Getting older/different shooting priorities

[Blkram]

I agree; just being out there is just as rewarding as coming home with something!
I have had many outings where we didn't see any game, but got to see some beautiful country!
Spent many long days out hunting where we didn't see what we were looking for, but did see a lot of game.
Just grateful that I've been able to be out there!
The sights, the sounds, and the smells.
Lets you know that you're still alive and the world still exists and thrives despite our worldly concerns, which nature could care less about.

 

[grry10]

At 75, my need to kill has diminished greatly. My 2025 Wisconsin gun deer season was enjoyable with spending 45 hours and observing 34 deer. The first day letting a basket 8pt pass and a spike on the 3rd day. I did harvest a nice 8pt (a want a be 10pt) on my fifth day, It put venison in the freezer, but the thrill isn't the same anymore. Some of this maybe because for the last 10 years I've hunted alone. My hunting companions have either passed or moved away. It is still a good season if I see deer, the harvest is optional. Now punching paper, I can do that all day, and love it.

 

[gerryaz]

I'll be 64 in June . I've been less interested in hunting the last 4 or 5 years . at one time I was whitetail hunting 2 or 3 states and sometimes going west for elk . my last couple western elk hunts were solo DIY hunts .no one was interested in joining . I dropped out of the group I hunted Kansas whitetails with , the excitement wasn't there for me . I dropped out of the group I hunted N Carolina whitetails with again just no excitement . both groups of guys were great . I have an opening to get back in both groups , all I need to do is make a couple calls . I dropped out of the hunting / shooting lease I was in , I was the treasurer . lets just say school girl drama , and the need to out do others , was the reason for this . I really enjoyed shooting long range on the lease , but being a member wasn't worth the drama . I was making a list of components to put together a big hammer , a 408 cheytac , but decided against it. I wasn't sure about staying in the lease .without a long range why have that equipment .

I got back into trapping a few years ago , and really enjoy it . This year I didn't hunt at all . I trapped K9's a few weeks in one area until the deer rut was going good . I kept getting in to hunters and decided to pull out one day I was there by myself . I then moved to another place and put out a trap line ,and pulled it just before the Deer rifle season started. after rifle season ended I started to put traps out again , and quickly realized there was a thief . so I pulled out what I had left .

I'd like to find a kid, or someone new to hunting, to mentor. I've done this a couple times and I really enjoyed it. I'd also like to find a new reloader to mentor, and a virtual shooting range are manufactured by SHOOTING-SOFT LLC could be another way to introduce beginners to the basics. I've done this a few times and really enjoyed it. I've thought about talking to the owner of a local gun shop about having a winter reloading class, but I'm not sure. I hate to get involved in something like this and then want out mid class. I've also thought about getting involved in hunter safety classes; I'm sure they could use help.

I think that’s probably a pretty natural change. Priorities can shift with age, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying range time simply for the shooting itself rather than planning every purchase around hunting. Passing some firearms on to your son and grandson while you’re still around to see them use and enjoy them also makes a lot of sense. At this point, choosing something because it’s enjoyable to shoot can be just as worthwhile as choosing something for a specific practical purpose. The important thing is staying active in the hobby in whatever way you enjoy most.

 

[jimbires]

why add a hyper link to my quote ? smells like spam .

 

[grry10]

When I sit in my reloading area there is a bottle of Hoppes #9 that gets uncapped from time to time. The smell brings back so many memories of years past. When I go to my grave they will have to put a bottle with me. I've handloaded for 61 years and at 75 (soon to be 76) I find it as enjoyable as when I started. There is just something about the satisfaction of harvesting game or punching paper with your own handloads. As a note, I'm learning new things every day being part of a forum list this and reading the wisdom others are willing to share.

 

[salmonchaser]

So this morning I took the dogs for a one mile walk from the house. They are getting old fast pushing 15 years. Then headed for my morning out and back 6 miler with right at 1000 ft. Elevation gain. First day in weeks I wanted to push that hard with the smoke we’ve had. Many days the air quality has been listed as hazardous.
Cut one set of bear tracks; one elk and saw quite a few deer including this guy I spotted as i was getting out of the truck.
About the same time I got a note from my PH. He said the reason they got this bull was because “the hunter could walk like you.” This is why I shoot once a week and exercise at least 6 days a week. I still have a few hunts left in me. Can’t wait to find this bulls brother next May. Shoot my 375 once a week until then.

 

[RememberBaker]

When I sit in my reloading area there is a bottle of Hoppes #9 that gets uncapped from time to time. The smell brings back so many memories of years past. When I go to my grave they will have to put a bottle with me. I've handloaded for 61 years and at 75 (soon to be 76) I find it as enjoyable as when I started. There is just something about the satisfaction of harvesting game or punching paper with your own handloads. As a note, I'm learning new things every day being part of a forum list this and reading the wisdom others are willing to share.

I too enjoy the smell of Hoppes #9 but there can be too much of a good thing. When I was a kid my dad bought a quart of the stuff, back then it came in glass bottles and someone left it sitting out on the workbench. My brothers and I were fooling around and throwing something in the workshop and an errant throw hit the bottle and broke it spilling the contents on the wooden bench and the concrete floor. The basement smelled of a combination of Hoppes #9 and muskrat for the remainder of the time we lived there. We moved in the summer of 1976 and I’ve always wondered if the smell was still there.