Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Old Elk Hunters

Just back from eight days of archery hunting. I didn't punch the tag but had a great trip and saw a ton of elk. As one who put 50-60 miles on his boots should expect. It was quite warm, the bugles quit early every day but I had my chances.

While hunting I saw a few hunters, almost all of whom were older than me. By quite a bit. Some were punchy about it. One guy cruising around in his brand new General got chippy with me for getting out there on foot and "running all the elk out." I asked him if he was expecting one to just run out and stand alongside the road and wait for him to drive up.

Another guy sitting in his pickup asked me about sitting waterholes as he took a drag on his vape. I said I didn't know how to pick one, there's water all over. He told me the steel plates in both his feet didn't allow much hiking anymore but he'd been putting in for over 20 years for this tag. I'll give him credit, he at least had a driver his same age who took him to the waterholes and he did sit quite a bit.

A big fat septuagenarian had a new General as well, and his side kick was sporting a new perm and color, and wearing a sweatshirt. "GRANDMA" was embroidered on it. I didn't ask if she was going to help pack quarters down to the SxS for him. Maybe she needed to give him his meds every day. He was quite concerned that I'd go hiking in after "his" elk as well.

Point creep is a bigger problem than I had thought. The CO for the area told me that if I thought these guys were old, I should see who gets Park tags. They have mostly been going to guys with more than 30 years as of late.

I did see two younger hunters than me. One had a nice 6x6, and the other didn't get it done. He had his mom with him, which was kinda cool. She was camo'd up and keeping up with him as best she could.

Turning 65 next week and I’ll be out there until my kids take me to our veterinarian’s office to have me put to sleep.

Oldest hunter I personally know going after elk was a gentleman I saw just last year. He was 86 and shuffling his feet, but dangit, he was putting one foot in front of the other so good for him!

Turn 79 this year. First season I have missed in 45+years. I had stroke in late July and the doc said not to go, so I turned my tag in. In hind sight, I should have said screw it and went as I am feeling pretty decent now.

I could still go 2nd season, but my old pack mule went lame and now I have no way to pack meat out. If it snowed any great amount, I would be SOL. I have deer tag in eastern CO the end of October, so hope fully that will suffice. I will turn 80 before next fall but I plan on elk hunting next year, if I am still upright.

My original goal was to be able to hunt until I was 75. I got that done and set a goal of 80.

My Grandad bought his last tag at age 87, killed his last elk when he was 77. He hiked a mile or so up to his sitting spot every day of the season when he was 87 but never got a shot. He’s 90 now and in great shape but he’s hung up his rifle for good. He is still planning to go with us and be the camp superintendent this year.

Of course I generally run across a bunch of the folks you described every year. Fat asses cruising the trail on wheelers or in trucks, drinking beer and looking for “elk close to the road”.

Good for you guys. I hope to join you in hunting hard well into my old age. You should be proud, rightly so.

I suspect those of you who replied are hunting on general tags available OTC or close thereto. Our South Dakota tags are resident only and coveted and extremely hard to come by. I had 8 years in for mine, the vape guy had 22 years in to get his. I cannot reapply for 9 years now and thus it will be 20 or more years before I would draw again. Lots of competition for the tags. Point creep is keeping younger guys from getting these tags. By and large its older guys then who are getting South Dakota elk tags but who are not developing/maintaining skills and conditioning required to go out and do what is necessary to be successful.

I hunt public land every year in CO don’t depend on points to hunt. I’m 62 & hauled out our rookie’s elk hindquarter 4 miles away up & down to the truck well after dark & after he ran out of gas & hit the wall. I hauled out my own cow, another hunting partners & 2 deer nothing closer than 1.5 miles from the truck.

Old guys in general are tougher that the young pups sprinting up the hills. I miss my 25 year old legs & wind but feel blessed to have the health & desire to hunt elk on foot & bring them out on my back.

I’m hoping for another 10 years before I have to hunt the base of the hills or God forbid out of the truck - both options are better than not hunting.

I hope you are still as cheeky when you're 75. I have a nephew that is always pissing and moaning about the"old guys" that can't walk putting in for tags and ruining his chances at the draw. Screw him!

Saddlesore,

I'm sorry to hear of the stroke and that you had to miss this season. I've followed your posts for years and appreciate them. Keep 'em coming. I'm hoping you and the mule will haul one more elk out of the hills next year.

Hahahahaha! I was more bitching about them bitching at me for going out and hunting on foot and ruining their road hunting opportunities

54 here, but with a lot of miles on me. Heart attack last year left me with 2 stints in the heart. I did manage to plug a cow with my bow and haul it out by myself. About a mile and a half one way. Still kicking and thinking about next year.

I applaud your effort. That is the way my elk hunting partner and I hunt. He's older than me, but he still gets around pretty well. Him and I have our tactics to get out there, find them and ambush them if we can. Generally he will drop me off at a point and he will circle around and we will meet in the middle. That has produced elk, but it requires a lot of walking and planning. We see a lot of guys just driving around, or sitting in their pickups near a clearing. Probably hoping guys like us are going to push the elk to them. I'm sure we have a time or 2, so guys shouldn't get mad because if nothing else we are out there moving them around. Otherwise the elk could be holed up somewhere and no one would see them. Keep doing what you are doing BKIN. We hunt in a very low hunters success rate area (approx 5% most years), but we tend to get our elk every other year. The way I see it, is you have better chances if you get out there where the elk are vs. waiting for the elk to get to where you are..

Your post is inspiring. I’m hoping for the same. My family wonders why I keep up the strenuous efforts throughout the year & I say it’s to offset age. I’m
A little crusty these days & do things I shouldn’t but still can.
Cheers.

I will be 60 on my next birthday. Grew up in CO hunting the high country and still try to get back every year. I have taken 25 elk and have packed them all out on my back. Took a mountain goat at 13,800 ft more than 5 miles from the trailhead and packed it out on my back. Took a bighorn ram at over 11,000 feet and brought it out on my back. Last year I took a big black bear. In less than a week I will be hunting a pronghorn buck on foot on the Comanche Natl Grasslands.

Don't knock old guys. Most of them have been around the block a few times and if I ever get my Unit 2 tag I'll be hunting on foot in the canyons of northwest CO trying to pull a monster bull into the open. I'm sitting on 26 points right now.

What is a "Park tag"?.....

I love the guys driving around (as long as they stay on designated roads) then I know where the lazy azzes are and can hunt accordingly.

Saddle-, you’ve done very well. There’s just no denying the effects of getting older. My last of about eleven bulls and a couple cows was taken in ‘18 when I was 69 and seven months after a total hip replacement. It was a bit too early. I was still a bit gimpy on wet snow slopes even with walking sticks, and horses are not my favorite mode of transportation any more (give me a mule). But thankfully, I got a great shot at a young 6x6 at about a 100 yards. My shooting ability is about the only thing that hasn’t changed. Yet.

Being from Iowa, that, realistically was my last elk as I have no further plans to go again. I’m just thankful I had the opportunities I did. However, I still love pheasant hunting with friends and also still hunting alone In the snow for our whitetails.

Cheers and the best.

i'm 70, be there for first rifle, been walking my butt off to get in shape.

I'm feeling like an old elk hunter this year......

Beware us old guys. Stealth and treachery.....

77 here and headed for Wyoming next week, looking forward to my 60 th elk season. I hike pretty much every day, (over 800 miles this year) and stay in shape. I can still get back "in" but it takes me a little longer. I don't know how many more elk seasons I have left but I treasure every day that I see the sun come up over elk country. I have been very successful over the years and hope to continue getting back in, there and getting it done.

I turned 77 this year. Filled my CA bull elk tag three weeks ago.
Filled a AZ archery tag with a 6x6 two years ago at 75.
I have a Utah cow tag in my pocket for later this year. I'm slow but I'm not ready to quit yet.