I just turned 62. One of my hunting buddies is 74. I wont pretend I’m a wilderness or backcountry hunter. We are southeastern whitetail guys. Even in our world of comfortable camps , SxSs and climbing stands we are looking at how we keep doing it for as long as we can. I am sometimes at camp for three week stretches. When I need a break I take one. I might stay in a morning or afternoon and do some camp cooking. That lasts about one hunt then I’m ready to get back in the tree.
I do this for fun. When it aint fun I find some fun. After 45 years of hunting sitting in the cold rain isnt as much fun it used to be.
I pay better attention to what is going on with my used up body. I get tired quicker and when
I get tired I get more likely to have fall or make a mental error. I don't heal up as quick as a young guy.
Hunting hurt or sick isn't as much fun as it used to be either. So I try to avoid both rather than have to deal with it.
I remember being at some spots that I had frequently hiked down into and starting to question whether I could get back out of them in a reasonable period of time. Over time I have developed new paths to accomplish the same trip or just found new traverses that meet my needs.
My toughest task each year is recovering my strength from being snowed in for 4-5 months. I'm still active during that time but limited to moving wood onto the porch and moving hay to the feeders for my horses.
Even during the summer I find heavy physical activity can cause overnight pain in my arms from stacking hay or stacking wood especially when working above my head. Old age is just paying for things you did when you were younger with pain and discomfort. At mid-70s I assume things will only get worse with age - especially if I just lay back and prepare to die in a chair.