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My elk hunting has certainly changed as I have gotten older. The days of several miles in, cross country are over, backpack hunts over, for all the reasons described.
Now I tend to hike gated logging roads, it is generally easy going and figure I can use a game cart. I have had no success yet with this method but makes for a pleasant day in the mountains.


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More and more I visit with people using trail cams and ambush tactics.

It is no fun getting old.

But the alternative ain't so attractive either.


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I find myself becoming increasingly protective of my knees, ankles, and back the older I get. Working out and dieting seems to now be a year round deal too. But I love the hunts where it straight up hurts to get back to the truck.

Hopefully my daughters marry well and I get some hunting partners out of the deal. My son is obsessed with anything outdoors too so when he’s old enough priorities will certainly change and the solo hunting will be over.

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Originally Posted by Calvin
I find myself becoming increasingly protective of my knees, ankles, and back the older I get. Working out and dieting seems to now be a year round deal too. But I love the hunts where it straight up hurts to get back to the truck.

Hopefully my daughters marry well and I get some hunting partners out of the deal. My son is obsessed with anything outdoors too so when he’s old enough priorities will certainly change and the solo hunting will be over.



Calvin,

We need to introduce your daughters to my boy. He’s 17, a 4.0 student, strong as an ox, and has a nose for big game. He’s funny, loyal, and politically conservative...let’s make this happen. The dowry will have to include on of your many cool rifles of course.....preferably a Ti.

Dave


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I take a supplement called"Recovery" , I started using it o my aging rope horses and now give it to the old cow dog and myself and when we stay on it it helps.
I especially notice it with my knees. I buy it in an Equine 2.2 lb quantity, with the H.A.
I am not a supplement freak, just an aging cowboy- 62 if God wills in Jan.

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At 70, I have given up on black timber hunting and hunt more open country where a quad or game cart can be of help. I’ve helped recover 5 bulls over the past 2 seasons, including 2 of mine. I no longer hunt where quartering and backpacking is the only option. My knees and lower back won’t support it and hunting through blowdown increases the odds of a fall for me. Happy Trails


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If my girls were older...

Originally Posted by iddave
Originally Posted by Calvin
I find myself becoming increasingly protective of my knees, ankles, and back the older I get. Working out and dieting seems to now be a year round deal too. But I love the hunts where it straight up hurts to get back to the truck.

Hopefully my daughters marry well and I get some hunting partners out of the deal. My son is obsessed with anything outdoors too so when he’s old enough priorities will certainly change and the solo hunting will be over.



Calvin,

We need to introduce your daughters to my boy. He’s 17, a 4.0 student, strong as an ox, and has a nose for big game. He’s funny, loyal, and politically conservative...let’s make this happen. The dowry will have to include on of your many cool rifles of course.....preferably a Ti.

Dave

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DAMNIT...I had visions of fully guided salmon trips as a present from the in-laws!

Oh well. I keep telling him to only date girls who's parent's own large tracts of remote lands in Idaho. Turns out there are less of those than he's willing to settle for at the moment.


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Run it into the ground or sit in the chair wishing you were. Those are the choices.


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I also like to hunt on my own, but a couple of experiences have me thinking twice. I took a raghorn Roosevelt elk on a clearcut hillside while hunting alone. I was only a mile and a half from my truck, but it took me about 8 hours to get it out, piece by piece. At first it wasn’t too bad, but as I got more tired, I started to get tripped up and ate it a few times. The next morning,

Another experience was when I completely ruptured my achilles tendon when I was alone and having to make it back to my vehicle to get myself to a hospital. That SUCKED.

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Originally Posted by irfubar
My elk hunting has certainly changed as I have gotten older. The days of several miles in, cross country are over, backpack hunts over, for all the reasons described.
Now I tend to hike gated logging roads, it is generally easy going and figure I can use a game cart. I have had no success yet with this method but makes for a pleasant day in the mountains.


I ran into a nice woman on the trail, she has a llama-packing operation. In years past I wouldn't have given that a second thought, but I got her contact information. Seems like a good way to go.



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Good thread - I kind of had the same thoughts this year while elk hunting in a particularly nasty spot. I mostly hunt solo, am 57 and try and stay on good shape all year but realize my days are numbered when it comes to stuff I used to do. Had I actually killed an elk in that ugly canyon I was hunting not really sure how I'd of worked that one out:)

Here in Oregon drawing a sheep tag is a once in a lifetime tag, I've been putting in for something like 35 years and have never drawn. Now I worry I might actually get one, sheep hunting probably isn't a good idea to try solo especially as one ages smile

Last edited by Oregonmuley; 11/21/19.

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i have been very lucky either my son-in-law or my son take the animal out for me with my small amount help from me. had a butcher in Montana say once a few years ago, for you guys to get that bull elk out of there i would get a pack horse , i told him my son can do it and my son did once it was quartered and horns too,i did help some. my son lifts weights alot, runs and at 6 ft. 1inch 190 lbs. no fat on him he is a heck of a packer .my only problem with him is when he tightens something down i can not get it open or loose.

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Originally Posted by joshf303
Originally Posted by GregW
Originally Posted by prm
I went solo this year during 1st rifle and shot my bull 4.5 mi from the truck, at ~11,600’, with about 1.5mi of that being ridiculously steep and nasty. I WILL NOT do that again. My knee still hurts. I learned my limit. At 52 going on 53, that was more than I need to be doing. I even got some help from fellow hunters that brought back some of the meat I had brought out from the nastiest area to a more prominent trail. Not really sure what I’ll do next year. .


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I'm 64. This is the 1st year in 40 that I didn't go elk hunting. The Rockies are getting steeper & the air is thinner every year. I'm into turkey hunting now-----I can pick a gobbler up with 1 hand and make it back to the truck in 1 trip.

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I'm 81 and with two bad knees, any serious walking on uneven ground is out of the question. Still. I want to do a hunt of some king so I do a cull hunt on a private ranch. I get to rife around in a nice warm pickup truck till we spot a cow elk, the guide stops, I get out, use the truck hood for a rest and et my meat. Not my favorite way to do things but I'm legally handicapped that I can get a form signed by my doctor that allows me to shoot from the truck without getting out. So far I haven't fallen quite that far but probably in a year or two, if I'm still above ground it just might be how I have to do things. My mind says, "You can do it." My body says "Go to hell!" That's life?
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I'm with you PJ .You do what ever you have to to keep hunting. I am still motivating but a few years ago I sold my big mules and got two smaller ones.I ride to my hunt area, get to a favorite stand a few 100yards away and wait for the elk.Seems to be working.When I get one down, I cut it into smaller pieces than I did when I was younger so I can load it.

Your method isn't too far down the road for me.


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Originally Posted by GregW
If you wanna kill a big bull or big buck solo, on public land you gotta be tough, stubborn, and love pain at times. Or do it when it's cold and amortize the pack out for a few days. You also gotta get creative on finding them this day and age....

Good luck in your future hunts and at least you realized this prior to having to do it.. grin ..

Once you top 70, amortizing the pack out needs more than a few days. You could need a day between trips to rest. The legs don't recover overnight like they do at 50 or 60.


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Like others here in their 70's, I had to change my elk hunting habits several years ago. All of my old time hunting partners have either died or stopped hunting altogether. The younger ones I introduced the sport to, have to budget their trips because of how expensive it has gotten for those of us out of staters. They have families at home and can only go every three or four years. I am fortunate in that I met a local that allows me to camp on her land and then makes sure I get back to camp each evening. She also has horses and will have some of her hands pack them out for me. That has extended my hunting a few years anyway. Even with help from friends, I still make sure I hunt within two miles of the camp. I hunt during the third season, and many years the snow is high and tough walking. So being close to camp is my new friend. With the new Colorado time frames for the third hunting season, I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to hunt the third. Especially in two years when it starts on November 13th. (Traditionally, fourth season) So for now, I'll continue to go up and enjoy the beauty of the high country of Colorado. I'll just do it closer to camp than the past.

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Same thing with our elk hunting crew. Several timed out due to age and others have family and financial priorities that prevent them from going every year. At 70, driving 1,200 miles has become a chore. Not sure what I’ll do next year, either. I hunted 3rd and 4th season the past 3 years; but with the season changes, I might have to roll back to 2nd. We’ve had limited success the past few years during second season but maybe the later date will help. I’ll just keep going as long as possible then just become a spectator. Happy Trails


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