Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting How old can you go.....

How old are the active deer hunters here who go out hunting deer solo.....and still dragging and loading their kills unassisted if need be.

By the time next season opens I'll be 67.

I will be 70 In early March, still doing my own thing.


You are a young whippersnapper

Turned 74 last month. Hunt by myself. Ain't about to give up now!

I did that for the last time when I was 66...course in Montucky are distance for drags etc might be a tad longer, dragged that one( in a sled) 1.5 miles before loading up.

I'm 66 y/o. I always do my own thing. However, this year I shot a deer way down in a steep, nasty hellhole. I was glad one of the young blood were in camp. He helped pull it outta there, up to the skid road, and I took it from there. I probably would have managed it all myself, but I was grateful for the help.

I'm 66 this year as well. Still hunt by myself but am able to get what we want or need from our small farm. SIL gave me a 95 Honda 4 wheeler 2 years ago that needed some work. Dont drag deer anymore since I got it running! Drag them right up to the barn and winch them up!
Mickey

I am 61 and hunt and stay by myself and hunt alone. I had a health scare a couple of days ago and may rethink hunting alone depending on how my treatment goes. I do shoot them with equipment and shot placement so they drop dead most of the time. And I can drive to where they fall. I use a tilt trailer to haul them one so there isn't much straining or dragging involved.

I'll be 70 this week. Took care of 3 whitetails by myself this year.

I am 72 and still can but with 4 shoulder surgeries and 3 back, try not to. Our old phart club has put winches in all the pickups, side by sides, etc... Have winches on the meat pole and in the cooler too. Makes it a lot easier to handle deer. And we kill a lot. Place is overpopulated and we take 60 to 80 does per year. Should take more but you just get tired of it after a while.

Even when young and in good shape…..”dragging” a deer isn’t easy! Extend your hunting another decade or two by quartering-out or even boning-out your deer and taking them out on a backpack/freighter frame! Most, at least those in the lower 48, Whitetails, boned-out could be carried out in one trip…..unless it’s a long trip in difficult terrain! memtb

It’s not just the age, it’s also the miles. I wore out my knees by the time I was 70, now they are steel. Had back surgery last year. Doctors are suggesting that I’ll have heart surgery in a couple months (enlarged aorta). I’ve had close to 50 surgeries so far and have spent nearly two years total in hospitals. Two hospitals which I spent a half a year in apiece was Bal Boa Naval hospital and Camp Pendleton Naval hospital.
I still can pretty much do it all by myself, but I very much appreciate when partners help me drag, throw in the back of my pickup, help hang, skin and butcher. I went and retrieved one of my sons to help with a cow a couple years ago. I’m pretty careful when it comes to shooting game where I can drive close to pick the game up any more.

At 73 I still hunt alone, once the deer is on the ground I call for the younger guys with the 4 wheelers to get them out.

Those strong young bucks sure come in handy for a multitude of tasks around deer camp.

73 and a 1/2 here. Though, I always let my wife know where, I hunt alone, and enjoy it if the weather is reasonable (which my non-hunting brother says is about 10 days a year 😉). I carry a day pack with knife and heavy canvas game bags, and some other items. Though I didn’t get out too much this year (the weather) and didn’t get a deer, I generally bone the deer out, bag it in a couple bags, carry one if I can and head back to the truck. There, I have a freighter frame to go back and get the rest if need be.

Where I hunt, I’m rarely more than 3/4 mile from the truck. I’m getting a new knee in a couple weeks, so I hope I can be ready for next fall.

I turn 72 in June and I still hunt by myself. I did have to call for help with getting this years deer out of a steep hollow that I would have needed help with if I was 25, but typically I can handle the deer myself with the aid of an ATV.

If you can use an ATV there's no limit. I have a winch on mine so there's no dragging or loading problems.

My last two solo hunts. 2018, I was 75, 6X bull elk. 2021, solo hunt, I was 78, small mulie buck. I missed 2022 season but will try to be back out there this coming year. I sure wish I was only 67

I still hunt alone in steep country, but at 77 the rules have been changed...I never go below the elevation at which the pickup is parked. I never take a risky shot, last thing I need is a wounded buck heading down in the canyons. I carry enough stuff to completely bone out and carry the meat in case Murphy's Law takes over. I carry just enough stuff to survive a night, not comfortably, just survive, in case of a broken bone. I only spend 50% of my time hunting...the other 50% is spent looking at foot placement, so I don't have to spend the night. Easier to stay out of trouble...than to get out of trouble. And, if it all goes to schidt, I can't think of a better place to croak out.

At 73 now, I still hunt most of the time by myself, though the last three years I've spent a few days with a youngster who is just getting started. No luck with him yet. After shooting a buck this year, I sent pics to friends and family. My wife responded "what do need". I replied "the truck, the toboggan and some assistance". She showed up an hour later. I could have made the drag myself since it wasn't too far to the cabin but the help was definitely appreciated! I don't hunt in northern Maine much anymore since the distances and terrain where I used to hunt would be impossible to deal with now by myself.

Take care of yourself and with a little luck you should last a long time. If you want too. I am 76 and hunt alone. Its no different then it ever was except I don't go where I have to make long drags or packs. I expect to do it until at least into my 80's.

Will be 71 Sunday. Dragged two out this past season, one an easy half-mile downhill, the other a tougher 3/4 or more with lots of ups and downs. Used a cart for that, but the benefit over a simple roll-up sled is questionable at best. Snow is best, but don’ see that in season here much.

I wear a Zoleo tracker, my leash is what wifey calls it, so they know where to find the body.

We need to start a 70 and up club

I'll be 66. Still hunt alone. leaving day after tomorrow on a 4 day solo hunt. Last one of the season for me.

No steep country or deep canyons here but lots of heavy brush,I don't drag anything, I pull up close with my Jeep drag my cable to the critter and wench them in , then hook my back winch to them and load them on the back, I'm 83 and still hunt alone, but can call for help if I need it. Rio7

Doctor said it’s highly unlikely I’ll die from a heart attack, but I still need to be careful to avoid strains and falls and such. Put the doe in my pickup alone, and had help with the buck, thankfully.

No we don't...the level of Boomer Hate here is epic. They know we go to bed at eight, and if they get our personal data, they will hunt us down at night, and perform murder most foul. And the really weak ones, like me, that cannot make pictures go from A to B, are low hanging fruit, and will be the first to die.

All good stuff here. I'm a bit younger than most of the replies but kudos to you all and very encouraging. I hope to still be at it in my 80s if I'm around. And as flintlocke said should it go south when one is in the outdoors doing what he/she enjoys then there are a lot, lot worse things.

So did I until something not expected happened.

I am 75 and still do much of my hunting alone. One hunt per year for mule deer I now hunt with a younger friend in northern Wy. But whitetails, antelope and elk I still do alone. Although if I get an elk down, I can get assistance loading it if I need it. Haven't shot an elk for a couple years. Passed a couple chances this fall and haven't been out since. I am hoping to hunt deer as long as I am breathing.

76 here. Was impressed by an 83-year-old out soloing for elk in Wy a couple years back.

You never know, best go all you can while you can. I worked with an electrician that was saving all he could so he and his wife could travel when he retired. He died of cancer at 53. His wife got her a younger man, went traveling with him.

For sure. Back in my thirties, I counted how many elk hunts I could possibly go on and made darn sure I went. I missed very few. I moved from New Mexico to Colorado so I could hunt elk every year as a resident.

67 here, too. I don't like hunting with someone else. I'm kinda stuck with the wife though! The last couple of years she has slowed down a lot. We will have to train for next year. She's going to be 70!

76 now, been two years since I killed a deer but still hunt. My "trick" is to shoot smaller doe for meat and fetch 'em back with the small tractor I have at camp. Or, get someone to lend a hand? No size limit on a buck that's a keeper. Figure out some way to get it back.

Given my age and general gimpyness, no longer roam as far as I once did.

I'm 53 and stopped going it alone, dragging or loading several years ago

50 & going strong! Glad to read others are doing it into their 70’s. Nice work gents!

Dad is 81.

Still goes by himself, always lets me know when and where. Checks in with me when done, will tell me what he saw.

Nov 29 he calls me and lets me know that he killed a big doe. I said cool, I will come help you drag it, hang it, etc...

He said "hell I already gutted and dragged, its at the processor."

Never mind then...

65 here, although I use a Honda 450 Rancher to help with the drag.

72 with my share of ailments and surgeries and some of yours. It’s mostly my wife and me or just me but we only deer and turkey hunt. The country we hunt now has a lot of ups and downs but I can get the Foreman downhill of a kill just about anywhere. After that I just drag the beast up the rear fender onto the rack.

The two of us got 3 bucks this year, retrieved/hung/skinned/boned and wrapped all. Son & son n law got another 4 deer and we helped with the processing on them. Still have a grinding day before we finish. I’d a lot rather be sore from doing that than laid up somewhere looking out a window. One good thing about doing it all; even if it kills me I won’t die young.

I'm 64, and I'll be honest, I don't quite recall the last time I did it 100% solo. There is usually somebody back at camp that will come out with the truck. Furthermore, about 80% of the deer we take are shot where someone can roll the truck right up to the carcass.

2008 was probably the last time I actually did it all solo and had to drag a buck out of the ravine, walk back camp, grab the truck, and drag the carcass into the bed.

This past year, I was not much good for any of that due to the chemo. However, with the present trajectory, I should be back to my old self by next November.

One thing that has really helped is a gadget SuperCore donated to camp a number of years ago. It's called an L-E-Vator. It helps with lifting carcasses into truck beds and onto ATVs.



Once we got our L-E-Vator, it went a long way to making retrieval a 1-man job at our place.

I also turned 74 last month and still do it on my own. It appears that I will need to buy a new knee during the off season if I want to do it next year.

Good stuff, Rio.

My grandfather hunted until he was 82. Solo? Not really.... Hunting out of a PA camp so there was always someone around.

After about 75 he didn't get too far from the truck or cabin typically. Sometimes using a cane. And even a walker.

At 82 they cut half his leg off. (Diabetes and also had cancer at that point.) and he made it to camp two more years to hang out but didn't want us to take him out in the truck or anything. Hedied at 85. He stayed with it as long as one could I think. All depends on health I suppose.

-Jake

I’m 73 I never gave it a thought, I always hunt by myself.

Nobody else can stand me. Just thought I’d add that and save Toby the trouble!!!😂😂😂😂😂

At 74 the problem is that I still think like I’m 21. I tag out most years by myself, but a sled, Rokon and a utility trailer gets the hauling jobs done these days. Dad hunted with the deer camp for lots of years, but then decided to winter in Arizona. One year when he was 83 he asked if he could borrow a rifle so that he and another crocker buddy could go up to the cabin for opening weekend. He borrowed my 7 RM and darned if the old codger didn’t dump a nice ten point buck off his old deer stand! I don’t know who was more surprised, me, dad or the buck?

My hunting buddy just turned 73. I’m 60. We are fully mechanized and independent with ATV and pickups with some sort of device to assist loading deer. He has a hoist that sticks in his receiver hitch of his toyota woods truck. I use a block and tackle to help me get a deer up on my atv.

He’s sir. Very cool stuff.

I will be 75 in June. I fish and hunt alone most of the time because I have no one here to go with. I have no problem handling deer or anything else associated with hunting, but I am not as tough as I was in my’60’s.

I'm a young 62 and I bought one of those on sale last year for just over $100. Works great, wished I'd gotten one sooner as it's also good for quartering and deboning while travelling to hunt. Two years ago I did an antelope on the ground in the blowing dust and I swore never again. My UTV has a winch so I can cut down on the dragging but my preferred method is:




When it comes to shooting does these days the drag is a consideration before pulling the trigger.

I am 75 and did get my last couple of deer out by myself. I drug one and used a bike trailer with the other. I dogo with others and we know about where each other is but rarely see each other in the field unless someone needs a hand.

Heck I'm in my 30s and hunt places I know I'm not willing to shoot a doe at lol.

Maybe I'm a wimp.

More likely wise beyond your years...

I am 62 and walk my a** off to keep in shape when I'm not running or riding my bike. I was strictly solo until my nephew took an interest in hunting, so i tutored him. Now he's my partner and a good one, only 28 years old. Didin't get to hunt this past fall due to a new job, only the second time in the past 25 years. My plan is to keep going as long as I can. Hunting is one of the very few things i really enjoy doing as a hobby. My health is pretty good so hopefully, the lord willing, I'll be able to keep going for a long time yet!

I am 74. Almost always hunt by myself. I don’t get as far from a road as I used to and try to hunt uphill. If I get one I really take my time getting it out. I won’t drag a deer very far. Cut it up and use my packboard. I don’t want to get myself in trouble by falling or worse.

May God bless you older guys with many more seasons.

My Dad was 72 when he died, but was still doing it all on his own. My Father-In-Law will be 79 this year and still does it alone.

I'm 52 and already use my winch and help when I can. Somewhere between the age of 45 & 50, I realized I was playing a long-term game and needed to be more careful.

Hear ya well..mb

65

68 here. Gonna keep doing it till I drop......Prefer hunting alone.

This is an extremely gratifying thread. Although I don't hunt nearly as must as I used to, being a self-sufficient solo hunter for the duration is an important goal of mine.

RS

Work smarter not harder and age won't matter as much

Baptized an old hunter today on his 94th birthday. He killed his last deer two years ago. I'm keeping him in venison, pheasants, and rabbits and I've never seen anyone so grateful to receive wild game. I gave him a dozen vac packed, butterflied venison loin steaks today for his birthday and he just lit up. I took him one of the tenderloins out of my doe back in December. Old guy just about cried out of gratitude. I hope I can still go deer hunting when I'm 92...I've only got 50 years to go!

For years my good buddy would drive from Texas meet us in Colorado bringing along his dad.

His dad hunted until he was 97! the last few years we would need drive him right to his blind with heater he even got a buck that last year he hunted.

BTW I am 68 and hunted deer ever day this season.

Probably my Dad's last deer at 94. For some reason he didn't want to hunt this season. I told him I'd sit with him but he said he'd just stay at camp and smoke a cigar.

will be 70 this year 2023 ,shot a big doe with x-bow last deer of year for me December 29th 2022, 2 1/2 ft. of snow below zero up by the Canadian border was alone i drug deer thru snow , i gutted deer ,skinned deer while it was still warm and weather was getting colder, next mourning quartered deer and put in my cooler, the very next day deboned and made burger in my cabin all done alone. and believe me it is getting harder every year that was the 3rd adult deer i butchered myself that fall of 2022 alone . nothing goes easy anymore , i get cold easier and all deer seem heavier too !

65 and a jet sled keeps me solo. Bone out and backpack too.
My father in law hunted solo until 92. He built a device to load his deer into his jeep. He didn’t show up at dark on his last hunt. I went and found him. Gone to Glory.

That’s a picture that should be framed and treasured.

Great picture right there!

I'm 72 and have been hunting solo since high school.
Head on MVA (1991) keeps me from walking any great distance, so I built me a box blind so I can sit as comfortably as possible.
My hunting buddy has a little John Deere with a tiller. We plant food plots and set up feeders.

My grampa killed his last deer at 80. Passed away that summer or he would have been back in his box blind that fall.

Folks can laugh at box blinds all they want to. They keep kids, women, old timers and cripples out there killing deer!

I'll be 70 in just a few weeks.
I hunt solo for a couple of reasons.

1-I don't have to worry about what the other guy wants to do or go. I go where I want for as long as I want. I can nap, wander, glass or just go home if that suits me. Most likely I have a spot picked out to glass for a target buck I scouted and I'll stay there all day.

2-The property I hunt for both deer and elk here locally is private and I'm not allowed to bring anyone else along. Which admittedly is the biggest excuse for going solo.

I'm careful about where I hunt, as regarding game retrieval. No deep canyons anymore.
When I scout during July and August, I'm also looking for ways to get my quad into that location for game removal. I've spent some long weary days getting elk out by myself, but I can still do it...

How great is that!

I've often said, the best thing that can happen to me is to head to my tree stand one morning and not come back. No better way to go to glory.

another thing my wife is very understanding since the 1st day i met her , i have my own deer camp for 23 years , this fall i was up there for 3 weeks mostly alone during the rifle season , and 2 more weeks after Christmas alone . time still goes fast i spend a lot of time watching deer , the alone time makes a person appreciate a good wife better too, i take a book or 2 with , i have no computer or TV and that is a blessing !

Shot this smallish 8 pt Friday. Fortunately could back the jeep up to him to load onto the cargo rack. Don't know if I could have pulled him very far with the bum knee. Field dressed him and went to BIL's place to hang, skin and quarter him. Put the meat into his old shop refrigerator to age out. No problems at all other than taking longer to do nowadays. Hope I have several more years before having to give it up or needing help.

Well, I’m 73 and hoping for a few more good years. For several years now I’ve made a practice of hunting uphill and had to be disciplined about not getting a Mike from the truck. Our country is too rough to be dragging any great distance. And I don’t drag up the ridges any more. That chit will kill a guy.

My father will be 77 this summer. The pace may have slowed a bit in recent years but the head and heart are still mid-40's.

Uh huh. It’s the body that tends to give us hell. And good for your dad!

I'm 71 and mostly hunt alone here in western Washington. I typically hunt on State land within an hour of home. Most all of the roads are closed to any type of motorized use and the ground is steep. My neice and her husband purchased a large plot of ground in NE Washington and my 69 year old brother also has property on the east side. I've been able to hunt on their properties some over the last 3 or 4 years and been successful for deer and bear. Being able to utilize a quad for access and recovery is really nice! I still get out as many days during the season as possible whether East or West, I enjoy the peace and solitude and think about how I miss hunting with my dad.

Amen!

Smart, very smart.

At some point, you’ll find that when you hurt yourself, it takes a long, long time to heal. In my case, that can be six months. Got a gammy leg right now that has me hopping around like Walter Brennan. Had the same deal with the other leg in 2021. No idea exactly what happened in either case.

62nd year, still gut, drag and load meself

I'll be 62 next month and have mostly hunted solo for the last 25-30 years. This past fall was the first season in a long time I wasn't solo - my 10 yr old grandson started hunting this year. He's small enough I still have to do most of the heavy lifting...

I’ll be 79 by the time modern gun season rolls around again. I usually hunt by myself, but due to some surgeries I don’t do much work after the shot. I have a son, a son-in-law, and a grandson in the wings to handle the hard work.

I go hunting and kayaking solo most of the time.

I kayak in the spring, summer and fall 5-6 days a week and I go with friends maybe 2 times a month. (In winter time there is no open water here)
I hunt elk, deer and antelope every year and I go by myself about 3 times out of 4.

I'll go myself until I can't. How long? I don't know, but UNTIL I CAN'T
At 67 and with no sign of letting up, I expect to go for a while longer. If God blesses me that way, maybe for 35 more years. But that's not up to me.

Fifties, you're young and agile.
Sixties, Heck, i can do anything.
Seventies, what the heck, that worked great yesterday, darn fix engine lite won't go off. Put some duct tape over it.
Some of us got good genes, some didn't. Some of us put more miles on the meter than others. A few of us made a bunch of bad decisions and somehow survived. If you're still around in your seventies and eighties, you've buried most of your fishing and hunting buddies. You just keep fixing and patching and trying. The hard part is adjusting.
Life's a great adventure, live it.
Bfly

The loading is my challenge. I use a hoist/winch system that slides into my receiver hitch. Breaks down to 3 ft. sections and swivels. Comes with a boat type crank but I use a set of 2/3 rope blocks that make it even easier. Not many tall mesquite trees in S Texas to drag one to.

For you guys reluctant to shoot an animal where you would need to pull it back up hill to get it out, you might want to look at buying yourself a Simpson capstan rope winch. Been there and done that when I was hunting in hills that you could bury Packer Stadium in. That was back in the days when we had to get deer out whole except for field dressing. I bought one of those little 16 pound, two stroke 2,000# pull Simpsons with 300’ of no stretch rope. Problem solved. It came in handy for pulling in the boat lift for the winter too.

I am 72 and still plan to be out solo. The distance I can cover has changed a bit and I think more on how far the pack out would be for an animal. This past fall - late in the season we had bad snow conditions - break through crust with 12 to 18 inches of soft underneath — this was the first time in many years that I used a quad to get back into areas to hunt.

The first two deer this past fall were spot and stalk a ways down a creek bottom, walk back to the truck, get it close and a lot of rope to drag up and out. The third was in an area miles from the truck and only accessible by machine.

I will be more open on using the quad now as the pack out with an animal was much easier.

I hope to be able to do this for quite a few more years and as a hard core upland hunter use that season for keeping my legs in shape for the deer / elk seasons.

I was on a late season special draw hunt with 2 other fellows this past fall - one slightly younger than me and one at 75. I had a cow moose tag and they had deer tags. I had considered going on my own — having the helping hands to deal with a downed moose made me realize that I am no longer young.

The other realization was on a long drag out out at night in tough snow of a deer that my 75 year old partner shot. He worked to fast and to hard — he got his heart rate and breathing up to a point that he was disoriented. Older should mean wiser which at times should also mean slower. He came out of the night pull out ok but it took a couple of hours back at the truck for him to settle down.

I’m only 33 but hope to be like you gents when I’m 66! Good Lord willing.

Thanks for posting, I'm going to check into this.

Yeah, I dropped a 210 pounder dressed buck back there and a buddy and I worked for most of the day getting him out of there with a boat winch and lots of rope. As soon as I got back I asked some western guys what they do when they can’t use an atv because of terrain or wilderness restrictions. They recommended that Simpson rope winch, but not the chainsaw one. I think that they are using Honda 4 stroke engines on them now and they weigh more than mine with the Tecumseh 2 stroke. Mine fits in a back pack with a small bottle of pre-mix when I’ve needed it. But… the father-in-law sold the cottage with the boat lift and I don’t hunt that hill country anymore, so talk nice and mine could come up for sale. It should get used. The Simpson web site said something that hit home for us older guys, “Just what’s a coronary event worth to you?” Ouch.

Wish I could have been able to retire earlier.

I would agree with that

That is smart

Damn Right. Rio7

I'd definitely be interested in your winch. If you don't mind, send me a PM with details.

pushing 77 and have a bad ticker. Do my hunting now at my son's place. Very productive, 8 miles from my casa, and he will do the work after the shot.

Did mine on my own last year,70 yrs old. Luckily only about a 1/4 mile from truck,and somewhat down hill. Was stumped how I was going to lift it into truck . I was about 50 yds from truck, and heard a vehicle approaching on the road. Ran down and flagged them over. They were Idaho state workers (2). Asked them if they could give me a hand loading, they stated they were already late for an appointment, but congratulated me !! LOL. Managed to drag the deer to a higher bank next to the road, so not too bad . Gotta get the Grandkids involved, could really use the help !

i will be 70 this next deer season i plan on only using my favorite rifle a Ruger #1 - 257 Weatherby mag. half the time and the other 1/2 will be with my new to me Ruger #1- 1B 257 Roberts and probably in a year a 2 more i will just use the 257 Roberts. because of worn out shoulders , i was a climbing REA lineman for 35 years here`s my surgeries : 1 knee surgery , 1 neck surgery with a steel disc installed ,heart surgery , 4 back surgeries steel plates and screws installed ,left and right shoulders both have had surgery , i have had many spinal shoots,knee shots,shoulder shots i could fill a bath tube with steriods for what has been injected in my body ,surgeon wants to replace my left shoulder i told him no more surgeries for a long time. eye surgery too. but heck i am ready for another trap season ,fishin and fall hunting including a black bear hunt up at my camp this fall alone again but i will be using a 1953 Winchester pre-64 model 70 -30-06 . guys hang in there at least we don`t have to work anymore !

DIY solo this year at age 66.

I'll be 70 this Oct 1. License will be $5.

good for you i have been involved in a solo skin and quarter job on a bull elk like that size its a bitch alone. need help next year ?