Aging hunters

[fisherman66]

I don't mean hanging them so they taste better.....

Almost half the fellas on a lease I get a guest pass to are great-grand-parents. At least half of those guys have had health problems including by-pass heart surgery, High BP or diabetes.

What are some of the precautions you take for yourself or your hunting buddies as they mature? One of my bigger concerns is the lack of cell phone service. Since they are kind enough to allow me to be a guest year after year I figger I'd like to keep 'em around a while longer.

[Daryl]

Remind them to take their medications. It's easy to forget when you're getting all your stuff together for a days adventures.

Encourage them to eat right, and stay as healthy as possible.

I have type 1 diabetes, and have had it since I was 6 years old. It's never slowed me a bit, and I've spent more time far away from anywhere than most guys have that I know.

I suffered kidney failure in 1995, and have had two kidney transplants. The first (in 1997) didn't take well, and only lasted 4 years. The 2nd was in May of 2002. It worked out far better, and gave me another chance at life (I nearly died when the first one failed).

Since then, I've hunted regularly in different places, including Alaska, New Mexico, Arizona, and Old Mexico. There's seldom a nearby place for medical assistance, so I make sure I take care of myself.

Since the last transplant, I've also gotten married for the first time, and done a lot of other things that make my life better.

In spite of my health issues, not much slows me down. I keep myself in pretty decent shape, take my meds as prescribed by my doctor, and do the things I want to do. It does take a bit of thought and planning for one's needs, and a person should be careful, but I stay pretty active.

Daryl

[Art Eatman]

What with coming 75 this summer, I've slowed down a bit. I guess the main difference for me is that I do a lot more sitting than walking. Mostly, it's a back-thing plus some arthritis. Can't do stuff for a long time, whether walk or sit, really.

One thing I did was change from a 9.5-pound rifle to a 6.5-pounder.

But I don't worry about stuff. I'd rather flop over during a hunt than in a car wreck or all hooked up to a bunch of tubes.

[HiBC]

My bear incident left me with an injured wife 200 Yukon River miles from the pipline road,still 8 hrs of washboard gravel to Fairbanks.It took 24 hrs of travel to get to the hospital.

I did have some first aid supplies,including a small bottle of Betadyne.

Another useful resource,my older brother was along.He served in an "A" camp as a Special Forces medic in VN in "66-67.

At that time,I was doing a lot of river tripping,also.While I had no intention of pursuing an EMT job,I decided EMT training was a good idea.So,I did it.

That only goes so far,it won't make you Pierce or Hawkeye on MASH,but you will have a mechanic's idea of how the body works,and you might be able to A) Have an idea of how to do some good B) Have an idea of how to avoid doing harm.

While you are in that circle of EMS training,you might get to,through a little extra training and talking with a Doctor ,get to know if it is OK to give an aspirin,or have a small bottle of Oxygen,or whatever the Dr will help you with.

Communicate useful info,like"I have had a heart attack,I have nitro pills,I keep them in this pocket"

Know allergies,meds,Dr names,etc ahead of time,maybe an info card.


And,assuming you are the young guy in better shape,A)Don't kill yourself! B) use the most important of tools,Wisdom,observation,etc.

Maybe,walking up a hill,You have to be the guy that says "I need a break,lets rest",when really you juts see old Joes is running on will rather than listening to his body.
Encourage the humor of "Age and treacherey vs Youth and enthusiasm.

Example,Young guys who head all directions leaving camp,make a great cloverleaf and drive critters toward an old guy in a lawn chair just outside camp as they return.

When there is a kill,that few minutes to let the animal go down rather than immediate pursuit is a "Chill" moment for the heart.Another "Chill" moment is just sitting and reflecting on the Circle of Life at the animal.Take a few pictures,then approch the dressing as surgery rather than rushing.

Remember hydration.Alchohol dehydrates.Electrolyte replacement,is important.
Like,potassium is part of muscle cramping and heart rhythm

Introduce more young guys to hunting.Give them education,use them for mules.

[crowbeaner]

I don't worry about the little things like hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or arthritis. I worry that I'll finally see that true wallhanger, shoot him, gut him, and keel over dragging his 250 lb. arse out to the car. I take a weeks worth of pills with me every hunt, and have 4 days worth in my fanny pack just in case. I'm more concerned about getting snowed in tight in the woods and having to wait for the wife to send someone looking for me. I know darn well the M-I-L won't, so it's up to my honey to contact the DEC.

[hogdogs]

Bacon grease for proper joint lubrication, sausage gravy and biscuits for strong "White blood cell" count. Un-aged corn liquor to kill any cooties And germs...
This works for me... least I feel young today
Brent

[ZeroJunk]

Brent, there needs to be a street walker in there somewhere.



I had a stint put in about 8 years ago. Fat, lazy, bad diet, bad genes. So, I lost forty pounds and started walking three miles a day, every day. Been doing it for 8 years. I like to hunt in the Rocky Mountains and you can't do it unless you are in good shape. I also realize I could drop dead up there. I can't think of a better place.

[bcarver]

crowbeaner has a point.
I would tell them to be sure to get your help
with loading/dragging deer.

[jammin1237]

i dont know to much about hunting in warmer climates but in the upper midwest i find myself changing hunting styles as i get older... sitting in one spot freezing your butt off is great up until your mid thirties or so...last couple years i just have to keep moving, tracking, still hunting, or what ever, i can still go 12 hours strait in below zero crap and i i'm in my mid 40s...

besides that, i cant think of a better place to go if it is going to happen....

pork fat and beer rocks!


cheers

[B. Lahey]

The biggest problem is getting them into and out of boats. That's how my grandfather got pretty badly injured in Canada years ago. It was an epic struggle getting him back to civilization.

Keep one guy in the boat to hold it against the dock, and at least one other guy on the dock to help them up. It's still a little risky, but not nearly as bad as trying to do it with too few people.

Radios and flares could come in handy in no-cellphone areas.

Bacon grease for proper joint lubrication, sausage gravy and biscuits for strong "White blood cell" count. Un-aged corn liquor to kill any cooties And germs

Yep, that's how we do it too, except our corn-liquor is aged (we're mostly Irish don't hold it against us, it's tradition).

[simonkenton]

For the geezer hunter...
Always carry a .38 snubbie on the shoulder holster.

When you have fallen from your deer stand, and are sprawled out on the ground, you do the assessment.
No feeling in the legs, you have a broken spine, you'll never walk again. Fifteen more years in a wheelchair, what misery.

Very irregular pulse, rate of 70, sweating, shortness of breath, severe chest pain.
You are having a heart attack which will probably be fatal.

Draw your pistol, and die like a man with a bullet in your head, you don't want to go on living like a gimp.

[rantingredneck]

My regular hunting partner is my father in law who at 65 has had a quadruple bypass, has type 2 diabetes, and is carrying about 40 pounds too many round the midsection. He gets along fine most days. (Prior to that I hunted mostly with my Grandfather and Great uncle....both gone now.....who were well into their 70's before their health made them give it up.)

My FIL uses a 4 wheeler more and more each year instead of doing a lot of walking.

I've done most if not all of his gutting and dragging for the last 10 years or so. At least up until my back injury 18 mos ago. Now I hoof it out to get the 4 wheeler or truck to come get the deer. How does that Toby Kieth song go "I ain't as good as I once was....."

I still do all the gutting. Unless one of my nephews is along.................gotta educate the next generation after all.......

I carry a first aid kit, radio, and cell phone. My truck has a bigger kit.

Most of the places we hunt are 10 mins by helicopter from 2 of the best hospitals in the country...........ask me how I know..................

[fisherman66]

I wonder if a CB plus amp for the base camp might be helpful. We carry GMRS radios in the field, but calling 911 is out of the question where we are.

My wife's great uncle fell of a 4 wheeler last season and broke his arm. He was very lucky he was using the buddy system that day.

[ZeroJunk]

I've been a ham operator for many years. All the Morse Code requirements have been dropped. You can buy a book that has all the questions on the test, and in a couple of hours study you can pass it.

CB can be practically useless at times. It would be quite unlikely that you would be in a place that a little 2 meter rig wouldn't hit a repeater. And if you are, an HF rig will always be able to contact somebody within a few hundred miles, or thousand as far as that goes,who will be happy to relay your information.

Two meter rigs can be had for less than $200 and maybe another $50 for coax and a used vertical antenna. For HF all you need is the correct length of wire and a piece of coax. Used HF rigs can be had for $300 or less.
A 12 volt car battery can be used to run either in an emergency.

[Andy W]

I know a group of guys that do a fly in fishing trip in Canada once a year. One of the men is in poor health so they rent a satellite phone for the time that they are up there. It's expensive, but if split 4 or 5 ways it's not too bad.

[bwheasler]

I love teaching my nephew about hunting and to love the outdoors, but nothing beats a strapping 18yr old to help drag your game. And who says the are arterial motives for teaching our countrys youth about hunting.

[fisherman66]

And who says the are arterial motives for teaching our countrys youth about hunting.

Pun intended?

[Major Dave (retired)]

You stated, "I like to hunt in the Rocky Mountains and you can't do it unless you are in good shape."

I'm age 68, survivor of 3X bypass 12 years ago, 5'8", 190 lbs. Lived at less than 500 ft altitude the last 35 years.

If I can follow your walking program from now to first week in Nov, do you think I can elk hunt at 9,000 to 11,000 elevation? North of Dillon/Silverthorne, CO.

It takes my breath away just to think about it!

[ZeroJunk]

You stated, "I like to hunt in the Rocky Mountains and you can't do it unless you are in good shape."

I'm age 68, survivor of 3X bypass 12 years ago, 5'8", 190 lbs. Lived at less than 500 ft altitude the last 35 years.

If I can follow your walking program from now to first week in Nov, do you think I can elk hunt at 9,000 to 11,000 elevation? North of Dillon/Silverthorne, CO.

It takes my breath away just to think about it!

I can't answer that. I hunted with a man who was eighty a few years ago and he was like a mountain goat, but he had been guiding all his life.

The hunts I go on you can make as easy or hard as you like. We ride a horse in to base camp and then ride out in the mornings to the area we are going to hunt. The horse does all the work. But, once you tie up the horses you could walk several miles up and down, or not. A man can ride a horse within a few hundred yards of where he wants to hunt and sit down.If a man is familiar with the area and knows the frequent habits of the Elk he can certainly be successful that way. But, what often happens is you will have an area that is hard to get to which is why the Elk like it there. Or, you will see some Elk on a ridge a mile away and a thousand feet above you. The latter was the case with the Elk I killed this past year. However, one of the guys who had alredy killed an Elk was just pooping around the horses and had two three hundred plus bulls just waltz by him about fifty yards away.

So, just because you adjust the output to the condition you are in doesn't mean you can't be successful and have a big time. The better shape you are in the better off you will be though.

[fisherman66]

If I can follow your walking program from now to first week in Nov, do you think I can elk hunt at 9,000 to 11,000 elevation? North of Dillon/Silverthorne, CO.

I can't answer that question either, but when I visit my folks who live at 7500" asl it takes me a couple days to adjust and during that time I feel like I have jet lag. I'd suggest getting to CO a couple days earlier and spend some time walking around to improve your red blood cell count. A B vitamin shot might be a good little snake oil dose before you leave 500".