Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting I might be running out of hunting partners

I'm the youngest of my gang of 3. We've been hunting together for MANY years. I'm 68 and the others are 71 and 72. One is developing bad knees and the other is getting to like his fishing a lot more than hunting. We just applied for our Idaho elk tags for this year but it remains to be seen whether they can or will hunt if we draw. Hopefully I'll be good for quite a few more years but I sure hate to have to find new partners at this age.

I suspect trout clean up much easier than elk. Lol.

Good luck. Hope you fellas draw and have a great hunt.

Yep, and the pack out is not as strenuous. Unless you're a really good fisherman......

All of my best (non-family) hunting buddies have passed on to the Happy Hunting Grounds. Fortunately, my sons still like to hunt big game and birds.

That's definitely one of the difficulties of getting older, as I'm in something of the same position, since most of my former hunting partners are either dead, or looking to shoot the first legal deer they see, because elk hunting is too much work.

The ideal solution, of course, is to find younger hunting partners, but most of them also have different priorities than older hunters.

I have the same problem here.My long time friend/hunting partner had to stop riding and he has stopped elk hunting .In addition his wife is not doing well health wise. My other hunting partner is younger than I ,but doesn't have the desire to really kill an elk, but likes the trip.This year,he is only going ML hunting and not rifle hunting with me. I will be 74 this coming season ,I am pushing it, but will still go I guess by myself for rifle season. I just need to cut up the elk in smaller pieces to lift up on the mule.

It's harder to find partners with horses or mules too.. If not,then I tend to overwork my stock when foot hunters go long


As Mule Deer said,the ideal solution, of course, is to find younger hunting partners, but most of them also have different priorities than older hunters. I haven't found and that wants to put in the effort or has the time off to get away for an entire season,let alone two. The few I have taken either says I work too hard at it,or wants to go into town to drink or watch a foot ball game.

Rocky:

I have the same problem. I'm 69 and it's been several years since my old hunting partners cashed in their chips.

KC

I have reached the point where I am always the oldest one in elk camp, deer camp and on bird hunts. I am fortunate to have a stepson who lives to hunt. He is a beast, and a handful to keep up with, but he takes good care of me. I also have a few younger friends that I hunt with each year that are a lot of fun, and my younger daughter also makes time in her busy life to hunt with Dad once in a while.

I used to have a hunting partner that fit that description, but he up and moved out of state on me. Rare as hen's teeth.

Me too.

It's something that makes me think of how short life is. I have stayed in good shape all my life, but nothing will keep you young forever. I have out-hunted most of my friends and out lived quite a few also. But now I am feeling some of the effects of age. I know I can eat right, stay in shape and do "young mans things" for a while longer (Hopefully quite a while) and I will .........but someday my young hunting partners will have to replace me too.

Man.........this life has gone by fast!

This saying is so true.
"I expect to pass through the world but once.
Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show to any creature, let me do it now. Let me
not defer it, for I shall not pass this way again.-----
IStephen Grellet,

That's why I share my experience and my knowledge when and where I can, and I charge nothign for it.
I want it to have value and when I am gone the value goes with me, unless I pass it on.

I quit hunting with my old partners a while ago.
I have two sons and a SIL that love to hunt along with my wife. My boys usually bring along a friend or two that I have known sense they were in grade school.
I rather enjoy being the old guy that teaches them things and they even enjoy listening to my old story's. Having strong lads around to do the heavy lifting is great, they even say, "let me get that for you" .

What is an SIL?

Wow, guess there are a lot of people in the same boat. I usually hunt alone, it is getting tougher each year to deal w/ downed game.. Fortunately I have several younger friends that are very helpful if I need a hand getting my game out.. Bird hunting and hunting are much more fun than elk.. Didn't draw a sheep tag this year, and doubt I apply again.. Fortunately, I have a couple nice rams, and plenty of other hunting and fishing to do..

Going through the same thing. My elk hunting partner is 72 and I'm 59 going on 60. I still hit it 4x a week at the gym and ready to go. He is telling me this might be our last hunt this fall. Dang...

As long as I can walk, I don't have to pack meat because I have a string of pack llamas. That's what has kept my partners going this long. 5 miles doesn't bother me a bit as long as I don't have a load to carry and nobody's in a rush.

Many of us understand your dilemma. I was the youngest of our group 31 years ago and I am the only one left. The younger guys I have brought in have either moved and no longer hunt elk, they have started bow hunting, or only use outfitters. Good luck with finding new partners.

Same here, hunting buddies passed on some 6-8 years ago. I was the youngin. Now I hunt alone, and don't mind it much anymore. I have a couple old phart friends who will help load game if I really need help. And I don't do much traipsin' around the countryside like I did. Just hunt more local and the same areas mainly. No new country adventures.

Other hunters often pity this old broad in da woods, and tell me where their camp is to get them, if I want some help to get game out or there's trouble. The young Oilfield/Gasfield guys have been great, very kind and helpful to me.

Son-in-law

I'm 71 with bad knees, one replaced about a year and a half ago! Had a friend come over and go out elk hunting with me last year, my son didn't get a tag. Put in for a cow tag this year and will probably get it but unless my son get's one too, I'm not shooting an elk that is not standing right by the road. To much work for an old man with bad knees!

My brother and I started hunting as the young generation at elk camp and were able to join our 5 older uncles on elk hunts. We did much of the grunt work.
These days that older generation has all hung up their guns and my brother and I are the elders in elk camp.
We are very fortunate to have two younger fellas that hunt with us each year and are very physically capable.
Those two fellas have boys that are getting to the age where they may begin to get interested in seeing what it is all about.