Old guys aren't that smart.......

[mtwarden]

After a particularly brutal Bob Marshall Open (historic blowdown & rotten snow) I seriously said to myself this would be the last year I'd do it; even told my wife I was going to hang it up (after twelve years and by far the oldest SOB to do it). Then after a couple of days my ankle healed up (bad landing going over a downed tree and then aggravated after going over a hundred more), then I was back to hiking again and then a group of us who suffered through it this year got together to talk about our adventures over beers.

Now (just shy of two weeks) I'm already thinking about doing it again—yeah age doesn't always equate to more intelligence!

 

[mtnwrunner]

Yeah, after finishing a 100 mile ultra, first thing you say is, "I aint NEVER doing that f****** thing again!"
Then, you eat, rest, sleep and recover and after a couple days you think, hmmm.....maybe it wasn't that bad.
No one ever said we were smart.

Randy

 

[5MilesBack]

I do that every archery elk season. I'm always glad I'm done, and can't wait to get home. Two days later I'm ready for another season.

 

[survivalistd]

Only thing I ever quit that lasted was. Well let me think about it and get back to you!!

 

[Pony Soldier]

Suffer index boys. You aren't likely to kill anything if you don't suffer enough. By the time I cut out trails for a month and then hunt every day of the season, I'm just getting into the rythem of it.

One of the toughest years I can remember was one where we tagged out opening weekend and the looked at eachother an said "Now what do we do?"

 

[Marbles]

Congratulations. The smart thing is to do it again. The fastest way to get old is to act your age, don't be dumb enough to do that.

I would offer to do it with you next year, but I'm pretty sure I would slow you down.

 

[TheGDog]

After a particularly brutal Bob Marshall Open (historic blowdown & rotten snow) I seriously said to myself this would be the last year I'd do it; even told my wife I was going to hang it up (after twelve years and by far the oldest SOB to do it). Then after a couple of days my ankle healed up (bad landing going over a downed tree and then aggravated after going over a hundred more), then I was back to hiking again and then a group of us who suffered through it this year got together to talk about our adventures over beers.

Now (just shy of two weeks) I'm already thinking about doing it again—yeah age doesn't always equate to more intelligence!

But you know what though? Good On You, Man!

That's just You... making the willful choice to do some "Real Livin'!" !!!

And the guy that "wins"?

Is the guy that got to do the most of THAT... "Real Livin'" that he could, before his body just flat-out wouldn't let him do it anymore.

In the Fullness of Time? ... ... ...

You'll NOT regret that you made it a point to still push yourself to GO! and DO! these tough things, while ya still could.

If anything? The injuries, for me? Start teachin' ya how important it is to "Get After it" while ya still can. (Crossin' fingers all the way, HA!)

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Yeah, after a half dozen miserable hunts in MT and WY (not unsuccessful) I would swear I'd never go back. Guess who was applying the next year?

 

[nm.otter]

Stick with it. I hike with guys that are 10+ years younger than me -- and a handful who are in their late 70s.

The Internet is rife with bad attributions, but (in whatever flavor) this has been a longtime favorite of mine.

 

[Bubblehide]

I've always said the real misery doesn't start until you pull the trigger, but I've had plenty of hunts that I thought couldn't get more miserable, until I pulled the trigger. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), when it comes to public land hunting, I'm not actually hunting unless it's miserable. Granted, the older I get, the less it seems to take to be hunting. But no way I'm giving it up.

 

[BluMtn]

I've always said the real misery doesn't start until you pull the trigger, but I've had plenty of hunts that I thought couldn't get more miserable, until I pulled the trigger. Fortunately, or unfortunately (depending on how you look at it), when it comes to public land hunting, I'm not actually hunting unless it's miserable. Granted, the older I get, the less it seems to take to be hunting. But no way I'm giving it up.

I could not have said it any better. Approaching 70 the road gets longer everytime you start the journey. But I am not giving up until 6 of my friends pack my casket up the hill and put me 6' under.

 

[Hickory1991]

Going to turn 74 next week. Going moose hunting with my son this fall to Newfoundland. Not sure how smart that is. We will see.

 

[Pulleye16]

I've always considered my out west hunts....a really expensive and miserable hike! But like you, i keep doing it.

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"​

I don't think we are stupid...we are insane.

 

[CRJR45]

Well you are only as feel as you old , number is just an age , and if who don't do it you will ?

 

[Weldor]

Yeap, and here I am still packing meat out in the dark because I have not learned what time of day to shoot critters or why I am in the same canyon. the one I said I would not go back to 20 years ago. I think as we get older it becomes a learning disability

 

[mtnwrunner]

My last trip to my doctor and he says, "why don't you start acting your age?"
I told him I was. He just shook his head.

Randy

 

[long hunter]

Perhaps we think were to old to do such things , and the intelligent side of us yep yer correct, but the stubborn and hard headed part says go for it, kind of like the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, in my situation I wind up listening to the well you guys understand. Actually not having a death wish but better to be in a wild place if something is going to happen, Hell a meteor might crash through yer roof and smash ya while yer watching the idiot box. See ya in the bush busted up or not.