The Elderly guy with arthritis shooting a longbow

[tradslinger]

Back in the early 90's, I was at a local 3D shoot shooting a 45# Dan Quillian Bamboo Hunter. We had an open tournament going on and so a few visitors had shown up. We are 90 miles from anywhere of any size and so was the nearest archery store. As we gathered before the shoot, I noticed this elderly guy with a very slender beautiful longbow. Now at this time, there were very few of us shooting trad bows as most were shooting compounds. So I went over and spoke to him. His bow was 32# and he was shooting I believe X7 arrows. He explained that he had three bows at different weights because of his arthritis. On really good days, he could manage to shoot his heaviest bow, a 35# longbow. I was amazed at his shooting as we shot, he was slow but he still managed a decent score. I have never forgotten him or his determination. His bow was so sleek and beautiful, just a joy to hold, like an expensive handmade flyrod.

[atatarpm]

Boy do I know that feeling

[durp]

It will be a sad day but I know it's coming faster than I hoped 

[Wudstix]

Luckily still shoot some good weight, have a Howatt HTD that is my fall back at @60#.  Still have a few years left in me.
 

[A Lex]

Great story tradslinger. Where there is a will there's a way hey.

Luckily still shoot some good weight, have a Howatt HTD that is my fall back at @60#.  Still have a few years left in me.

Yes, I'm blessed I can shoot the weight I like to shoot too.

I bought a 55lb Blackwidow longbow some years ago, as a just in case bow. I'm certainly not looking forward to it, but unfortunately that just in case day is a possibility for me. Arthritis in the spine is not good as I'm finding out as I age.........

But, God willing, I'll be shooting a longbow of some sort for many years yet.

Best
Lex

[SS Snuffer]

Ya it kind of sneeks up on a guy. Look what I'm down to. Shot my biggest buck last year so never give up!
DR. said "you could shoot a crossbow" when I got my shoulder replaced. I said COLD DAY IN ----!

[M60gunner]

Looks like I am getting there faster than I expected. In fact I have an MRI coming up next week. Already afraid it will show my spine looks like bombed out railroad tracks. But I refuse to give up shooting my bows.

[GCook]

Cool memory.  I hope I have his tenacity when my osteoarthritis gets that bad. 

[Russell Southerland]

I hope I'm still doing that at that age.

[tradslinger]

Unfortunately for me, too many falls has resulted in both shoulders messed up along with my Psoriatic Arthritis. I struggle to hold a drill up or to use a hammer and so I was so thrilled to see that I could manage to shoot a lighter bow. I am trying hard to build my arms back up, I realized that I was dropping my bow arm and altering my shots. Being crippled in my right foot is very challenging as well. But, I have never forgotten that man still at his love of archery. But the hardest thing sometimes is admitting that you are no longer able to do some things as you once did. But, sometimes it is about adapting or modifying to the challenge(s). My vison problems have also made it harder for me to hunt off of the ground but that still leaves ground blinds as well as short stands. Bike wrecks and other stupid stunts from years ago show their ugly heads in ailments as I aged, go figure. Heck, I'm trying to figure out how I can get a nicer quality longbow about 47# or less at 28" (my draw is only about 26" or so). Never give up! 

[Kelly]

Good ole ART has got a hold in me with bone on bone in 3 lower back joints plus Spinal Stenosis throughout that region and others. But I’m still shooting albeit at much lower bow weights and from seated positions. Going to fight it as long as possible because the alternative is just not acceptable.

[blacktailbob]

Bunch of stubborn old farts falling apart we are. Had two TKRs, seen doc recently about ankle fusing, he said I'm too active for it. Lower back giving me fist etc. etc. but thankfully shoulders and arms are pretty good. AND I'm shooting 41-44lbs nowadays and not the sixties when I was in my thirties.
Also I shoot ten-twelve arrow sets so I don't have to make as many trips to the target cuz ankle hurts so much. But I knew it was coming so last couple years I've been finding good stand spots 75yds or less from the roads on public lands where I hunt. 

[tradslinger]

Bunch of stubborn old farts falling apart we are. Had two TKRs, seen doc recently about ankle fusing, he said I'm too active for it. Lower back giving me fist etc. etc. but thankfully shoulders and arms are pretty good. AND I'm shooting 41-44lbs nowadays and not the sixties when I was in my thirties.
Also I shoot ten-twelve arrow sets so I don't have to make as many trips to the target cuz ankle hurts so much. But I knew it was coming so last couple years I've been finding good stand spots 75yds or less from the roads on public lands where I hunt.  yeah, I had been working hard to get my stands within 150 yards for several years and then some within 50 yards of the road. but now, on a lease, I can drive to within 20 to fifty yards of the stand if needed and I don't have to worry about anyone stealing them. I have several pop up blind spots that are 20 yards off the road. I'm all about not tripping and falling and being more comfortable in the stand

[smokin joe]

As long as modern surgery can fix things and replace joints, we can keep on hunting. I have had both hips replaced, one knee replaced, and both shoulders replaced. The rehab work was hard, but I am shooting bows in the 40-50 pound range and getting around OK.

Us guys who are in the no-longer-young category occasionally need some work done and some parts replaced to keep us going. Kind of like an old pickup truck with a lot of rough miles on it.

[tradslinger]

I'm kinda tired of surgeries, I have scars everywhere from my skull(ruptured brain aneurism) all the way down to my crippled right foot (botched surgery). 8 eye surgeries in the last year and a half and so on. They keep telling me that my back needs to be fixed but I know too many people that wish that they had never had back surgery. My foot keeps my hip and back out of sorts. I have an inversion table but am not allowed to hang upside down because I am on my second cornea transplant plus my eye lids are sewn shut halfway across my eye. Your eyes bulge when you bend over. the psoriatic arthritis is what it is, mainly in my joints all over.  But, there are millions of people that are wheelchair bound or bed bound that would gladly switch places with me, so I am still a very blessed man. But this getting older business ain't for the faint of heart. 

[atatarpm]

Growing old gracefully biting kicking screaming scratching every inch of the way