how much time I got left ?

[Trab]

At the ripe ole age a 51, I just finished my 1st season of Trad Hunting.....I discovered hunting itself only 4 years ago when I bought a wheelie bow. Loved it for those three years, but fate took me to TradGang and I began reading many posted topics and made a decision. I mean I made the decision before I even purchased my Montana Longbow. I have no idea how I knew without even taking one practice shot, but it just felt totally right......so I went and purchased the bow and felt like I definitely made the right move after I took it out back and started practicing. I didn't feel so sure about the decision because of any legendary accuracy mind you. You see I am a total greenhorn in shooting compared to all of you guys who been partaking for many decades longer that myself. The reason I felt so sure was a whole lot less measurable than how close my pie plates were....(not hard when it is a PIZZA PIE plate
mind you ) .........more to the point, the reason just seemed to come from my gut. It just feels good....the whole idea of a stick and a string is comforting in some way. People not into it, like my wife for instance, do not get it....I have tried to explain it to her and even some friends that see that I have become fairly obsessed with the romance of the sport, but only a handful of them even remotely understand. But that is ok. I can't expect everyone to understand, as we are all different. All I can say is I am so glad I am blessed to be able to enjoy this art. Even if I am at a level of a wanna be artist, thats cool, I still love it.

The purpose of this topic is to ask some of the old timers out there who are still enjoying the chase with traditional bows how they are managing, and what their ages are.....my biggest fear is that having started this at 50 years of age, I have a real small window to work with here....if there are stories out there of some of you still releasing arrows at whitetail into their 70's or so, I know it would help motivate a lot of us. Particularly those like myself that started out late and are hoping to enjoy the sport for as long as possible in life....

Look forward to hearing your stories...Thanks in advance

     


Trab

[NDTerminator]

I'm going to be 53 and like everything else when we break half century, how long we do this or whatever else depends on how well we took care of ourselves in our younger years, and more importantly how well we take care of ourselves
from here on out.

[RUSTY1]

I'm only 41 but I say stay in shape and keep shootin'!

[Kip]

Trab I will be sixty in June and still loving it.I still climb trees,just more careful now.I hunted with mostly 55/57 most of my life but have recently dropped wgt.about 5 lbs.b/c was not as accurate with the heavier wgt. unless I shot evey day.Killed a doe on Jan.23rd. and plan on killing some till no telling when.Kip

[Earl Jeff]

I'm only 44 but I can give you a little encouragement I called John McDonald (Big River bow Co.) this Past October to talk to him about a bow He had just built for me. John's wife told me he was away hunting for the week. I believe John is in his early to mid 80's.

[the elf]

Old age is a state of mind---I will be 68 next month--and at times my body lets me know---but
my mind does not match my physical age.  [at least to me anyways]You have to keep both your body and your mind active---the longer the better.-----------ELF.

[owlbait]

Some of these guys look ancient and smell even older     I think as long as your mind is semi-strong and your body too, you can always adjust draw weight and continue for years. I'll be 56 this year and hope to last as long as guys like Norm Blaker, Ron LeClair, and George Stout.

[bawana bowman]

I'll be 55 soon, stay in shape and if your not, get in shape! Don't let anyone tell you you have to shoot light bows if you want to shoot heavier ones. Even if you don't intend to hunt with a heavy draw weight, shooting them is great for building strength and keeping you in shape. Plus it makes shooting lighter weights much easier.
If you want an exercise program that will really get you and keep you in shape try P90X, It really does the job.
Like I said I'm 55, and regularly practice with an 80# bow. Hunt with anything from 50# to 80#.
     

I'm not telling you to shoot heavy, but it will definitely keep you in shape for many years (if you don't try and do to much at one time). Put that in there to keep from getting flack from all those who will begin telling me I'm setting you up for shoulder injuries. If you build up to the heavy weights intelligently this will (most likely) not be a problem.

The biggest thing is just stay in shape and you should have more years ahead of you than you may think!

[cacciatore]

Mark,I am 55 but  I can still overrun lots of 30 years old guys.It depend of what kind of use you have made of your body and how much exercise you make.To shoot the bow is like any other thing in the life,if you are dedicated it is good as long you are able to walk.If I am not wrong Mike fedora is still able to shoot 80 plus pound bows in his mid 80's.I am still able to practice with my 73# bow,but i hunt with 55-65#.take care of yourself and let the love of traditional archery gives you a excuse to stay fit,you'll make yourself a big favor.

[bentpole]

I'm 55. I shoot my bows at least 3Xs a week. I work in the Construction Industry and l workout 3 or 4 X's a week. My Grandmother lived to be 106. I figure I still have a bunch of years to hunt and shoot.  

[Rob DiStefano]

yer only as old as yer thinkin'.

however, you can do only as much as your body will allow.

it puts money in the activity bank to exercise and eat a balanced diet.

sounds like yer on the right track!

[Killdeer]

Here is a link to an old pfaarttz thread:

 http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=39;t=000293

Killdeer (53)

[centaur]

I will be 63 next month. I have noticed the elk mountains are getting a little steeper, but I can still put on 10-12 miles per day without hurting too bad. I hike a lot, ride a bicycle 3 or 4 days a week in good weather, and do pushups and pullups regularly. I shoot a 56# bow just about every day. If I keep ahead of the curve, I think I can be hunting for many years to come. Like most things that are worth doing, it takes determination and a bit of pain from time to time to keep going. But a little bit of pain is well spent when you consider the alternative.

[razorback]

I heard a story on the radio early last hunting season. Seems an archery hunter had been missing for a couple of days. A search was sent out for him and his body was found a couple of hundred tards from his truck. The radio folks were calling it a tragedy, I'm not sure he saw it that way. He was 91. If I can make it into the woods with a bow in hand, into my 90's I would be happy to check out right there.
You got a good 40yrs in front of you if you are lucky and do everything right.

[Lurefish]

I'm 56 and feel like I have a few miles left in me. Like stated above I also hunt out of a tree and always wear a harness, something I never did when I was younger and thought I was bullet-proof. I wear a insulin pump so I have to monitor myself while hunting and always carry a cell phone. As the picture shows I had to find ways to make the drag to the truck easier.

For me there is nothing like a cold morning watching the sun come up and listening to the wood come alive....Ken

[Lil Red]

I'm 48 I say exercise and don't try and shoot to heavy of a bow. If you pull something it takes longer to get back in shape. Mike

[sendero25]

My boss and mentor is 75, and still shoots a 75# Hill Big 5 and goes to Colorado to hunt elk.
Age is in the mind,  (but you gotta take care of the body).

[pronghorn23]

Eat well and stay in shape. Age is sometimes a matter of mind. No matter what age, even if you can't get out in the woods for big game there's always short walks for squirrels, rabbits, stumps...anything to get out there.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

I'm 44 ( will be 45 in April ) To some I'm still young, but after having a Heart Valve replaced I feel older. Take care of Yourself, We are not cats and don't have 9 lives.

It's hard to say how long any of us will be doing this, since it comes to the old saying. "When Your time comes, Your time comes" You can help to prolong this. Get checked out by a Doctor. I would also recommend getting a Cardiac catheterization and a prostate checked out for all men 35 and older.  Cardiac catheterization , pap smear and a Mammography for the ladies. Better being safe then sorry.

Enjoy this sport of trad archery and hunting as long as You can. Hunting got me off of drugs and alcohol. Bow hunting gave me more time in the woods after My heart surgery. Since then and being on blood thinners I got a enjoyment from life in the woods.

[McDave]

Trab,

I'm 65 and I took up archery when I was about 50.  At the time, I was heavily into mountaineering, and didn't take archery very seriously.  I mainly shot arrows around the backyard to have something to do with my kids and to relieve stress from working.

When I was about 55, I became interested in traditional archery, and bought a 65# bow.  It was on the edge of my ability to pull that bow then, although I was able to crank off 20 pullups as part of my training for rockclimbing.  Although I soon switched to lighter-weight bows that I could shoot better, I always kept that 65# bow.  It is a beautiful bow, and I guess I keep it as sort of a benchmark as to how I'm doing physically.  And you know what?  Even though I can't crank off anywhere near as many pullups as I could 10 years ago, and I can't run up mountains anymore, I can shoot that 65# bow better than I could 10 years ago.  I took it out to the archery range yesterday, just to see how I could do, and I managed to shoot 25 good arrows, holding at full draw, with rest breaks in between shots as I walked between targets, before my shooting fell apart.  10 years ago, I couldn't even shoot 5 good arrows with that bow.

BTW, I shot that deer you see in my picture two years ago at the tender age of 63.  I have found that as I have become less able to climb the high mountains, I have become more interested in archery and bowhunting, which have become my #1 activities as I get older.