Any senior citizen hunters here?

[dejake]

Agreed.  It's troublesome to get up, almost comical.

[longislandloco]

Funny....That getting up thing an issue for us all.

[greencop01]

I'm 64 and part of it is going to the gym, walking slower and paying attention more and staying in one place longer, letting things develop. Also doing more thorough scouting, having four or five good spots lined up. I tend to think this turkey hunting keeps looking me forward to my time chasing the 'harder birds'.

[Neill_Prater]

I am perhaps the exception. I'm so close to 66 you might as well say I am. I have struggled with my weight all my adult life, and when you would look up the term "yo-yo" dieting, my picture appeared. 

A little over 2 years ago I realized it had become difficult for me to get up out of a chair without pushing off with my arms. Climbing a hill on the way back to the truck after a deer hunt and the shortness of breath that ensued convinced me I had to do something. It dawned on me that I couldn't carry around as much excess weight as I did when I was 40 and still be able to do the things I love, mainly chase turkeys.

I have a mowing business, so during the mowing season, I remain active, but during the winters, I was a total couch potato. I started riding my exercise bike or walking on the treadmill at least 5 or 6 hours a week, and have lost about 40 pounds, 50 from my all time high weight a few years ago. It is still a struggle, and I hope to eventually lose another 15 to 20 pounds, and, hopefully, maintain that weight the rest of my life.

Although one can't totally eliminate the effects of aging, I can actually get around better in the woods than I could 20 years ago.

[turkaholic]

58 now and feeling it. My brother has 10 years on me and has been warning me yearly about the difference. Last year we were moving on a gobbler up a steep grade and he looked at me and barked at me "I can't do this anymore" it made me feel rotten.  It is pretty funny watching us both rolling around trying to get up. I can still get up and on a downed bird fast, but I'm sure that will get slower as time goes by.

[ddturkeyhunter]

I am perhaps the exception. I'm so close to 66 you might as well say I am. I have struggled with my weight all my adult life, and when you would look up the term "yo-yo" dieting, my picture appeared. 

A little over 2 years ago I realized it had become difficult for me to get up out of a chair without pushing off with my arms. Climbing a hill on the way back to the truck after a deer hunt and the shortness of breath that ensued convinced me I had to do something. It dawned on me that I couldn't carry around as much excess weight as I did when I was 40 and still be able to do the things I love, mainly chase turkeys.

I have a mowing business, so during the mowing season, I remain active, but during the winters, I was a total couch potato. I started riding my exercise bike or walking on the treadmill at least 5 or 6 hours a week, and have lost about 40 pounds, 50 from my all time high weight a few years ago. It is still a struggle, and I hope to eventually lose another 15 to 20 pounds, and, hopefully, maintain that weight the rest of my life.

Although one can't totally eliminate the effects of aging, I can actually get around better in the woods than I could 20 years ago.

Congrats on the weight loss; any thing a person can do to inprove health keeps us in the turkey woods longer. Will be 62 this year and yes I have slowed down a little just because my body says i am suppose to. But don't want to and when I get turkey hunting I don't Yet, I act like I am 35 when hunting. 

[Player]

I saw a folding chair in Walmart's turkey hunting section the other day. It was advertised as being short legged for turkey hunting (don't remember the brand) and I thought it sounded pretty good.
Got one out and opened it up and sat it on the floor. I looked down at it and thought no way I'm trying this out in the store. Figured if I did manage to get in it I'd never get out without making a scene haha.

I don't go as far and deep in the woods as I used to either. I had to carry a big tom back to the truck last year. It was a pretty good ways and all uphill. Sure let me know I was getting old!

[platinumwindow99]

Last year Me and my brother he is 70 and I am 74  we are slowing down but still do it...

[Strutr]

Last year Me and my brother he is 70 and I am 74  we are slowing down but still do it...

...and still getting it done apparently.  Good for you guys! 

I hope to be turkey hunting well into my 70's.

[joey46]

I turned 70 this past August.  Very blessed to still be able to get up, get out, and walk a mile or two to an area if needed. 

This bird started our Florida season on 3/18.  Private land and easy walk.

The second picture is bird #2 on 3/28 from a WMA that required we walk in a mile or more to make sure we minimized any other hunter interference.  Sugar sand and a rolling terrain.  A tough walk at any age.   Very blessed to still be able to manage it.  The Cabella's Gobbler Lounger chair makes all the difference at times.  Also one that made an effort to drop some # and walk most every day.  That makes a big difference.

[longislandloco]

Hats off to all my contemporaries, we should ask the Administrators to give us seniors our own forum so we old timers can keep in touch, talk through our senior citizen hunting issues.

[Greg Massey]

Hats off to all my contemporaries, we should ask the Administrators to give us seniors our own forum so we old timers can keep in touch, talk through our senior citizen hunting issues.

Great Idea...

[TRG3]

When I used to hunt the heavily wooded Shawnee National Forest in Southern Illinois, I was about 30 years younger and would run a lot but do very, very little gunning. Now that my home county has opened, wood lots/pastures have become the landscape, and I'm in my 7th decade, I've adapted well to sitting in my ground lounger with some decoys and playing the waiting game. Sometimes I'm home by breakfast while other times it's more like lunch and planning tomorrow's strategy. Usually, I'm eventually able to fill all three of my tags. In the past 30 years, I've moved deer hunting from first to my fourth hunting interest behind turkey, tree squirrel, and cotton tail rabbit hunting, depending on what is in season. I suppose that it's a "senior thing". It's all been fun and a learning process.

[joeturkey]

I'm 76 years old and still running and gunning killed this South Florida Osceola on public lands no quota hunt yesterday 9" beard 1" spurs 14 lbs. At 10 feet with my stoeger m3020 and Tss 9 shot .

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

[joeturkey]

Here's a picture

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk