Contemplations about age

[StickBowManMI]

I turned 68 in June of this year. I am retired but never seem to have time to shoot my bows. To me that is an important part of life to enjoy shooting and bowhunting and fishing. I worked since I was 14 years old and I intend to enjoy as many more years as the Good Lord makes available to me. I hope all of us get to do the same!

[vermonster13]

It's not the age it's the mileage.    

[Ron LaClair]

You're never too old, the bow keeps you young.

 

"A boy's dream, A man's life"    


The bow and arrow spoke to me when I was five years old  

It said, come play with me young lad if you should be so bold  

The singing string and whispering shaft was music to my soul  

I knew it was a part of me when I was twelve years old      

The bow was small for a lad so tall as I grew so long and lean  

A new bow I sought, and finely bought, when I turned sixteen  

The years they flew and at twenty two, a bow for the bride I took  

Together we hunted for whitetail deer from our camp by a babbling brook      

Soon a little bow hung along side the bows of mom and dad  

Then another,.. and still another,.. three little bowmen we finely had  

As time went by the children grew, then Grand children came along  

Once again, the longbow sang, it's captivating song      

This new generation was soon to learn the wonders of stick and string  

They watched as Grandpa showed them, the joys the bow could bring  

No one can count the arrows that this old man has sent to flight  

Someday I'll shoot my very last shaft into the murky night    

But for now there's a great grand child who must learn of the bow and more  

This old man, still loves his bow, at the age of SEVENTY FOUR.    

TO BE CONTINUED

[Ron LaClair]

You're never too old, the bow keeps you young.

 

"A boy's dream, A man's life"    

The bow and arrow spoke to me when I was five years old  

It said, come play with me young lad if you should be so bold  

The singing string and whispering shaft was music to my soul  

I knew it was a part of me when I was twelve years old      

The bow was small for a lad so tall as I grew so long and lean  

A new bow I sought, and finely bought, when I turned sixteen  

The years they flew and at twenty two, a bow for the bride I took  

Together we hunted for whitetail deer from our camp by a babbling brook      

Soon a little bow hung along side the bows of mom and dad  

Then another,.. and still another,.. three little bowmen we finely had  

As time went by the children grew, then Grand children came along  

Once again, the longbow sang, it's captivating song      

This new generation was soon to learn the wonders of stick and string  

They watched as Grandpa showed them, the joys the bow could bring  

No one can count the arrows that this old man has sent to flight  

Someday I'll shoot my very last shaft into the murky night    

But for now there's a great grand child who must learn of the bow and more  

This old man, still loves his bow, at the age of SEVENTY FOUR.    

TO BE CONTINUED

[Shaun]

I have noticed some serious advantages to getting older - more time to hunt, easier to still hunt, young guys will drag your game for you. Counting down to SS and hunting even more.

[Soilarch]

I'm well less than half the age of most the guys who have posted.  I don't think it's an age thing...it calms me. I think that's why I have my latest obsession with really heavy arrow gpp.  "Calm" would be a really good way to describe what it does to the shot even on a well behaved bow.

[sagebrush]

Ron, I like the poem. I know a lot of non-archers would not understand, but it hit home with me. Thanks, Gary

[RonD]

Since I am 67 years young and getting younger everyday I consider the health problems that I have had to be challenges along the way. Like Dick in Seattle I have muscle deterioration from medications taken as a result of a heart attack. That alone dropped my draw weight down 5# and my draw length down by 2".  Like you guys I intend to stay in the game as long as I can. I refuse to let doctors sit me in a corner and wait for death to come. If death wants me it is going to have to come and find me in the woods where I want to be. Unlike earlier years I have to plan my hunts meticulously and map out where I will be hunting so that my wife feels a little better.  She has put up with me for 46 years now so I figure that is the least I can do to make things a little easier for her.

[Don Stokes]

I'm in my 62nd year and dealing with the ravages of time and disease. Over the last decade I've dropped my hunting bow weight from 65 to 50, and I can see 40 in my future. As my body has deteriorated I've learned to pace myself, sort of like hunting the high country when I was younger. Go for a ways, and then rest a bit to let ability catch up with desire. The goals are still attainable, it just takes a little longer to get there.

On the plus side, since it takes longer to get there, we now have more time to enjoy the journey!

[turkey65]

I turned 69 this past Sunday, missed last years archery season due to a back operation,triple bypass 21 years ago, the sport has pulled me through the tough times thats why the flight of the arrow rejuvenates the soul and spirit and makes the aches and pains feel minor compared too the magic of shooting the bow.

[D. Key]

I just turned 61 last month and can relate to the aches and pains of aging.  My shoulder hurts, my feet hurt, takes much more time to heal a cut or bruise, high triglyserides and elvated blood pressure.  But God has blessed me with a loving Wife of 41 years, a great Son, Daughter-in-Law and 2 wonderful grandkids.  Life does begin at 60.

Thanks for your post.  It caused me to reflect and be thankful again today.  You are most correct also in stating that shooting an arrow makes life seem better.

[Bowwild]

Ron,
I too liked the poem. It is an accurate description of my evolution as an archer and mentor to my offspring. I'm at the grandson point right now. He shot his first "tournament" at 3.5 years old (he's almost 7). My daughter in England is due TODAY with our second grandson (her first child). I can't wait to offer to pass on archery to him (Drake).  My daughter said she saw in the untra-sound today he was making a fist. If it's his bowhand I'll have to work on getting him to relax that grip a bit!

[larryh]

i'm 75 and still do all the things i did 10 and 20 years ago.
my doctor told me when i went for this years physical that he didn't know what would eventually kill me but he knew it wouldn't be rust.

[CJ Pearson]

Donny, Saw your post here and had to take a look at it. Now I'm glad I did. Great advice has been given from some great folk.
I hope your health issues get cleared up and can get back to shootin alot more. Hang in there brother.

[CJ Pearson]

[tippit]

Just got my One cup of coffee...can't take all the caffeine anymore.  Vitamins and a couple of Aleve to get going    I'm 64 and hunt now more than ever!  I've gone down the same road as most here on this post.  Started with 80# longbows now shooting 50#.  Old college sports injuries remind me of the fun from yesteryears  

If I'm not shooting my bow, you'll find me with a fly rod chasing stripers & salmon Or with a hammer in hand pounding out hot steel for a new knife.  Then every now & again I still have to grab my stethoscope as I've fooled my young doctors into thinking I still know a thing or two.

My Dad lived to be 96 and still when hunting with us boys til he was 88.  I sure hope I got as pair of his jeans...Doc

[Jim Wright]

I am 64 and God has blessed with me good genes and spared me any sort of major health issue. I can still do practically anything today that I could at 34. It is a fact however that I now need an aerobic/physical exercise program to maintain this level much more than was once necesarry. I find that a brisk walk or bicycle ride 3-4 times a week and a couple of sets of push-ups/pull-ups to maintain Archery strength are pretty doable and the physical and psycological benefits are priceless.

[Ranger B]

My dad will be 79 in Oct. He brought his selfbow up last month and asked me to take it from 53# to 45# so he could shoot it more comfortably. He still shoots very well and hopes to have a good hunting season down in the pasture behind the house.  Here's a pic of the young man shooting.  

[Hoyt]

I'll be 63 first part of next month. Had a couple of unsuccessful angio plasties and then a triple by-pass when 42 and have had major heart problems every since.Two more angio plasties and 5 by-passes that didn't work. They all closed up within a month. My cardiologist said I had two choices..either a heart transplant..which he said was not really a option since my arteries were so bad, or a series of 6 to 13 or so stints as needed. So far got six.

But I really can't complain, I hunt just as I have always hunted. Carry climbers a mile or so bone out and pack my game out by myself. The thing that bothers me the most is my back..had major lower back surgery and have to deal with the pain all the time. Just take it slower and use over the counter Tylenol. Cold weather bothers me more than anything due to all the blood thinners.

[elkken]

When the elk are bugling this September I'll turn 62 ... I love shooting my bows and do most every day. I have been fortunate from a genetic point of view to have very good health, but unfortunate from the wear and tear I have put my body through over the years. But all the parts that are wearing out haven't stopped me yet and I truly believe it is archery that keeps me going, keeps me young. In my mind and heart I can still climb the mountains, explore the next canyon, and smell the sweet air of the wild outdoors as I put my nose to the wind. Nothing will ever take that away from me, all thanks to the magic of the stick and string.