"GO HUNTING NOW WHILE YOU ARE PHYSICALLY ABLE!"

[Fatback]

In most all cases, your mind will give up long before your body will. It’s amazing what a person can do if they just decide that giving up is not an option and keep just putting 1 foot in front of the other. Obviously an injury can stop any one of us but short of that just keep putting 1 foot in front of the other and there isn’t much a person can’t accomplish.

 

[Beck]

My father and I are going after cape buffalo in a few weeks, he is 78

 

[HankBuck]

This hits close to my heart. I’m 52 and have been blessed to have friends who showed me how to hunt Elk hard on public land. Now it’s been half a decade and sadly a few to many pounds since my last western hunting trip. This year I was looking to do another hunt and realized all of those friends were either too old or had passed on. This led me to check out guided elk hunts. When I realized how much I would need to spend for a decent elk hunt I made the decision to go to South Africa. First it’s a much better value and it’s different. So I booked my trip in the Eastern Cape. Then as I started getting into shape I realized dang I’m fat. Don’t get me wrong I have always been a big due at 6’4” but I needed to loose some serious lbs. As of today I have dropped 62lbs and feel great. I’m 52 and leave to for Africa on July 10th. Couldn’t be more excited.
Remember we don’t know when our last hunt is so we better go today while there is still time.

@jimbo1972 - great job losing that 62lbs….that took discipline and hard work - and that's what it takes to endure a strenuous Hunt. You don’t have to move fast — just Keep-Moving.

 

[wyosteve]

A friend of mine from Maryland did a pack in bighorn hunt in 2023 and took a very nice ram. Rode in on a gnarly trail 24 miles to base camp. He was 83. Last year he and I did an aoudad hunt in January and a brown bear hunt in June. In March he went to Mexico for ocellated turkey and in October he and his wife both got nice mule deer in Colorado. He’s now 85 and wants to go back brown bear hunting! Gotta just keep after it!

 

[Pondoro]

I am 61 and in decent shape..me and a hunting buddy are flying to SA for a buffalo hunt this saturday.. He is 73 and on cruthces, hes been hunting for 55 years and will have 3 hunting trips to Africa this year..and 3 weeks in Tsjekkia for roe deer.. (!)

 

[Green Chile]

I am 61 and in decent shape..me and a hunting buddy are flying to SA for a buffalo hunt this saturday..

Hey I'm doing the same. Going through Atlanta and Delta? Staying at Afton Sat night?

 

[Pondoro]

Sorry..we travel out from Oslo..

 

[dchum]

Go to Asia!

 

[Andrew62]

I’m 62 years old and in semi good shape. However due to financial limitations I don’t think I’ll be able to do any mountain hunts. I plan on continuing to go to Africa until I’m not able any more. I’m also considering going to either New Zealand, Argentina or Romania for Red Stag. I hunt pheasant and deer in South Dakota. I’m also going to continue to hunt deer in my home state of Georgia. That is my plan until the Man upstairs decides it is my time. My knees are shot from all the years in the military.

I'm 62 also, and can say I am as healthy today as I have been in a very long time due to diet and exercise, but I do give great thought these days to planning future hunts as I never know when my last hunt will be. Kind of sad thinking that way, but it is the reality.

 

[PARA45]

Let me know if you want to think about a hunt somewhere together. I haven't hunted NZ or Europe yet. I'm booked for Argentina red stag this next spring. Hit me up if you want the details. They are taking free range red stag like this....

View attachment 614129

Thank you!!!! PM heading your way.

 

[PARA45]

Thank you @Green Chile for this thread. In a way it makes us realize that we are humans and have limiting factors that get in the way of our plans and what we want to do. Putting the financial part aside, since we all come from different backgrounds and financial status, physical limitations is by the far our biggest obstacle. Whether we like it or not, that expiration date gets closer as we get older, and we just don't know when it's going to come knocking. If you can, go do those hunts you've been putting aside, get it done. And like Toby Keith song, "Don't let the old man in".

 

[LivingTheDream]

You never know what is going to happen. I tore my knee up hunting red stag in NZ. A couple of yrs later I had both knees replaced after each being scoped twice. Decided I had to do it because I realized I wasn't physically able to go on a Tur hunt. Last year it was both hips replaced. I can still hunt, but it appears that my mountain hunts are pretty well gone. So I hunt Africa as well as deer and pronghorn at home. I still dream of the mountains tho. I can still ride a horse on mtn hunts where it can get me there.
So one never knows. One slip and there goes a knee. Old man time and then it's a hip. Then a few pounds too many and the mountains get a LOT higher. Do it while you can....
Bruce

Yeah but you are tough, I wouldn't try to outlast you in the mountains. Besides I am pretty sure if I said there is a bushbuck at the top of that mountain, you would be climbing before I finished the sentence.

 

[Green Chile]

This topic is interesting to me for many reasons and it's also a little mixed emotion. I love hearing about the veterans who are pushing forward and making it happen...but sad to hear those whose bodies are breaking down over time and many miles. It just makes the topic relevant in so many ways. I hope the young guys are listening! I'm in the middle....not old but definitely not young! I had a bad car wreck a few years ago and it really caught my attention. I've been more strategic ever since that happened.

 

[trperk1]

I just had this conversation with my dad, he's 84 and I'm 60. He made a comment about a recent trip to Africa, and more so the amount of time I spend in the field or water each year. A generational difference where I get unlimited vacation and take 4 weeks off each year, in his era you gave vacation days back. I'm physically able and have the financial means now and I am taking advantage of it. Don't take me wrong, I have a wonderful relationship with my dad. Until about 10 years ago we'd go fly fishing every year together, now he physically can't. Sort of my point.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm looking at my long list of hunt goals and shuffling some things to put harder hunts higher up on the list. In the next 5-10 years, I will be doing some more mountain hunts...hopefully getting to NZ, Europe and Asia (3 continents I have not hunted). I want to hunt more provinces in Canada and try to get to Russia some time for bear/moose.

I quit chasing points a couple of years ago after seeing all of the point creep and getting frustrated. I didn't have 20+ years of points like some of you and right or wrong, backed away from that.

I also keep thinking about leaving a little room on the calendar every year for those cool cancellation hunts that come up. I was able to take advantage of one last year and wrote the report here about hunting leopard/ele in Zim.

 

[PARA45]

I believe that being a bit flexible for those cancellation hunts is a good thing. I'm planning on having a slush fund for those time. I've seen here some get some outstanding deals on cancellation hunts. Maybe one day I could get an elephant.

 

[Siennacoyote]

I'm looking at my long list of hunt goals and shuffling some things to put harder hunts higher up on the list. In the next 5-10 years, I will be doing some more mountain hunts...hopefully getting to NZ, Europe and Asia (3 continents I have not hunted). I want to hunt more provinces in Canada and try to get to Russia some time for bear/moose.

I quit chasing points a couple of years ago after seeing all of the point creep and getting frustrated. I didn't have 20+ years of points like some of you and right or wrong, backed away from that.

I also keep thinking about leaving a little room on the calendar every year for those cool cancellation hunts that come up. I was able to take advantage of one last year and wrote the report here about hunting leopard/ele in Zim.

Point creep is killing my western hunting dream before it starts as someone who got in late in lafe I don’t think I’ll ever catch up. I decided to save and pay for the guides tags and maybe have the chance and some of those animals

 

[Green Chile]

I have paid for some ranching tags to get into places that would take a LONG time to get with points. It's a good option to consider in some cases. Pronghorn is a good example.

 

[Green Chile]

In case anyone was wondering why the title of this thread is in all caps...why are you shouting!...that's a direct copy and paste from the Atcheson website. That was how Jack Sr expressed this statement so in honor of him, it stays in all caps...and rightly so.

 

[Tanks]

You never know what is going to happen. ... Last year it was both hips replaced. ...

Back in 2014 I was taking 4 Advils every 4 hours just to function during my hunts in the Mountains of MT and elephant hunts in Africa. Not to mention tennis etc..

Made the decision to get my right hip replaced as I had no more cartilage left. No more pain or limping. I had to give up running, tennis, and martial arts as I am not supposed to do anything high impact. Picked up rowing to substitute for running.