I came to the realization I can't hunt elk this season at my age with one arm. The torn rotator cuff put the kibosh on the tougher hunts and will keep me confined to easier type game to get out of the mountains and back to the truck.

I'm not much liking these "Golden Years". Who the h@ll came up with that name for getting old and crippled?

I just got back from the Reno NV DOW office. I left them my two elk tags to award to alternates.

Watch for a lot of guns and gear for sale soon.

Sounds like you need to dig a hole and pull the dirt over you.

Feel for you my friend. Just had Thyroid surgery and will leave in two weeks, healed or not, cancer or not....I gotta go.

Hang in there! Hunt with friends who can help you get that toad outta there...

Darn, L2S, I coulda used those tags, well, if any were specifically for roadside permits.

My brother has sworn off taking care of any more horses or mules. Bummer.

I have used up all the friends I had who were able to get one of the monsters out. Now I know why God made deer.

I never liked ground blinds.

We don't hunt from truck towers over feeders like folks in TX. A slide down one of our mountains could cost me the use of an arm permanently. I turned back the tags to let another person go hunting and to save my pref-points for next year.

Hard to hear stuff like this. I wish you well. Hunt whatever you can whenever you can!

LOL...got that right. I will poke around with my muzzle mulie buck loader tag till the end of the month, then it's sagehen, forest grouse, quail, and devil-birds (chuckar).

Screw that.

You have a Hand Gun someplace...

If not, it's time you bought one.

Come on up, I can show you how to road hunt with about any injury...

Ewwww....shows what you know about Texas. Are you looking for us to feel sorry for you or an Atta boy for giving your tags up?

Don't make a bunch of rash decisions, friend.

L2S
Sucks to get old. Life in the short rows means we take a few more breaks and walk a little slower. The old bull doesn't run down to the meadow, he walks. It doesn't mean he won't be in the meadow.
Be gentle on that shoulder and chase Chukars with light loads and a light gun. By next year, maybe you can find a young strong back that needs a mentor who can carry out that elk.
Bfly

I'm pretty sure he was talking about hunting with a pistol. Not shooting himself in ol nogging

LT, I'm thinking you have this poster confused with another with "safari" in his name.

this is a different dude.

Sycamore

I wouldn't look to you for a breath of air if I were suffocating. I don't and never did like you or your rough tough cop attitudes.

Come try real mountains, not your bumps you call hill country.

Ewwww....shows what you know about Texas. Are you looking for us to feel sorry for you or an Atta boy for giving your tags up? [/quote]

LT, I'm thinking you have this poster confused with another with "safari" in his name.

this is a different dude.

Sycamore [/quote]

Nope.

I had to do it. Surgeon said a fall onto my left shoulder could wipe off the small remaining muscle and tendon from the bone, and he would not have anything to attach things to.

I'm just frustrated. It does save me my points for next season's draw.

I know you are frustrated. I was referring to selling your
stuff right away. You did a good thing.

No hills here. I just don't like listening to people feel sorry for themselves.

Hate to hear this, Bruce. Is either elk tag for around Ely? Some one gets an elk here they make some calls offering free beer for packers. Sometimes they run out of elk before beer.

Nope...area 61 N of Wildhorse, right on the ID border and a long haul. Had it been Ely, guess who would be on the hook as a packer?

I'm glad NV wised up recently and allows us to turn back tags this way. Stuff happens sometimes, and gears need shifting.

How are your blue grouse populations over there? They're dismal around Austin. I hunted Reese River area the other day, and saw almost no deer sign, no elk sign in the new area around the reservation, and we saw no grouse in my secret spot. It must be so secret now the blues can't find it.

Bruce,

You are still invited up here for Mule Deer, and I can get my truck or quad right up to any deer you would shoot.

I am also trying to put together some Elk Hunts in W Colorado that us crips can still do. I used to Elk Hun near Craig Colorado and do real well, without too much physical strain.

+1 on freinds who will help you out, as well. Without my friends even the deer hunt and rodent shoots would be a lot less pleasant. Most of my friends hunted with me when I was still healthy and strong, and don't rib me too bad about where I am at the moment. And the good news is, your shoulder will get better and stronger, and I have hope of a new kidney and thus lease on life. not selling ALL of my guns, just yet. Only paired them down some. I still hope for another couple of elk hunts and at least one more return to Africa.

Keep the faith, brother, and come on up in October with a couple of other 'fire members and shoot a nice fat grain fed mule deer with me.

This is why elk camp is so important.
Younger hunters need the guidance of experienced outdoorsmen to learn the ins and outs of elk hunting.
The experienced outdoorsman needs the younger hunter to help with camp and packing out the bounty.

Hopefully your one year hiatus leaves you stronger and more spry for next year.

luv2safari ,

Hate to hear of you slowing down this year ,if you want to cruise to Florida and can hike 99 yards I'll take you hawg hunting . There will be some climbing also -we'll head up to an elevation of 8' and still hunt from office chairs in a 8'x 8' shooting house -plenty of hot coffee etc. , that's the best I can do for where I hunt.
OK well best to you bud!
Mike

looking forward to your super human strength lasting you until you choke on your words.

What words are those?

Well said and +1 from here. I took my camp trailer to an elk camp in Oregon with a bunch of younger guys from my church and I did not even have a tag or license. I just camped out, told of hunts past, did a little reparing of gear and guns, loaned out a spare gun and when a bad storm came through and tore up all of the tents I crammed about 8 people into my camping trailer. Youngest kids slept on the floor with extra sleeping mats I keep with me. The hunt wnet on and a kid got his first elk, even though in shooting his elk he got a nice case of scope eye from my loaned to him 340 Tyrannosaur

They all have now invited me to thier deer camp AND thier elk camp and I will probably go even though I wont hunt.

We old guys with good gear especially still have value around these places.

Those words.

We did see several bunches not far from town, easy place to get to, drive right to it. Come on over.

Friday???

I'll bring my goofy setter patrol.

Bruce,

Sorry to hear that, but hopefully your shoulder will be back together before next season. I know I was pretty down last fall, after my knee was dislocated in late September. But it's OK now, and worked pretty well on our elk hunt last week!

Hire a guide and ride a horse. All that money you were going to leave your kids will be well spent!

safariman,

Just curious. Does Washington sell non-resident deer tags over the counter?

Sorry to hear this Bruce, but it was likely a good call. That is some pretty rough country.
We'll be up there for the late hunt, and will be thinking about you.
My right shoulder went out last fall, and the only rifle I can currently shoulder is an 18" 600 in 6mm.
Worked great for antelope, but am surely hoping I can shoot something a little more substantial for elk.

Bruce, I had a torn rotator a few years ago. It wasn't completely torn and I didn't do anything with it as it wasn't my throwing arm. A few years later it was healed up and I could reach over my head again. Hang in there.

Duchess says hi and good luck.

Luv2safari,

Go see a good Orthopedic Surgeon and get the cuff fixed!

What a coincidence, I'm off Friday! PM me if this'll work.

We want pics.

How's that knee doing? How is the grouse population? When can you get away to bust some ruffies?

I'm sure glad the knee is better. Your lifestyle and bad knees don't mix well.

I'm getting cut Nov 10 by a doc who is an orthopedic surgeon for the US Ski Team, Dr. Cummings in Carson City NV.

They do! And you are invited as well. IIRC license and tags are about $300 or so for a non resident. Year before last we smacked a 29 and a 30 inch buck on opening weekend, mine on Saturday and my buddys B&C buck on Sunday evening. I posted some pictures of those two back then, but they are now lost other than the real prints to a now deceased computer.



I have been hunting this particular piece of private land for over 20 years now, it is in the Snake River Breaks and some awsome Mule Deer country. When I was healthier I dug and installed many water guzzlers, placed many a mineral and salt block and killed many, many coyotes. I still try to get out there and do that stuff when I have the health and a friend to back me up with driving and whatnot.

Bruce, hunt coyotes! Big game needs the help.

Bruce,

My laptop is screwing up again, time for a full virus and malaware scan. I tried to PM you back a couple of times, don't know if any of the repies went through.

Please call me tonight or tomorrow at 509-386-2740. I have a copy of the regs and dates etc. here.

MARK

Mule Deer / John B.

I also tried to PM you, but either this site or my 'puter is afoul. Please do call me as well, using the number above. Reasonable chance that your best mule deer ever lives out this way!

MARK

So do my gophers...

My message count was at 1005. I just made some room.

Best of luck with your surgery. Had my right shoulder done about 7 years ago. Left is "pending" per my doc. Rehab for rotator cuff surgery SUCKS.

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Said a prayer for you. Hang in there. With God all things shall be possible.

Just more time to chase birds with that young fella and your pack of hounds!

My pop had rotater cuff surgery on both shoulders. One after the other. Be careful not to injure your good shoulder from over use while the other heals!

He was in his 70's for both, and can still work all day, now in his 80's.

I'd bet your chasing elk next fall.

Good luck to ya. My season got cancelled due to a rotator cuff injury. Just not mine.

My hunting buddy couldn't swing hunting this year since his surgery was very close to opening day. I may still go out a few times on my own for bear, but deer camp without him just don't seem right.

But I couldn't leave it at that. He was feeling bad about the whole thing. So we're going salmon fishing for a week instead.

Great recovery/backup plan! Deer hunting in Calif is a pretty tough deal anyway.

BTW, what is being said in your signature line, English translation, please. And what language? Latin perhaps?

Mark,

Sorry to say I can't get up there this October to hunt deer. All hunting will need to be local short hunts.

L2S

Don't feel too bad. I did the same thing in 2012. Popped the disc in my back for the second time and could barely walk.

Popped the same disc a month ago, and I am not sure if I can go deer/elk this year either. I have a month and a half to heal, so we will see. I have a couple lope tags though, that will at least get me outdoors.

Turning in your tag was the smart thing to do, the emotional thing to do would be to try and go anyway.