I'm 70 and have been hunting elk for most of it. I got my 1st one at 15 but then there was a long dry spell. I hunted very little when in college.
I'm still going strong but my 2 long time partners might both be finished. They're 73 and 74 now. I might have to find some youngsters to hunt with me.
I figured a long time ago that I was getting too old to be packing meat on my back so 9 years ago I got some llamas. They've been lifesavers and I figure they've added at least 5 years to my hunting time. Several years ago, I figured the llamas were underutilized so I got involved with our church's scout troop and have taken them on 3 back country pack trips.
I've never shot an elk with anything smaller than a 270. I got a bunch with that then I hit the mid-life crisis and went to a Savage 300 WSM. That's a darn good caliber. The rifle wasn't fancy but it was very accurate and reliable. After 5 or 6 elk elk with that one, I realized that I hadn't shot a single one with it that I couldn't have got just as well with a 30-06 that weighed less. So, the last couple years I'm using a 30-06 that weighs a lb less. It's much more pleasant to carry in the mountains, not to mention the reduced recoil.
