Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game As you've matured (ok gotten older)...

Didn't enjoy it less when I was younger but I certainly know I am enjoying it now...:)

I used to feel like I was getting away with something when spending extra time on hunts than my compadres, like it was an indulgence. But am thinking it is more design than that, certainly not of the kind I can take credit for, and the nature of the thing is exploring, understanding and appreciating...not too difficult a task...:)

A few of the things I have come to appreciate:

Taking more photos - It still seems to me that a 5 day hunt goes by in about 3 1/2 hours. By taking more pictures, I slow down and appreciate the hunt more.

Good boots- I am enjoying my Schnees Beartooth

Merino Wool - Big fan here. It just plain makes me more comfortable.

For bird hunting - a quality, well balanced shotgun. My Beretta fits me like a well broken in pair of leather gloves.

The resevoir drinking systems (Camelback-like). It is so much easier and thus I drink more water. Unless the tube freezes....

A couple of fellas commented on taking naps during the day. I totally get that! I mean we bust it so hard day in and day out when I get out there I like to go at a pace that my body will appreciate. When I guided in Mex the native guides pretty much always took a mid day nap.

I like to pick and choose my hours and for that matter days of the season that I want to go hard. Used to be I'd go hard all day, as many days of the season as possible. Not anymore, I pick and choose my days cause I can.

And on a longer hunt I have absolutely no issue with taking a day off in the middle of the hunt or a half day. Kind of nice I've come to a place where I can allow myself to do it.

Have a super day all!

Dober

Damn reading glasses....

While I don't have the experience of most of you, I've come to appreciate a couple of things since I've started...

Glass (scopes/binos) - my eyes have never been great

Filson and Smartwool

Good boots

I'm just now getting into the lighter rifles. My go to has always been my LH Model 70 in 6.5x55. Now I just want to lighten it up a bit... Although my new K95 in 270 might be a favorite if I can ever get out and sight it in...

Naps have always worked well for me. I think that I surprised my guide last time out, though: he sure took lots of pictures of me napping. Silly Germans...

FC

Funny. Was trying to read my GPS in the dark last fall and discovered my night vision had pretty much taken it in the shorts. Early onset cataracts and other eye issues kicking my butt.

Probably mentioned in this thread but try to keep some high end pain pills in the pack after getting hit in the Canadian boonies with kidney stones and no warning. Buy wool, ingrams, Kifaru packs and go hunting.

At 50 this May, I decided to get a small compact rifle for deer. I think A Marlin x7y youth. A small gun, 1x4 Leopold heavy cross hairs. I need to go further in the woods these days to get away from other bait hunters and atv's. I also take Friday off more to go hunt and fish instead of a weekend. I don't have the energy anymore to drive till midnight to my land, hunt all Saturday and Sunday to drive 243 mi. back and to work on Monday. I also started using a blind instead of freezing in a deer stand 15' in the air.

That pretty well covers it for me too. Although one muight argue the relative benefits of weaker/stronger minds when it comes to packing chit out....

A lightweight (alum frame) folding stool/chair. So as a ease along and find a place I want to observe, I position it, sit comfortably/still and watch for a while. I find it much more effective and comfortable, than sitting on the ground or finding a downed tree/log which are usually not in the position for what I'm trying to do.

Good point on picking the times/days to go hard, or go, for that matter. I don't waste energy, money and brownie points(!) hunting or fishing when it is not good (i.e. prime time), unless I just have nothing else to do or no other option on when to go.
Long ago I stopped hunting during most of october for island blacktails, focussed on the first couple of weeks in september and then just waited for the rut to start up! Same would go for whitetails, assuming I could hunt the rut.
I also don't go hard in the middle of the day unless things are really prime, just can't keep my attention keyed up from dawn to dusk and find my mind wandering (more than usual!) and use the time to rest the body up a bit.

I migh add that the warm clothing I carry for those very early morning glassing sessions make me very comfortable out in the mountains when I want to take a nap on the mountain in the middle of the day. Besides, it saves walking back to the Jeep, and walking back out there in the evening. E

I can't add to this thread, but there's a dang good list of stuff here.

I will say that watching my Dad go from his mid 30s to being 52, I've noticed him putting more stock in his boots, and he always carries one of those bleacher seats for glassing-and I always forget one.

That... and he just laughs when he processes deer/elk with the knives I get him, because he'd never used blades that "good".

And he can still kick my butt up and down the hill.

The gym, barbells, pull-ups, push-ups, running shoes, nordic track, concept2 rower and a stepper machine. Didn't need any of those things back when.

I've tried to make sure I had enough supplies to stay out all day regardless of what conditions I ran into. That meant packing a lunch most days.
I used to pack all kinds of crap in my lunch- candy bars, pastries, and sugary stuff believing it would give me quick energy. Now, I just pack a sandwich or two and a couple apples along with an energy bar or two and a couple canteens of water and I'm good to go all day long.
My son and I seldom come back to camp before dark and he usually ends up eating one of my sandwiches, so it works out fine and I even can take a nap in the field if I choose since there is no hurry to get back to the truck.

We also carry radios everywhere in case we get something down or we get into trouble and need help. They have become almost indispensable.

My son carries a smart phone which has come in handy in a lot of ways. We have used the GPS on his smart phone to find a spot by following an overgrown road, we looked on the internet how to salt a bear hide and what kind of salt to use (I had never done this before getting my only bear a couple years ago), and when we get an animal down, we send a pic of it to the rest of the party since we are usually too far apart for our radios to reach most days.

Bob

The importance of red wine in ones' diet.

It assists ballistic decisions and considerations immensely.

at 60 it gets better to pass a bow shot on a cow 2 miles from camp to get back and have a toddy by the fire.

Hey Mav, did you ever find a girlfriend on that online site?

Over the years, (this will be my 55th elk season) I have upgraded my gear. Gortex, Ziess binos, spotting scope, and have a new Conquest on the way. I have had enough time in the woods to figure out what works for me. I am still using my 1966 300 Win Mag, quality boots, and day pack and have added a GPS. I hunt more carefully (my success is higher) and start well before daylight every day. Naps are mandatory. I work hard at staying fit but do have some of the maladies of old age. I love the woods and the mountains and appreciate every days I am allowed to spend in them.

Naps are a highly valued part of my elk hunts, providing the sun and temps cooperate. We call it "Looking for the perfect aspen tree."

Nothing like reaching a nice spot, then reclining back against an aspen or rock and taking a snooze with the sun warming you. Heaven.

Spent the day here in 2008, snacking, reading, sleeping and repeating:



Ended the day on the slope in the background:


Last year I spent much of the day here, nestled in a stand of scrub oak out of the picture to the left.



Ended up here:



The day before I spent several hours in the truck, watching the sage, reading, snoozing and listening to the Broncos game.

Knew just where to go after the game...