Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting I feel old as F

I posted earlier about planning a elk hunt for 2024. Thought I would try to get in shape. Did a hike I used to do 20 years ago. 4,000 feet to the top 7 miles round trip. My mind says I'm 18 my body at the end of this was screaming 90. My hats off to the older members that get it done. I have a long road ahead of me

I can't say as I'm ancient (59 next week) but I have reached an age where things are harder AND most importantly it takes longer to get over injuries. Your training hike sounds good but I'd strongly advise easing into it. Ease into all of it. Despite what the internet says, you won't be in elk shape in weeks - or even months. Your body simply takes a long time to adapt to the physical requirements of mountain hunting.

Strength training and aerobic conditioning at easy to moderate intensity are your friends over the next 3-4 months with intensity ramping up closer to season. And throw in rucking this summer. Simply build volume slowly, let your body adapt, and you'll be alot more comfortable on your hunt. You honestly can do it - if you ease into it. Good luck!

Thanks the hunts well over a year a way. I figured I hiked this all the time when I was a kid, and I'm still healthy amd it shouldn't be a problem. My knees, back, and ankles had other ideas. Now I know where I am at physically

Since my knee replacements in 2017, I’ve been usong an elliptical machine 3-5 days a week followed by weights. 30 minutes on level 15 after working up from 1. It builds leg strength and cardio conditioning without the pounding on the knees, hips, and ankles. I can hike up and down hillS pretty good. I’m 62.

Ron

I think I have at least one more elk hunt. Well hope I do. Maybe two!!

Don't give up on the exercise. Not just for elk hunting but for life in general. The hardest workout is the first one, and you already did that one. Just keep it up. Mix up your workouts, hikes, walks, runs, bikes, swims, weights, whatever. Just keep making it fun. I set a distance goal for running each month and tell myself, however and whenever I do the miles doesn't matter, just get them done.

You don't say how old you are, but it gets worse once you past 70. Once you are on the back side of 70's you will be damn glad you can still get out and sit on a stump.

I just turned 41😅 yeah my hats off to you and rockchuck and the other senior members that get it done

41!?!?!

You young Whippersnapper.

41!!! I was still running 5 miles a day at 41!

(And I got the knees to prove it)

40’s are the prime time of life! No sympathy from me, sorry. My advice to all you young guys is don’t let yourself slow down. I did ok thru mid 60’s but then got lazy and enjoyed too much of my wife’s good cooking. Now (at 72) a 2 or 3 mile walk with the puppy seems like big deal. One reason for getting a puppy at this age was to get us and keep us moving. It seems to be working.

I was just telling my kids to keep working out so they don't injure themselves like I have. I relied on youthful strength by just doing stuff and then I hit 50. Now with 5 shoulder and arm surgeries behind me (I'm a slow learner at times) I am working out 3-5 times a week. Having my chest cracked open was the 6th that convinced me to keep working out. Like I said, I am a slow learner at times. My wife calls it stubborn. Well, that's the nicest thing she calls it.

I'm living the best year of my life despite loosing a few fingers in a accident, I thought i was in good shape until we went on that hike it was a wake up call.

I'm 67 & my elk hunting days are behind me. I like hunting turkeys now. Love how they gobble coming to the call just like a love sick bull. But I can pick them up with 1 hand & get back to the truck in 1 trip.

At very close to 70……the mountain hunts are exponentially harder than they were 10 years ago! Even with good conditioning …..age is not your friend! memtb

Heck, you have to just keep after it. I did a sheep hunt at 63, another wilderness elk hunt at 65, an 85 mile horse pack trip through the
Thorofare at 67, an aoudad hunt at 69 and have another planned for January. Just have to realize you need to go slower and keep doing something physical every day, not wait until before a scheduled hunt.

now after a few surgeries and almost 69 years of age my elk hunting is getting very difficult , my only way anymore is buy my son a non-resident license and bring him with , his age is 33 and he runs and lifts weights at the gym ,my son is very fit , he is my mule in the montains . i keep hoping to go on another elk hunt next year 2023 but still recovering from a 2021 back surgery yet . i hope we all do well in health and hunting yet . take care ,Pete53

I will be 75 come Oct. I plan on hunting as long as I can, but with the elk explosion I hunt differently than my youth, and a younger pals I can call on for help.. I still walk an hour each day, but slower than 5 years ago.

You guys definitely are a inspiration

hell or high water i will go again elk hunting but i would prefer the archery season with my son . my price is kinda high and funny because , 2 non-resident tags mine and my son`s ,my truck and everything else but its worth it to spend time with my son he seems to always kill an elk with his bow too.

Irving D: 41! I laughed when I read your answer.
Try some high altitude Elk Hunting (8,000'!) when you are 74!
Did that last year.
You learn to deal with the terrain, elements and elevation with a much more patient regimen (i.e. - go slower!).
See you in 33 years - he-he.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I am only a year older than you OP....you're plenty young enough. Barring health issues which it doesn't sound as if that is the case here, it is all mental once you stretch your legs a bit and make that hike a few more times.

If you're from a low state, high altitude elk country can really hammer you. A lot of guys go to CO and crap out. Here in Idaho, it's high, but not like CO. We usually hunt around 7 to 9k with many good hunts lower than that. When you top 60, getting in shape for 8k can be a chore but 10+ can be impossible.

Let see. Hoping to draw buck archery here in Co and rifle bull tag. I may be old at 80 but I'm not dead.

Ill be 76 in 2 months. I do pretty good, but I have noticed that if I slack off on the exercises and hiking it's harder to get it back. I try to stay in good shape year around. Old age ain't for sissies.

Old age and weight gain can be insidious. I'm 64 and still working for another year or so.

But... I had a recent knee issue that has slowed me down a bunch. I walk less. So I've gained weight and the knee hurts more. So I walk less.

I know what I gotta do, but ...

The Dead song, Touch of Grey has a line that says "It's even worse than it appears"...

Word...

I'm 72 this year. Planning to hunt elk for years to come. I don't hunt as fast as I once did, but I'm persistent. Good luck with getting in shape. Not only will you hunt, but life will be better overall!

I solo hunted a bull elk in the Glade Park herd at 49 with a fused ankle, and found out a day after I got back I was positive for COVID. That elk hunt flat out kicked my a$$! Literally exhausted everyday of the hunt, and it was really difficult ro drag myself out of the cot every morning. I didn't find the bull of my dreams, but I got a bull the last morning. OnX said I hiked about 40 miles in five days of hunting.

I was worried back in Sep 2015 when I shattered my ankle I was done hunting in the mountains. A year of missed work, an ankle that doesnt flex, and not able to help my daughter on her first elk hunt because I wasnt ready in Nov 2016 and was told to stay at the truck, put me into a pretty deep depression for awhile. I managed to pull myself out of the funk I was in. I just had to realize I wasnt going to make it back to 100% again as far as my mobility, but I could be 100% of what mobility I had left.

It's all about the "WANT", and if you want it bad enough you'll get an elk hunt done. Just don't give up mentally, and you'll be okay. I sure felt accomplished when I got my bull back to camp and no one can take that away from me.

However, I don't want to solo hunt elk again if I can help it!

I'll be 61 next month. I still backpack, hike, etc., and as of this past year, still do solo backpack elk hunts (wilderness area elk hunts on my own two feet are the only ones I'm interested in). I've done enough elk hunting that I've lost the vast majority of interest I had in doing it - life moves on. However, I plan on staying in "elk hunting shape" for the remainder of my life, even if I decide to quit elk hunting. But, at least for a while, I know what will happen - fall will arrive, and that desire will somehow resurrect, even if a bit diminished!

I've never elk hunted but I have heard a few bugles in the woods and I think the sound of that would be enough to get me out each year.

65 this year. Last year torn meniscus and then just when better a chance of cartilage broke. No hunting for me last year. Now I'm in week 12 of a knee replacement. Not going as good as I would like. Didn't draw a tag this year either. Now thinking that may be a blessing as this knee may not be ready. But need to decide if I want to put in for a cow tag. Dang....at my age I hate to miss another season so think ill put in. Plus it will help with getting in shape mentally. Oh to be 40 and have the time to hunt.

I'm 73 and one of my partners is 76. The last 2 years we've opted for a late cow hunt in an area that's a lot flatter than where we've hunted for the last 20 years. 2 years ago 5 of us got 4 cows and last year 3 of us got 2 cows and were darn lucky to find those. It's a wintering area and because of the warm fall, they didn't move down until Dec. On the last day of Nov, we found a herd of 9 with 2 cows and were able to get them both. We had to walk 1.5 miles to get at them but it was all flat desert, no climbing at all. That's much easier on old legs.

I remember whipping myself into shape for high elevation (for me anyways) hunting with a month of focused effort. Not no more, and not for a long time.

For many years it's been 5 miles a day, 6 days a week up and down a mountain trail packing a 30lb slab of iron on my back and a Garand sans sling. That Garand makes using *any* rifle during hunting season seem like one of them new-fangled "mountain" rifles. Coupled with that are pushups, then shed the backpack and crank out crunches (unless the trailhead is sloppy wet, then I do those back at the shack).

I like to have 1,000 miles in by the time I head out for elk. I use up a pair and a half of boot soles each year. Just turned 68.

This may be my last year to seriously elk hunt. Worn out knees, arthritis, side effects from cancer treatments, and Father Time have all taken their toll on my old frame. My wife says that I said that every year for the past 10 years. Happy Trails

I think Brad & T Inman, B Winters and others nailed their posts.

I fully hear your concern & actually just responded to your original post. I’m 51 now. I have luckily (fortunately) had fitness in my ethos as a Scandinavian for my whole life - BUT - I’ve got a life long hunt mate friend that has struggled with being in & out of shape due to his career path. He stays positive & does his absolute best every day which is super hard & very welcome in my camp. I’m a huge believer in being mentally positive & having a fun time ahead of current physical limitations. Cheerfulness counts more than you know.

Hunting slowly is not a liability - it could be used to your benefit. Go as slow as you need, ignore us on the internet and do your personal thing. Just never, never quit hunting. Gradually put yourself into the ‘spot’ that you’ve researched on the map.

A thought that crosses my mind often is that being in the field - regardless of being in the ideal spot - will over time provide you with an opportunity. Stay afield - as far as your personal limits allow - then stay 15 minutes more.

We’ll cheer you on! Go get’em.

Everything has to be modified when we age and it becomes increasingly important to eat healthy , as for me, not being able to work the physical jobs I once did, my muscle mass has dwindled. While my weight is manageable , it still needs to be moved up the mountain with wimpy muscles and joints. Old injuries take their toll!

The difference in my abilities from 64 to 68 are marked. The slide is logarithmic, not simply arithmatic.

I'm a couple of years behind you and this seems to happen to me now every year. I just can't seem to give it up. I'm sure nature and time will tell me when it is time. It drives my wife nuts that I still do the solo backpack hunting for a week to ten days at a time. She has received much comfort from my implementation of the Garmin InReach Explorer+.

After you posting that picture in LD’s azz thread I have no sympathy. 😁😂🤣🤣

I wouldn’t either🤣. I had planned on a elk or moose hunt for my 40th my friend talked me into fishing Panama instead I’m glad he did

This is good advice.
I planned an elk hunt in 1984. I started jogging 5-6 days a week, and I got in pretty good shape. After the elk hunt, I kept up the jogging for many years, until my doc said it’s to hard on your knees and hips. He suggested a tread mill, walk at a fast pace and add some incline. I’ve been doing that since I stopped jogging, 4-5 days a week and a couple days I’ll work out on a weight machine.
It takes a lot of dedication and some days I’d much rather do something other than work out. But it’s good for your health and gets you into hunting at an advanced age.
I’m 71.
I’ve hunted elk the last two falls and will again this fall. And I do lots of other hunting.
Get in the habit of taking care of yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

We all hit "that" with a different number. I made it well into my fifties in quite honestly fabulous shape. I am not going to hit my '60s quite the same. I was a lot of physical work never a gym rat. Then when I lost my dad in 17 I took over a lot of other stuff that required more sitting and doing. I've caught the age my mother was when she had knee replacements and all the arthritis is catching up punishment from the let's just say less than intelligent stunt I pulled as a youth. And starting to get a little bit of that pudgy. It's all good we'll get there well I'll end up in the same places

Yes sir, you are only as old as you feel. And having said that, yes, ha, we have to just "do it differently". I will be 70 in February of '23. I've had multiple surgeries on my "frame and running gear", so I feel I've "earned" the right to hunt private ranches, lower elevations and cow elk....lots of good eating, lots of fun. I have never, ever, come up on a bull elk when I had a tag! I don't believe in jinxes...but man! ha

I'm 64 and can't wait till my next elk hunt. Stay in shape year round.....not like my buddy does....."Well, we're headed out in two weeks.....guess I better start walking around the block a few times (250' above sea level). He drove all the way to Aspen one year, tried to pull one hill first morning. Went back to the hotel, took a nap and drove back to GA. What a damn game plan that was....

My inspiration comes from an 86 year old hunter I see at the ranch I hunt. He gets nowhere fast....but by God, he's out there hunting.

My job has me walking at least 3 miles a day....sometimes close to 5....I'm 52 now. The shoulders are starting to give me problems but the legs are still good....so far....
I live at 6600 elevation, so I'm lucky for that when it comes time to climbing the hills

Good luck with that. I quit hunting elk when I hit 50. I had a good string of luck with them and just plain no longer wanted to hike up the mountain and figure out a way to carry 500 pounds back down.

41, that is still young. At that age, you should still feel like you can whip the fu cking world. I'm only 48 and I still feel that way. Not much slows me down, so you should maybe think about going to see a doctor.. See wtf is wrong.

Will be 63 this year & am planning on at least 8 more elk hunts. The moving activity & heavy lifting on a little farm & a lifetime of hunting in the mountains have helped but there is no substitute for training climbing with a pack.

Flexibility & balance are what I’ve noticed declining as I get older. I’m doing a lot less jumping down from rocks & fallen trees than I did before & moving much slower than as a young man. But last year I packed out my deer the climbed back up 4 miles to haul out a young man’s cow hindquarter. iPhone said I di 13 miles & climbed 4000 feet that day, average elevation 8000 feet. Didn’t break any speed records but also didn’t break any bones or ligaments. Slower & more careful is essential but elk hunting is a gray motivator for me to keep moving.

If you're feeling like that at 41 you've got a long road ahead of you... best get yourself a gym membership or some sort of exercise routine to get back in shape or you will have a tough time making it to retirement, much less enjoying it...

I'll be 70 next spring and going elk hunting this fall and hopefully for quite a while longer, God willing...

I started slowing down at 60, but once I passed 75 the rate of change dramatically increased.Now at 79 I am not in very good shape.

I turned 70 in May, but keep pretty active. Yesterday I cut, split and stacked a cord of red oak. I've noticed that if I go a month or so without physical activity, like in the dead of winter, it takes longer to get back strength and endurance. Keep at it!

Irving D;
Good afternoon to you sir, I trust the day is behaving for you and all in your world who matter are healthy.

Thanks for the interesting thread you've started and for sure thanks to those who've answered making it so.

As a broad beginning statement, I'll say that I'm a year younger than Brad is and do not honestly believe I could come close to keeping up with him in the places he's posted that he hunts, kills and packs out elk.

We do live in a valley in BC where there are mountains just up behind the house and besides a generous 3 month season I'm up cutting firewood, scouting and this year was morel picking to help stay in "mountain shape".

Honestly there's two or three things I've done which allow me to keep hiking in spots where we've hunted coming up on 40 years now. I'll share them in order of what I feel is importance, but please know that I'm cognizant what works for me might not work for anyone else.

About 7 years ago now, my wife and I decided to get up an hour early on weekday mornings and go for a 3.2km walk. We do it pretty much rain or shine, sleet or snow, though if it's too, too cold or pouring sometimes we'll take a morning off. We decided from the start to make it a brisk walk too, so we've kept it to about 35 minutes for the loop over that time. More or less then we're a bit slower than 4mph, but for us and our leg length, I'm 5'6" and she's a bit shorter so we're pretty evenly matched, it's a steady pace.

I noticed that after the second year of doing it, I was heading further and further from the pickup during hunting season, going into places I'd not gone since I'd turned 50.

At about 55 or so, while hunting solo as I most often do, I lost my footing in the snow and managed to knock the wind out of myself enough to make a change. That change was a cheap aluminum walking stick.

I picked up a couple of them that actually locked properly when they were on a clearance sale at the local Canadian Tire. I want to say they're Kelty brand maybe? They were cheap enough that I didn't care if one bent or got lost.

This season when a younger buddy of mine got a crazy high odds, one of two "any ram" tags up behind the house, he, another buddy who is younger than me, his nephew and I have been pounding into spots I'd not been into for 31 years. That silly stick helped me going up the mountain with the others not waiting for me once or feeling like I was about to need a life flight out.

I'll note that my buddy thinks - has said to me - that "sticks are for old guys" and that's a commonly heard refrain and opinion for sure. But the stick helps me keep two points of contact downhill and helps me use my upper body assist going uphill.

Lastly I've learned to drink "lots" during the day. I carry at least a liter Platypus bag in my pack and more in the pickup when I get back to it. For me, learning to drink even when I don't feel particularly thirsty makes a big difference in how my whole body can keep chugging along.

Anyways as always sir, there's a bunch of roads leading to Mecca, some of them California Bighorn trails for us again this year - but that's what's worked for me.

Hope that made sense and was useful. Good luck on all your hunts this fall and into the future.

Dwayne

If I am reading your post correctly you did 8000' of ascent/descent in 7 miles. Even if it took you all day that is a pretty decent workout and would be more than the average hunter could or would do. Trekking poles will make those steep and long days less painful and make for a faster recovery.

Good work, keep it up.


mike r

That's why the Good Lord made these.

54 here and a couple heart stints later..........but just packed out my 2022 archery elk (cow) solo last night and this morning. Getting tougher every year but still getting it done.

I'm 83 Deer season starts this coming Saturday, We can and do hunt exotic's all year round, I don't do any mountain climbing any more, killed my first Elk in 1948, and to many to count since then, most of what i read on this forum about Elk hunting makes them sound bullet proof, I will kill a couple of cows this year, but I will have a lot of help bringing them in. What i miss is Quail hunting, walking threw the brush wears me out fast, getting old ain't bad, being old SUCKS. Rio7

Keep at it buddy! Sounds like you're making due with what you got!

This year, at 73, I've definitely lost a step and am not real sure I'll be able to backpack this year. 2 weeks ago, I went down fairly hard while riding my Kawasaki 250. I sprung some ribs and hurt my back. I can walk and climb OK, but it hurts a lot. Nonetheless, I spent 400 bucks on a new pair of boots, so I plan on using them. I'll hunt my backyard elk at first and see about the backpack trip later. It has occurred to me; I feel old because I may be approaching old! GD

Lol just finished up 18 days in Idaho. At 57 I had a 24 and a 29 year old follow me around. They started calling my hunts death marches. We covered 174 miles in 16 days. But I had them boys on bulls every day..

That time lag for getting shape starts about 40 and gets longer and longer every year.

Yes, it does 😊

As I have aged I have found that it takes longer to heal and get in shape. Recovering your condition may become impossible.

Stay in shape if possible, increase the time you plan for recovery of aerobic conditioning.

I am 75. I killed my bighorn at 71. Then lower leg injuries, Covid and two hip replacements took a serious toll on my fitness. I did as much as allowed at first and managed two does in three years doing my own carryout. The middle year I simply didn't feel I was safe to be in the woods.

I was released January 2022 to do a rehab program. I have been at it regularly for nine months and unfortunately am disappointed at the progress. Gains are very slow in coming. While 3-5 mile days are possible, 10 mile days are likely a year or more out.

I have a cow tag this year and plan to stay closee to camp. I don't want any long pack outs.

Take care of yourselves. As the Lord provides I plan to hunt elk until my 80th year or I get a 7x7 whichever comes first. A hunting partner did that. I thought it was classy.

Be 77 Oct 26 and still hunting deer and turkey. Have to take my time walking but still can get to places I have hunted for years….just have to take my time. Heart still good as younger years but just can’t do things at a fast pace. Heard it said that you never know when you have heard that last gobble. Lord willing I not reached that yet.

It’s weird I am getting close to 60.

Now my bleary eyes in the morning actually see twinkling stars.

Never understood that deal in my youth

As I have had to slow down, I actually been getting more successful.

Effort is not directly correlated to results. IMO

I look back on all the blown encounters with bulls and ……. WTF was I thinking!

Experience and using our highly evolved mind is where one must focus. IMO

I have lost 20 plus pounds and use mules. So it’s very true physical shape is imperative to enjoyable hunting.

Equines not only help during the hunting season…….. stacking hay, feeding training them help you stay in shape all year.

It is in fact mind over matter.

If u don’t mind

It don’t matter.

Good Hunting.