Contemplations about age

[Nakohe]

Well, I will be 60 come November, and I have been having some health problems lately that have not let me shoot my bows as much as I want. However, no matter how old or sickly I feel, when I pick up one of those beauties off the rack, string it up and go outside to shoot, I always feel better. There is something about the flight of the arrow that just perks a person up. I hope I never get too old or sickly to shoot and enjoy my bows. I have enjoyed this trad archery for going on to 50 years and hope to enjoy it a whole lot more. This site has truly made it special also. Lots of great friends I have met and many more I hope to meet. So if you get to feeling poorly, just pick a friend up off the rack and go outside a play awhile.

[reddogge]

I know what you mean.  I'm 66 and have had two operations in the last two years.  Each time I bounce back but try to avoid injuries that affect shooting a bow. I always keep a 30# bow in the rack and light arrows for when I am recuperating.

Shooting is a great stress reliever.

[ron w]

Just turned 58, got some health issues myself....but you just gotta suck it up and keep active.Do the things you like to do and keep shoot'n. If you have to drop down in poundage ,so be it .Keep at it and enjoy every moment...

[Pete McMiller]

Well, I'm 61 and, yep, I don't recover nearly as quickly as I used to.  My feet hurt sometimes.  Can't eat onions anymore.  My shoulders hurt after 40-50 arrows but I will perserveer.  

5 years and 3 weeks ago this coming Thursday I had a triple by-pass operation.  Talk about putting your life into perspective!!  I keep telling people that it was the best thing that ever happened to me - it kept me alive.

Since that time I have kept up Scuba diving (6 dives in one day in March), shot my 3rd bull elk with a wheel bow, taken up the longbow (57 lbs.)in December, just finishing my 3rd homemade boat, can't wait for my 15th or 16th elk season, have plans for a DIY moose hunt next year, AND have a first date with a new lady tonight.

Don't stop the merry-go-round, I DON'T WANT TO GET OFF!!

[bentpole]

Don Listen to me. I'll be 56 years old come November. I'm a Union Sheetmetal Mechanic. Worked steady for over 25 years. At this time we have half the Local out. That's 450 members. The wife asks me almost every day "why do you get up every morning at 4:30? Because I work out for at least a half hour before I leave the house. Make breakfast ,shower, pack my lunch. BECAUSE >>>>----> ; there are almost 450 tinknockers out of work younger than me that are looking to take my job away! Push to the Limits! I'm 5'9" and weigh 170 lbs.                

[Michael Golden]

Time to step down and let us young bucks have a JOB! I'm dealing with the older crowd not retiring at my job and it's getting pretty annoying. I understand things are tough out there, but if you are financially stable then it is time to retire. Why would you not want to retire you can hunt and fish all day! Just my opinion about retirement sorry about the rant.

Mike

[Dick in Seattle]

I'm 72... bad shoulder and elbow and a general muscle deterioration due to a drug reaction (watch those statins!), but still shooting.  I took up bow making primarily to make light weight bows I could shoot.   Was out to the range today and did a round in the light rain with my 22# take down longbow. Had a ball!  Got a lot of interest in the take down from the local wheelie guys.

Don't let age get you down and don't be bashful about shooting light.  I've shot 3D with 17# when I was at low ebb and still did quite well and had fun.  As the average age of the shooters on the course keeps going up, I find it not uncommon to be asked for the loan of one of my light weights to try a round.

[McDave]

It's important to have something in your life that you're passionate about.  I'm 66, and for many years, my passion was mountain climbing.  During those years, I raised my kids, and about 25 years ago, I thought it would be fun if we got some bows and learned how to shoot arrows together.  After the kids grew up and went their own ways, I would plink around in the backyard with the bow from time to time, but my passion was always mountain climbing.

Then about 10 years ago, I had a few medical problems, and continued to get older, of course, and found that I couldn't climb the high mountains anymore.  So I began to look at the bow in a new way, wanted to learn how to shoot it better and found that my brother-in-law had been a bowhunter for years, and I hadn't even known about it.  So trad archery and bowhunting became my new passion.

It's possible that if I live long enough, the day may come that I won't be able to shoot the bow anymore.  I hope that if that day comes, I will find something to be as passionate about as archery.  Maybe raising tomatoes, I don't know.  If the time comes that all I'm good for is raising tomatoes, at least I hope I can do it passionately.

[barredfeather]

Just turned 57 'bout a month ago.  Little slower, but found out a while back that by movin' slower, I got to see and experience a lot of things that I had missed when I was younger.  I don't climb trees any more cause I found out how much fun it is to hunt off of the ground.  Still go to Texas to chase javelina and down south to chase hogs.  Work every day for a huge health care network and have some "interesting" days.  But I come home, have supper with the wife of 38 years, then go out back and shoot.  Picking up the recurve seems to settle my nerves and takes to place of peace and harmony.  Not sure thate I enjoyed it as much when I was younger.  Afer 49 years of shooting a stick bow, gettin' old is kind of a pleasure.

Jerry

[PrarrieDog]

I just celebrated 64 years with a shoot on the mountain. 60 targets at 8,000 ft. up and down, up and down. I think I'm on better shape now than I was 5 years ago. Less stress, more walking. and Gods grace.

[Bill Carlsen]

Mr. Miller: I am 66, have had my share of bad luck, put it in the past and eat healthy, go to the gym 4 days/week, work with a personal trainer, am married to a woman 13 years my junior, and life just keeps getting better. I like your attitude and my hat is off to you. Hope your date goes well and that you find a woman as special as the one I found.

As  soon as you think life is going down hill and you have to accept it, you might as well just stop everything. Every "crisis" is an opportunity in disguise. I'll leave it at that.

[Bowwild]

I can't imagine my life with out God, family, and 3rdly, archery.  Six years ago when I turned 50, I quit church softball ( I was the manager, 2nd baseman and batting average usually 750-800--no power but OBP good enough for #2 in the line-up). I quit because I looked around and realized I was the oldest person out there -- by a lot! My wife and doctor (routine stuff) said I should quit before I got hurt.  I've decided to take it up again next season (God willing). The pasture (from a softball perspective) is a crummy place to be put out in.

My point is this, as the cliche goes, age is just a number. I prefer to act the age I feel rather than what the "calendar" says. My bow makes me feel timeless. I sure would like to drop 15-20 pounds of potato chips and ice cream by October though!

[lpcjon2]

Donald I recently turned 41 and I get that same feeling when I shoot. I don't think it has to be when you get older only when you get a lull in you.

[Jim Keller]

I'm 52 and battling some aches and pains( just got home from physical therapy) but all in all not bad. It is nice to come home from a day of stress and string up the longbow and go shoot that stress away. Hope I can shoot 'til I drop.

[Stone Knife]

Wow you guy's make me feel like a kid again, I'll be 51 in Nov.     I just love to go out and shoot in the yard or chase woodchucks around with my Hill in the off season. It makes me feel like a kid just walking around with no worries at all.

[Van/TX]

Nakohe, good message.  I'll keep that in mind.  I was in the Air Force too.  For 40+ years!!
 
 
 
  ...Van

[Steve Clandinin]

Just turning 57,being doing this Archery thing for close to 50 years.When I was a younger man I was in Olympic condition ,competitive Fighting then teaching Judo for years.I weighed 160 and could pull 90 lb. bows all day.as i got older I still thought I could work like that,WRONG,two spinal operations and maybe another coming.I have constant chronic pain in my left arm,but still shoot almost daily.I honestly don't know what I would do if I couldn't shoot my bows.Trad archery has taken over as my therapy and is my major factor copping with my condition.For most of us here this is our life and Saviour.

[Toklat1]

I'm fixin to be 49 and am rehabing a partial shoulder replacement at the moment. Can't shoot yet but that is my goal. Getting old isn't fun physically!

[swamp donkey]

"Getting old isn't fun physically" yeah but it sure bets the heck outa the alternative,lol. I'm only 56 but have had alot of health problems the last 5 years or so. I've had to drop down 15lbs in bow weight but I'm still pluggin at it for now. Shooting and hunting with the same type bows, arrows, and broadheads I did as a teen I can be 13 again for a while at least till some ache brings back reality.  

[monkeyball]

Thank you guys. I was thinking it just must be me with all the aches and pains going on of late,this topic has me feeling a little better about it all.

  I turned 52 this past Friday and I really can not remember the last day when something did not "hurt".Self inflicted to a point,I can not be totally surprised. When you work hard and play hard and rest little, it takes it's toll eventually.33 years and going at UPS along with working out and everything else in life has you feeling it after a while.

  Archery has become my "therapy". People laugh when I tell them it keeps me away from counselors,
but I am dead serious.I shoot all year and just recently have decided to shoot lighter weight in the 3-d season and after hunting season. Hopefully that will keep me in the game a little longer. We'll see. Best of luck to all you guys
and as always.......         Good shooting,
                                       Craig