[Bearblade]

I'm at the age (late 50's) where for me, I don't give a rip about being a hardcore hunter anymore. I could almost miss the seasons and be ok. It's weird because I had years where it was "go get 'em!" with blood in my eyes! This is normal I believe. I still love just hanging out in the woods and hunting as hard as I want to or not. Where are the rest of you? It would be interesting what ages you are to go with your comments.

 

[stickbow shooter]

Late 50s here also. I don't hunt as hardcore as I use too that's for sure. But I still love it.

 

[Waif]

Late 50s here also. I don't hunt as hardcore as I use too that's for sure. But I still love it.

Ditto.
Glad I did hunt hardcore. Learned a lot about myself and about deer.

Kills have come easier due to location(s) hunted in later years.
Kills are appreciated still , but more watching than shooting seems the newer norm.
Depending on targets (an unknown deer vs one studied a while) a kill can be anti climatic today.
Then there is the work that follows.
Used to be a quick process (cutting one up) , that now takes days.

And with C.W.D. they need to be hung in the tree upside down due to missing heads for testing. Not a good way to shed precipitation and drain after being hosed off.

 

[Stubee]

I used to hunt every weekend of MI bow season + eight to ten mornings starting in late October. Then I’d rifle hunt all day the first three days of that season, then start again Thanksgiving week til the end followed by December bow hunting and later on muzzleloader season. Mostly state land.

My hunting changed dramatically 21 years ago when I joined a NELP deer camp and then bought NW ONT deer hunting land a few years after that. I suddenly had access to good rifle hunting season-long, and with one buck tag per location my bow hunting dropped way off. I now rifle hunt 10-12 straight days in NW ONT followed by the first week and last days of MI rifle, and occasionally some muzzle loader hunting. My bowhunting which for years was my No. 1 passion dropped down to time with my grandson in MI and a few solo outings.

So I guess I’m still as hard core but it’s more “concentrated”. I do know that it doesn’t feel as hardcore as all those morning rut bowhunts I used to do. I was pretty beat after ten or so of those during the work week.

 

[old graybeard]

I'm 69 so late 60's I love it and hit it just as hard as ever. I use my head a little more about how I go about it but that's all that has changed for me and I don't anticipate slowing down anytime soon.

 

[Sasquatch Lives]

Same boat here. 50 years old and physically can't hunt as hard as I used to. Tougher to get up in the climber and haul stuff in and out of the woods. Still have the drive but just enjoy seeing deer more than shooting them. Oddly enough my biggest bucks have come over the last few years probably because I have become more patient and also because I am passing small bucks I would have shot when I was younger so I guess getting old is not such a bad thing. I appreciate my time in the woods a lot more now too.

 

[stickman1978]

59 here.

Hunted ever opening of gun since 1974 I think. Might have missed one or two when I was in college can't remember, lol. Any way I didn't go out opening day last year. Had a nice buck already and wanted to reserve the hunting for my son and a friend of his who had never shot a deer. It worked, they had multiple sightings and he got a deer on his second sit.

Not as anxious as I used to be about getting out. Might just be because I can go out just about any day I want to now. Still love being on stand and seeing all that Mother Nature has to offer.

 

[1morebite]

53 here, harvest seem to come easier than younger years. Having said that I don't seem to be in such a rush now. I just put out cams and prepped sites last weekend and have yet to hunt. Maybe tomorrow since tonight is homecoming for my youngest daughter. I do enjoy my time in the woods more and appreciate the simple things of hunting. My kid ribs me and wants to know when I am going to the "OLD MAN" crossbow, lol.
Good post for conversation oldbear!

 

[crossneyes]

Turned 55 beging of this month,and yes I have slowed!.
Still love it and still get as many as I want each season.
Looking forward to gun season ad this will be my wife's 1st season, more excited to see her get one!

 

[june bugger]

57 here. Last year I went in one of my treestands and said thats it. Bad knees seems to have affected my balance. Still hunting just on the ground now enjoying that as well

 

[lazyike]

69 this year. If it wasn't for my daughter deer hunting the last couple years I probably would hunt with my crossbow the first couple weeks of November on nice mornings and maybe the rifle opener and say good enough. Personally don't care if I get a deer or not but I really want to see my daughter get one.

 

[Hookslinger]

30 here. Just hitting the point where my goal is to revamp my hunting style. I'm self taught, never had a mentor for deer hunting. Never had access to large parcels that were managed, or anything one would consider "big buck" property. Been stuck in a rut of pre-set stand locations and hunting the same old spots in the same old ways. Got one nice 8 on the wall, and a good handful of does and younger bucks under my belt. The Hunting Public, John Eberhart, Dan Infalt, and others have inspired me to dive deeper and adopt a mobile set up (think I'm going to invest in a saddle). I've had the desire to chase older bucks, and take advantage of all the public land near me. I just didn't really know how to go about it. This year I've been in fishing mode, so it will be more of the old routine this season. But I am at the point now where I want to dedicate much more effort and time into deer hunting. Constantly learning and really looking foreward to diving into the world of mobile hunting, and a year round approach to scouting and preparation. As we all know, talking and doing are two different things. The drive is there, now I just need to follow up with the tactics I'm learning and putting boots on the ground.

On a side note, I'm hitting a stand tonight that hasn't been touched yet this year. Hopefully the cold front will have the deer up and moving before dark!

 

[matt76cmich1]

Late 30s here and with 2 kids under 3 years old. Since I have had my kids my hunting season has condensed to a 2 week deer hunting vacation vs going out every chance I had available. I would say I'm still just as "hardcore", but with more realistic expectations for shortening my season and not having the time to scout in the off season like I used to. Wouldn't trade it for anything though. Deer will still be in the woods once the kids are older and can start going with me.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

 

[aacosta]

30, hunt almost exclusively public land. Not really hardcore, have a young family that I invest most of my time in. Kiddo is to little to hunt yet. Hardest thing I do is use my lone wolf hand climber, good ab workout

 

[Tom Fine]

51 (retired) just working part time now. Got in about 25 hunts between bow and gun last year. Most in awhile probably because I had more time. Start the hunting season slow (once a week) and when it gets near the end of October I pick up the pace and hunt as much as I can. Only have 25 acres to hunt now so I don’t want to burn it up before the rut.

 

[dewy6068]

37 with a 7 yr old son and 4 yr old daughter. AND the best wife any outdoorsman could ask for! I hunt hard starting opening day until my tags are filled! In a stand every weekend, a night or 2 after work during the week, and I reserve 10 days of vacation minimum for the first 2 weeks of November and gun opener. This year my son started hunting and he put a nice 9 point on the ground during the youth hunt. That was the best hunt I’ve ever been on and can’t wait to do it again with him!

My wife also hunts so it’s a family deal quite often. She used to bow hunt but has pretty much gave it up due to the kids. She hits it hard during gun season though.

Did I mention my wife is awesome!!!





Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app

 

[deepwoods]

53 here and I would say I appreciate the entire experience more now. The people are what make the hunts and not the animals. They are strictly a bonus.

 

[Lund Explorer]

63 here, and I've gotten to the point where a couple of days on the old rifle stand is plenty for me. I have a ground blind dug into the side of a hill that is big enough for two to sit side by side, and I enjoy having one of the younger generation(s) sitting with me. They can do most of the shooting, and more importantly, most of the work that comes after the shot too.

Last year's hunt was supposed to be with my grandson, but the season was cut short a little over two hours into the day. Our son, the kid's dad was headed for Spectrum Butterworth due to kidney failure. He stayed there until December, and the rest of my November was spent doing grandpa daycare for two four year old twin girls.

Things have settled down into a routine now, so maybe this year the two of us will be able to get in a couple days rather than a couple of hours.

 

[Skibum]

I'm 61 and my goal is to be OGB when I grow up.

 

[old graybeard]

I'm 61 and my goal is to be OGB when I grow up.

LOL! Your on your way!