How old is too old to apply for physical hunts?

[MTGunner]

You all are inspiring to this old man. My health is good. My body is worn out. I wake up in the morning in pain. At least it announces that I am alive. I will continue to hunt, slowly mind you. But my mountain climbing days have come to an end. My mind tells me I’m 60. My body tells me differently. With 79 approaching rapidly I am a realist. My career took a toll on this old man. I would NOT change anything.
To you youngsters I say “go for it”! “This ain’t a dress rehearsal”. I have hunted, loved, raised a great family. Now, I’m just taking it slower. MTG

 

[Southern Elk]

This is something that I think about a lot. I’m in my mid 40s and I want to semi retire at 50, hoping that I have many good years in front of me.

My dad will be 78 this year and he is still in great health. He lives down south, but I have no doubt that he could hunt out West. The problem is I can’t really use him as an example for what I will look like in 30+ years. I take after my mom’s side of the family. They are all taller, bigger/heavier than my dad’s family. I’ve tried to manage my weight, but I still could stand to lose about 20 pounds. I’m afraid that being a big guy will mean I’m not in as good of shape when I’m his age.

I have horses, but I still prefer to hunt without them. I haven’t slowed down any yet. I hope it’s many years before I do.

 

[Zim]

I was just reading the comments in another thread about moose, sheep and goat applications and I saw several members here indicating that they are getting up there in years and are considering not applying in the future. As I write this post, I’m 54 and hoping to retire in a couple years and then utilize my new freedom to hunt significantly more than my current vacation allowance affords me. As I think about this, I wonder how long I can expect to be capable of mountain hunting over great distances with only my trekking poles and a good pack.

So I’m looking to the old timers here to give me some hope that I can continue hunting well into my 60s and hopefully even into my early 70s. And yes, I’m sure anyone can hunt until they are 100 if they just get in a vehicle and hunt high fence. I mean real hunting that requires stamina and physical ability. What do you think? I’m looking for real experience and examples. Thanks

In my case, I found individual ailments started popping up at age 55. One being heart failure. This required a pacemaker in 2015, then defibrillator last year. This ended my backpacking days instantly due to shoulder strap pressure over device & wires. But the real game changer was joint damage. I blew out a knee three years ago that likely requires knee replacement. That injury ended 40 years of my gym rat routine. Now it’s just biking & swimming. My fitness level took a big hit. The point is, one injury at any time will likely change everything on a dime. So you should prepare for that.

All my Western hunting draw choices have totally changed due to this. I only apply for senior citizen units now. I’m 66 but my units changed at age 63.

 

[SAJ-99]

Too much sitting over the years results in a core/back that just isn't what it could have been.

I suggest to younger people in an office to get a standing desk and commit to it for half the day. I have heard it really helps the back. It will be interesting to see if 30yrs of it will help as they age.

 

[kodiakisland]

Age has nothing to do with it. Either you can or you can’t. My son-in-law can’t keep my pace. Sucks because my daughter can. I’ll probably die alone on a mountain somewhere wishing I was home in bed with the wife.

 

[glass eye]

I like the “no motorcycles” comment

They’re a source of serious injury the way I see it.

I know that firsthand. At age 13 I broke my leg in 3 places, at the shin, below the knee and the knee growth end.
The worst of it was broken bone cut my femoral and I was bleeding internally.
The good thing is it happened 2 blocks from a hospital otherwise I wouldn’t have made it.
I lost 4 pints of blood and for a small 13 year old that was half my blood or slightly more than half.
My parents had to give consent to amputate but fortunately they saved my life and limb.
I’ve had to push through a sloppy knee ever since but at 63 now I’m leaning more towards kayak hunting. No more heavy meat packs. Also bird hunting is more appealing now.
I’m glad I hunted tahr and chamois in New Zealand in my 50s.

 

[LopeHunter]

Turned 60 as Covid shut down gyms in my state. Have an inherited chronic disease that usually ends badly in your 50s but have had over 500 blood draws so mostly deal with constant anemia which is not good for thin air hunts.

A mountain goat hunt during Covid wiped me out including my minimal work out regimen over the summer, an unrealized kidney stone (had nausea and pain in lower rib zone on one side but since no known kidney stone previously I presumed my symptoms was due to a combo of altitude sickness, a bit of dehydration and internal bruising for a nasty tumble in the steep stuff) and being a year older.

A Coues deer hunt wiped me out two years later with about 1200’ elevation gain on “potato” rock trails. The air was not thin.

Then, a turkey hunt in canyons wrecked the bottom of my feet last spring going up the steepish walls repeatedly.

I retired two years ago and exercise more. Eat better. Dropped weight. Feet still get tender if jog.

I have doubts can do a five-day mountain hunt. Need to tag out quick and not carry more than about 50 pounds of gun/camp/meat so likely hiring a guide.

I went from applying in draws for 60 tags plus 20 point savers across 12 states for twenty years (drawing 3 to 5 tags per year, mostly pronghorn and deer but a nice elk tag every 3rd year on average and a OIL tag every 6th) to throttling back the last 3 years to applying for only great elk/deer rut tags and OIL tags plus a few point savers. Dropped 4 states completely.

I enjoyed the heck out of my dozens of hunts. Seemed a 10-day hunt was taking 30 days after to feel 100% recovered. I hit the wall on that goat hunt though by early 50s I was burning out my legs after 3 days but could still gut it out at about 75% of pace the rest of the hunt.

No big game tags drawn yet this year. I miss waking up in the mountains and hiking to be in place at first light. Watching the ridges and woods come alive with birds and critters is inspiring for me. I am grateful I am one of the few desk jockeys in a big city which for a few days each autumn experiences those moments. Hiking back in the dark after a worthy day of effort and perhaps catching some stars above the wilderness is peaceful.

Hard to be anxious when see scenes this during a hunt.

 

[Irishman]

I'll be 66 in September. I've always hiked a lot and hunted in areas far off the road. I'm not the same physically as I was at 55, or 45, or 35 etc, but pretty much do the same stuff, maybe a little smarter about the places I go.
Up until a month ago, I had no real issues, just sore knees occasionally etc. Figured I'd be doing big hikes this summer, then things went downhill. In two days time I'll be getting my left knee replaced. Hopefully I'll be back hiking again late summer and hunting as usual in the fall.
My point is that at some point things will just wear out as you get older, and there will be some setbacks, but for the most part it's just business as usual.

 

[jimh406]

There is no time like the present. To the OP, I suggest trying for your hunts before you get any older.

It's amazing how easy things get harder after just a few years from 50s into your 60s. Recovery time when you are older takes longer. As one poster noted, they hunt every other day as a solution to get recovery time.

I went mostly healthy Keto a few years ago and dramatically lost weight over a few years. As you start reading labels, you can determine how much you were "eating" that wasn't food. I wish I knew about this decades ago. For years, I couldn't keep the weight off. I have to work to keep from losing weight now that I don't eat the high calorie carbs and processed foods. I'm no longer hungry all of the time like I used to be.

There is an expression for vehicles ... there is no replacement for displacement. Lose the weight and get stronger. Change your diet and eat better before you get any older. Note: you might have to relearn nutrition to make it happen. Start an exercise program, but do remember recovery time is longer as you get older. YMMV.

 

[noharleyyet]

My answer is 67 yrs 43 days. Maybe 44 days if you lived a clean life.

I found the previous thread on this topic. Lasted about 6 months and provided no help to your question.

How old is too old to hunt?

If one is fundamentally healthy and can deal with all the things that crop up with old age, then it shouldn't be a problem. How old is the oldest hunter you know?

www.hunttalk.com

I envisioned you as much younger...

 

[2rocky]

I know the feeling.
My dad was my age when I was a Senior in High School. He did his first out of state elk hunt between age 55 and 57. But he was an active hands on dairyman at that time, still bucking hay and running canyons with dogs and weighed around 170 pounds. Old school, like "Don't carry water cause it weighs too much" and his hunting pack was a fanny pack that weighed 5-9 pounds.

Last November's Alberta Deer hunt was the time he said "I think I'm done with these mountain hunts." (at 83).
(warning, Metaphor to follow)
My point is your physical ability is like gaining or losing altitude as you hike along a long ridge. Imagine age is the length of the ridge. If you slack off get out of shape, become sedentary it's like dropping down the ridge, and it's tough to get back up to the level you were at. The older you are, the steeper that ridge gets. Thus the harder it is to get back to where you were.

I've definitely dropped down the fitness ridge from the path my father was on. and I've been up and down it a couple times. I can see where I need to get but there are some nasty scree fields along the way and I'm cliffed out of a few sections that are sheep and goat hunts. The key I think is to take my time and pick out a route that may take me farther down the fitness ridge but keep gaining altitude, steadily, not trying to go straight up hill but side hill and spend the summer hiking rather than running, increase frequency more than intensity, reset my misery meter a little bit at a time rather than all at once peg it out in the red zone. I just hope the ridge keeps on going plenty more years...

 

[SAJ-99]

I envisioned you as much younger...

That's not my age, I just made that number up. I'm closer to the OP. I'm doing my best to catch you but am still way behind.

 

[Steiny77]

I took my dad to the Wrangle mountains in AK on a sheep hunt in 1996, he was 66 and I was 36.
We both got full curl rams, had quite the adventure and he did fine. I'm 66 now and thinking I better do another big hunt or two now while I'm still in shape to do it.

 

[buffybr]

40 t0 50 years ago I did solo DIY Montana Moose, Bighorn sheep and Mountain goat hunts. I turned 80 last February and last month when I filled out my applications for those hunts I wondered if I could still climb into Mountain goat country.

Well, after 47 years of unsuccessfully applying for another goat tag, I finally drew one. I've talked to friends that have killed goats in my area and this summer I plan on hiking into the spots where they killed their goats, and come October we'll see if I can still get one.

 

[Tilzbow]

Last year was my first season at 60+. I’ve worked out fairly consistently since my 20s but stepped it up about 3-4 years ago with the Mountain Tough program. I’ve gone through the pre season prep 1.0, 2.0, post season strength 2.0 and I just finished week 1 of the newly released preseason prep 3.0. I either do the men’s beginner or women’s weight and calorie suggestions. I looked at the 50+ programs but I didn’t think they were difficult enough and didn’t like the follow along with the video format but I could see myself going back to them in a few more years. My athleticism is better now, after 3 years doing the programs, than it’s been at any point since my 30s. I’ve had 3 knee surgeries, 3 shoulder surgeries a dislocated right ankle, a broken left leg, along with moderately major lower back and neck surgeries plus lots of little ailments that come and go. I also dealt with some heart problems for a couple of years that seem to be in the past with some diet modifications, reducing alcohol intake and retirement.

Last year I spent two weeks helping a friend with his NV elk hunt and followed that up with 24 chukar hunts while following a new 1 year old German Wirehair pointer. On the chukar hunts, I averaged 8 miles and 2,000 vertical feet climbed per hunt while she was covering 20-30 miles per hunt (she was way more fresh at the end of the days than I was!)

Halfway through the season I had to cut back the Mt Tough workout days from 5 to 3 and also back off the intensity since I was getting really worn down. I’m hoping to continue chasing chukar into my 70s and also hope the dog slows down when she get to be 8-10 but that’s just wishful thinking.

 

[El Jason]

I’m hoping to continue chasing chukar into my 70s and also hope the dog slows down when she get to be 8-10 but that’s just wishful thinking.

That will be well past time to have started another pup.

 

[44hunter45]

I was the oldest guy in moose camp 2024 at 62.

I am applying next year.

I will keep doing this until I die at at.

We do owe the animals a clean kill and not wasting their meat.

That means we need to decide when the time is we cannot get an animal packed out in a timely manner. That is why I went with an outfitter for my moose hunt. I’m at the place in life I can pay the $5k

 

[Hawk Tuah]

I was the oldest guy in moose camp 2024 at 62.

I am applying next year.

I will keep doing this until I die at at.

We do owe the animals a clean kill and not wasting their meat.

That means we need to decide when the time is we cannot get an animal packed out in a timely manner. That is why I went with an outfitter for my moose hunt. I’m at the place in life I can pay the $5k

Hope you draw!

 

[CaptainChilders]

I was just reading the comments in another thread about moose, sheep and goat applications and I saw several members here indicating that they are getting up there in years and are considering not applying in the future. As I write this post, I’m 54 and hoping to retire in a couple years and then utilize my new freedom to hunt significantly more than my current vacation allowance affords me. As I think about this, I wonder how long I can expect to be capable of mountain hunting over great distances with only my trekking poles and a good pack.

So I’m looking to the old timers here to give me some hope that I can continue hunting well into my 60s and hopefully even into my early 70s. And yes, I’m sure anyone can hunt until they are 100 if they just get in a vehicle and hunt high fence. I mean real hunting that requires stamina and physical ability. What do you think? I’m looking for real experience and examples. Thanks

As a fishing guide I would say that 80% of my clients are over the age of 55 with a significant amount over 70. I tell people all the time that they retire way too late. One of the things I hate doing the most is telling clients they can’t come out anymore cause they physically can’t do it.

 

[kiwi hunter]

I was just reading the comments in another thread about moose, sheep and goat applications and I saw several members here indicating that they are getting up there in years and are considering not applying in the future. As I write this post, I’m 54 and hoping to retire in a couple years and then utilize my new freedom to hunt significantly more than my current vacation allowance affords me. As I think about this, I wonder how long I can expect to be capable of mountain hunting over great distances with only my trekking poles and a good pack.

So I’m looking to the old timers here to give me some hope that I can continue hunting well into my 60s and hopefully even into my early 70s. And yes, I’m sure anyone can hunt until they are 100 if they just get in a vehicle and hunt high fence. I mean real hunting that requires stamina and physical ability. What do you think? I’m looking for real experience and examples. Thanks

The heres the first thing you must do. Change you eating habits, if you want to be a roly poly eat more and vice versa. Lean is mean and keep active.