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How many more years of deer hunting do you have left?
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<blockquote data-quote="RedDawg" data-source="post: 5540795" data-attributes="member: 9797"><p>I'm 63. Grew up in Minnesota listening to the occasional stories of how my dad used to hunt for sustenance in Montana to feed his wife and kids (I'm the youngest and we moved when I was 2). Did a lot of fishing with my dad there in Minnesota but the only hunting was a little bit of small game with friends. Dad had a small piece of rural property 30 miles north and one night at dinner I said, "I'm going up there and deer hunting this Saturday. Want to come with?" I was 17. Once he got over the shock, he said yes. My mom has since told me it was the best thing I ever did for him. </p><p></p><p>From that point forward it was hunting every year with a lot of bigger and better adventures like yearly antelope, mule deer and/or elk hunts for a few decades out west along with Minnesota deer hunting and then Tennessee deer hunting when I moved here 30+ years ago. Best times of my life. </p><p></p><p>The western trips stopped for dad when the heart medication and thin air prevented him from being able to breath well at elevation. We decided to use all that hunting money to buy our own little farm to secure a place to hunt locally and not rely on the kindness of other landowners. That was 2011.</p><p></p><p>Ladder stands and the occasional climber for me and a number of elevated blinds with stairs for him and we transformed the place. I got into food plotting and love working the land right outside my 140 year old cabin door. I retired and moved here in 2018. Mom and dad moved here from Arkansas that same year. Finally, living on and hunting our own land rather than driving here on weekends. </p><p></p><p>Middle of that first full hunting season they were living here, an old neck injury of my dad's reared up and he started losing feeling in his arms and fingers. Couldn't feel the trigger pull. I still remember just before Thanksgiving when he told me he was taking himself out of the game at 83. Didn't hunt the rest of the season and died the following April. </p><p></p><p>Four hunting seasons since then. Due to life's circumstance, I've never had kids. I do have a nephew or two that have hunted with me/us a few times and show interest but not passion. I hunted more this year than the last few. But now I'm getting into even more food plotting (these free deer cost a lot!) and am now running my first cell cameras out there. Just love the wildlife and knowing they're out there. </p><p></p><p>I'm looking at 2 knee replacements at this time so I'm slowed down with pain a lot right now. Before I could appreciate it, my dad used to say, "Getting old ain't for sissies." I remember my dad climbing mountains at 63. I'm feeling a little ashamed of myself. </p><p></p><p>How long can I go? How long will I go? I'm sitting on a bunch of WY preference points for another elk hunt. Get the knees done (dad had his done too). Upgrade some of the open shooting houses so a buddy heater actually does something and who knows. I hope to make at least 83.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="RedDawg, post: 5540795, member: 9797"] I'm 63. Grew up in Minnesota listening to the occasional stories of how my dad used to hunt for sustenance in Montana to feed his wife and kids (I'm the youngest and we moved when I was 2). Did a lot of fishing with my dad there in Minnesota but the only hunting was a little bit of small game with friends. Dad had a small piece of rural property 30 miles north and one night at dinner I said, "I'm going up there and deer hunting this Saturday. Want to come with?" I was 17. Once he got over the shock, he said yes. My mom has since told me it was the best thing I ever did for him. From that point forward it was hunting every year with a lot of bigger and better adventures like yearly antelope, mule deer and/or elk hunts for a few decades out west along with Minnesota deer hunting and then Tennessee deer hunting when I moved here 30+ years ago. Best times of my life. The western trips stopped for dad when the heart medication and thin air prevented him from being able to breath well at elevation. We decided to use all that hunting money to buy our own little farm to secure a place to hunt locally and not rely on the kindness of other landowners. That was 2011. Ladder stands and the occasional climber for me and a number of elevated blinds with stairs for him and we transformed the place. I got into food plotting and love working the land right outside my 140 year old cabin door. I retired and moved here in 2018. Mom and dad moved here from Arkansas that same year. Finally, living on and hunting our own land rather than driving here on weekends. Middle of that first full hunting season they were living here, an old neck injury of my dad's reared up and he started losing feeling in his arms and fingers. Couldn't feel the trigger pull. I still remember just before Thanksgiving when he told me he was taking himself out of the game at 83. Didn't hunt the rest of the season and died the following April. Four hunting seasons since then. Due to life's circumstance, I've never had kids. I do have a nephew or two that have hunted with me/us a few times and show interest but not passion. I hunted more this year than the last few. But now I'm getting into even more food plotting (these free deer cost a lot!) and am now running my first cell cameras out there. Just love the wildlife and knowing they're out there. I'm looking at 2 knee replacements at this time so I'm slowed down with pain a lot right now. Before I could appreciate it, my dad used to say, "Getting old ain't for sissies." I remember my dad climbing mountains at 63. I'm feeling a little ashamed of myself. How long can I go? How long will I go? I'm sitting on a bunch of WY preference points for another elk hunt. Get the knees done (dad had his done too). Upgrade some of the open shooting houses so a buddy heater actually does something and who knows. I hope to make at least 83. [/QUOTE]
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