Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting The ol gang just ain't the same

When I started deer hunting in the early 80's we always hunted on family members property up north.
It was always a grand ol time with 13- 17 guys in the gang.
We hunted on around 500 acres owned by us or with permission of neighbors.
We are down to 4 guys now.
The best times I had with my father were spent during these hunts. Great memories.
But dad passed away several years ago.
The surviving members still make the trip and it's still Great, but something's " missing".
It's just not the same since our puncher and best marksman in the gang ( my dad was a Canadian military sniper) is gone.
I still love the chase as I'm now voluntold to be the puncher but I just don't have the zest for it i used to?
Anyone else have this problem?
Sorry for the novel.

Hey chin up, get some young blood into the camp. Should liven things up!!! Just have patience & teach them what to do like your Dad taught you. Did I say patience. Bill out. 🐾👣👣🇨🇦

Sad, but this seems like a common refrain. Maybe just the way of the world.

BTW - what is a "puncher"?

The older you get the worse it gets. It’s not a problem, it’s the way of life. Happens to hunters, golfers, etc, etc. Best make the best of it.

The puncher is the guy who takes the dog/s ( if you have one) and tracks and pushes the deer hopefully towards the guys on the watches who are waiting for the deer to show.
Thanks for the replies people!

Lots of things change.. I used to return to Pa. to hunt whitetails and turkey.. Probably every year since 1999, until the camp sold a few years ago.. But it was a far cry from the days of my youth.. In those days, little posting, drives were common.. Now posted ground is more common and huge houses on posts are dominate !!!
In those days, getting a buck was an achievement, now the value placed on big bucks has ruined the fun hunting we enjoyed... Glad I saw it in a better time... Another big change is the shift in the deer populations from the mountain area to the entire state.. Where my grandfather made a journey by train or truck to hunt, we walked out the door or made a short drive to get too the deer woods... That is not all bad...

Yes. Among deaths, post retirement moves, and some just wearing out, I'm doing more solo hunting than ever these days. Nothing like a camp with at least 4 or 5 guys around especially when one can use some help. Finding considerable joy, however, when I get an invite to help out a youngster.

I love deer hunting but, anymore, I really enjoy seeing the young guys get their bucks more than getting one myself.

Yes.

Dad’s gone. 1 of best friend’s gone. Others too old & feeble.

“All my rowdy friends have rowdied on down “

It ain’t the same but I ain’t quitting.

Jerry

its been a ruff on our lease this year my brother past away 9 12 18 at camp from a heart attack . his two sons and me are real close we know he would want us to keep going .but some days it hard to

Just as it is with families, there always seems to be that one person that is the glue. When they go, it seems many drift away. I've seen it within families and hunting groups. I guess it's the nature of the beast.

All I know is I do it for fun still. Some days it is fun and other days the heart just isn't into, so I don't go.

Live, love and enjoy the memories and the moments yet to come. If you spend too much time looking in the rear view mirror you'll miss out on so many future memories and fun.

That's great. I agree about the whole thing there and the rear view CAN pick us up at times.

Thnx


Jerry

Hunting camps change.Lately I have been finding it hard to get people to come out to the lease they paid mucho money to be on. I have been out there by myself twice already this year, having been out 5 times already. Seems many think mid 60's is old. The cold and rain seems to bother us all a bit more.

I’d like to add, my Son & I hunt together when possible.

His work has him covering most of the S half of the State so we don’t get to hunt
together very often.

His Son loves to hunt but school limits his time for both of us.

Jerry

We call them 'drivers' and 'standers'.

Same here !

Jerry

You see this conversation on every website. Hunters are aging and it's true, camps do evolve. I've contemplated starting a deer camp but I'm not sure how to start. I couldn't care less about big antlers or numbers. I just love to be out there. And having friends around is even better.

I'm the only one left alive in our original camp "gang", unless my son decides to come up and he's usually too busy now with work.

Still some relatives in the area and farmers that join in the hunts, but their ranks have also thinned over the years. Gonna be there anyway. Ain't dead yet. Good luck to all heading out, wouldn't miss it.

Take some young kids out, teach them skills. Even if they are not your own.

They will cherish the memories forever.

Take some high school aged boys and girls out and do the same.

You will be surprised how much excitement they have, especially if you start them in the spring with teaching them basic marksmanship, landowner/hunter ethics, sportsmanship, old school hunting skills etc.

Take lots of pictures

These are things they will be telling their children about.

Long after you are gone, your legacy of those things, and the person who introduced them to a whole new world will live on, and likely be passed on to their kids.

Our camp commenced in the 1960's in upstate NY... Steuben County. We had many great hunters / visitors over the years. Everybody is gone now ... except for my wife and me. It's kinda sad. We got three decent bucks this year... but it's likely to be the last go-around. Age and health issues have taken their toll. Adjacent lands have been sold, and slob hunters abound. I guess all good things must end.