Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How Has Your Point of View on Hunting Changed as you aged?

As I approach my 60th year I find my point of view on hunting has changed drastically.

There was a time when I hunted hard from dawn to dark humping the hills in CO looking for elk and mulies. My whole family would be on the hunt but I rarely saw them since I was always the first one out the tent long before daylight and I was always the last one to come dragging in long after dark with a flashlight in my hand. I'd eat, crash and do it again the next day and would do it until I tagged out or the season ended. Now most of those family members: both grandfathers, father, uncles, some cousins and long time family friends are all dead. I realize now that I was hunting for the wrong reason since I always had to be the one that tagged the biggest animal and usually was. I missed the comradery and the simple joy of being with people I cared about. There was a time on safari in Africa with my father that I insisted that we both have our own PH because Pop hunted too slow for me. I wasn't there when Pop took a really good Kudu.

I wasn't there when he took a very nice Cape Bushbuck, a species I never did take.

I wasn't there when Pop took the biggest Blue Wildebeest I ever saw. I had to hunt elsewhere looking for game.

This really struck home when my father died and I realized there would be no more hunting trips with him. Only then did I understand that the real trophies from a hunting trip are not the horns, heads, antlers and hides. The real trophies are the people you share the trips with. I haven't hunted for any antlers since I buried my father in 2013. I have taken a few bucks as target of opportunities but now I hunt for the memories and for a few does for the meat. I take time to watch the sunrise. I find joy in watching the birds fly and hearing the coyotes howl. I relish the feel of the sun and wind on my face and I wish every season that I could have all those long dead hunters with me in camp just once more.

I would love to hear how some others have changed as well.

I’m 70 years old. I’m still pretty aggressive, when I hunt. But I don’t hunt all season. I mostly bowhunt and used to be out opening morning and most days through the season. Now I watch the moon, weather and rut and am more successful, with some what less days in the field.

I still like going, but not obsessed with it as I once was. It was raining this weekend, so I didn’t make bow opener. Years ago I would have sat in the rain.

The sins of youth.

I never hunted with a family member as none were hunters but I sure grew up fishing with dad. In that regard I have regressed to simple fishing, little creeks, lakeside banks, just as in my youth with dad. So I understand the sentiment completely and we are lucky to have had such men in our lives.

As far as hunting goes, deer hunting is still enjoyable for myself (mostly time spent in the woods) but the amount of time spent doing it and the fever is far less. Still I somehow seem to do better today with far less hours spent in my youth. I credit much of that to more deer today than 40 years ago, and being slower. That, and picking the weather.

I still get shaky over birds, every gobble races my heart. Enjoy the day and pass it along when possible.

Still hunt dawn to dusk.

I don't care if I ever shoot another deer but I'll be pissed if I never get to deer hunt again.

I don't care if I shoot a dink or something that beats the world record by 50 inches - I'll never spend a dime on taxidermy.

Zero desire to hunt Africa.

I used to hunt a variety of small game, varmints, bowfished, deer and waterfowl hunted.

Hit it pretty hard.

Now I hunt smarter, not harder.
Yeah i hunted opening day of bow, but will proly stay home til pre rut/ Halloween.

Bowfishing or groundhog hunting wooded creekbanks w pistols...... Skeeter dope n me no longer mix.

I wish turkey season went right to deer season, skip summer altogether.

Dont have the good spots anymore. Its harder to see just an OK deer, let alone shoot one.

Am not one to just camp out and burn stand time.

Looking at a camper and out of state hunts. Getting older, need to have some fun while still able.

Hunted alone a lot, dont mind it.
Kinda prefer it.

I used to be fanatical about hunting, but never was a trophy hunter. I liked seeing deer and other animals, seeing bears, bobcats and turkeys were just a fun as seeing deer. I also enjoyed eating venison. Didn't matter if it was doe or buck. I enjoyed hunting with my dad, it was one of the few things we could do together and remain civil. Now that he's gone, I miss hunting with him. After he died, my mom remarried to a long time family friend who has a great hunting setup. I hunted with them for seven years until club politics and interpersonal relationship got in the way. I'll miss the camp experience, and I've refocused my hunting to other species, and I'm finding I just don't have the time to do it as much as I used to, and I don't prioritize it. I still enjoy shooting and reloading, and sighting in the deer rifle for that year's hunt, even if I don't use it.

Old70.

Well, I ain't back-packing caribou out 12 miles anymore, nor moose up to 5.

I discovered internal combustion......

I’m 73 now. I’ve got to say, I like to hunt as much, or probably more than before. I can’t do it as hard as before. I am pickier about what deer I shoot now. I won’t shoot a deer unless it’s a good sized die or a buck that I can make out at least 4 points on one side.

I’d like to go on one or two more wilderness hunts for elk, caribou or moose with my brothers, but I don’t know if it’s in the cards. I plan to hunt 3 states for whitetail this year, but not as much time put in altogether as when I hunted from home in years past.

One thing that changed over time, I no longer have any interest in or desire to hunt Africa. Elephants, lions…that sort of thing that I used to dream of… no interest now. I don’t have a lot of interest in hunting big bears… really wanted to when I was younger.

The best retriever I ever had died a couple of months ago. Now I don’t know if I’ll bird or duck hunt again unless I get another dog and I’m weighing how much sense it would make to do so. Somehow, over the years, the dog work has become what bird hunting is all about..

I like hunting solitary. I didn’t grow up hunting and living in AZ opportunities are limited. For me I like the solitude. Hunting with my brother or someone else like minded is fun if it’s just the two of us.

The few old timer hunters I know just enjoy the opportunity to be outside in nature and relish the opportunity to share their experience bringing up the next generation of hunters. Since I didn’t grow up hunting, it was an older retired fellow I met at my nephews youth elk camp that taught us the ropes years ago. He became a good friend that we have kept in touch with over the years.

I guess I'm alot like most of the guys that have posted. Used to hunt in all kinds of weather, and if the season was open I hunted it. At 63 iv slowed way down, bow opened this weekend, a couple of younger buds hunted, I didn't to hot and was raining yesterday. But will get out this week, some time. I told them deer wouldn't move they never saw a buck, just a few does. I do miss the old days and the old timers! Now I'm the old guy. Need to get out and do some squirrel hunting also! Happy Hunting!

I was pretty well tired of deer hunting until my kids started going. That's the stuff.

🦫

I have hunted alone for most of my life. Have been on only a handful of enjoyable hunts with buddies. I hate link ups in the middle of the day at such and such a time! Phuque that! I hate the crowds in the woods and I hate [bleep] neighbors here in farm country! I hate not being able to skewer a doe on public or private land as I see fit, the WI DNR says I have to specify. I hate what the internet and modern technology have done to a once uncomplicated hobby . I hate the fact that fewer younger hunters are getting involved, at least in this neck of the woods! Why do I have to take the whole carcass out of the woods now in WI, as they eliminated the registration in person with carcass in the state! Anyhoo, some things just suck when you are getting older and I become more grouchy!

My younger days are gone, but I still hunt. Maybe successful, maybe not. Doesn't matter one way or the other.

Used to hunt small game and mushroom with my grandfather (the master of a Winchester 37) every Saturday when I was a kid, then all weekend long with my uncles when I was older. Eventually started spending all my free time deer huntng.

My dad was a hunter but always worked Saturdays too so I didn't hunt with him that often. Always great to be in the woods with him though

My grandfather and my deer hunting uncle have passed and while I hunted on for a while it really wasnt the same, and I haven't sent any real time in the woods in a while.

I miss it, but mostly because of them. If they were around I'd still be in the woods. These days I just shoot targets for fun.

I wouldnt chase the biggest deer, or the most, etc.
Just good times doing good things.

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Most of my get up. and go has got up and left.

Time has changed my hunting! I didn't go out this opening weekend! Got home late from salmon fishing and crabbing friday night. Spent most of yesterday and today cleaning boat and gear. In the past hunting would have taken priority over everything! Tomorrow morning I will go look for a buck, I'm looking for a tender forky. I hunt closer to the rig now. Two years ago on my 69th birthday, I shot a nice three point about 2 miles from the rig. It took me all day to get it out! Now at 71 l 'll hang closer! I usually hunt alone, and may take a friend this year. Help is appreciated now, in the past not so much! When I can't hunt and be happy with hunting, I will just start fishing more.

We were never hardcore, dusk to dawn hunters, but I no longer live near either of my uncles, and my Dad's health has declined with age to the point that he quit several years back. To me, it's been a mixed bag. I like the solitude, but I don't get excited about it the way I did when I was younger.

Land access has also gotten pretty heavily restricted around here unless your pockets run a lot deeper than mine over the past 10 years or so. With the land I have to work with, it's more about just being out there than anything else. Some years, I don't even see a single deer, but I still keep going, because nothing else feels like that first sit opening morning.