rich plasma injections. Some guys avoid surgery altogether with one or two injections into the space between the arthritic condyles.


https://www.healthline.com/health/osteoarthritis/platelet-rich-plasma-knee#overview

If you are post 60, rebuilding muscles is a lot harder than middle age .Some of them never come back.Keep that in mind when PT seems to be not working.

As mentioned, the key to complete recovery and range of motion is to work hard the first 2-3 wks. of therapy. The pain then is worth the outcome later. And my pain wasn’t too bad.

It’s over for you. PM the list of guns you’ll be selling. 😂

Obviously I’m kidding. I haven’t had knee surgery….in fact those are the only 2 joints that don’t hurt. 😀. Like others have said if you have a good surgeon and you’re a good and compliant patient that follows through with PT you will be back at it again and you’ll be able to do everything you want to do! 👍🏼

Best of luck with your surgeries.

Both of mine have been replaced. Only problem I have is walking downhill. I have to sidestep. Knees don't like walking straight downhill. I can walk as far as I used to.

I don't seem to have the sense of balance, either. Don't really know if that's a result of the knees, or being 65 y/o. Either way, I don't do treestands any more.

I have less pain but less movement. Kneeling hurts but i still do it some. I have put off having the second one done because the 1st one hasn't been a home run

My wife is getting both knees done. Won't slow me down a bit.

Car crash sent my femur through my right knee. Had a TKR done 16 months after the crash. Due to the damage from the accident every ligament in my knee had been destroyed. Which left me with only 90% of flexibility. 14 days after the TKR I killed a long beard, 4 months after I was in Idaho chasing Sept bulls. Have not slowed down one bit. Just have to do things a little different now.