Do it while your young & spare no expense!??.

[manny15]

I'm 47 now and have been on alotta hunts outta state and such, muley?s have been my passion, for the last 20 some odd years, but I've yet to fulfill the 30? mark, I've always have been conservative on every thing, money mostly, and I regret it now because I still have the bug to hunt for that 30?er, and I thought I would some day hunt sheep in Alaska?but that day never came.

Slowly but surely my body has been changing, slowing down and my knees have been hurting a lot too, I can deal with that, but lately my heart has been beating alittle funny the last few years, finally it started beating real fast 200 BMP?causing me to feel way tired, well I found out that I have an electrical prob. The Doc said he could slow down the heart rate with a radio wave procedure, where they go into the arteries in your leg up into your heart and with the radio wave they kill part of the tissue that allows the irregular current to travel and slowing down the heart rate, it all sounded good at the time, but now when I am active i.e.; walking up hill my heart skips and even stops for a few seconds, I thought (as the Doc said) I would be better by now but I'm not! and feeling worse?

Anyways? not looking for any wah wahs.. Just let me give the young men some advice; don't let no one stop you from fulfilling your dreams not even your wife!!! You will always be able to buy your dream house when you get older, save your money and go on your dream hunts now while you have your strength, take it from me when your 50 and sitting in your nice country home but your back, or your knees maybe even your heart don't work right anymore and that monster still isn't on the wall, you'll be sitting here just like me thinking If I'd a known I would?ve could?ve??..blah?blah?

Take it from me ?Do it now while your young & spare no expense!???.

 

[antlerrick]

Hey Manny, I can feel your pain. I also am 47 and after 2 back surgerys, sore knees, and a problem with muscles in my calfs and ankles from some crappy medication, I know where you are coming from. It sucks to still have the desire to hunt your A$$ off but don't have the energy or pain threshold to do it like you used to.
I would give anything to be able to get out and go like I used to, so that I could enjoy the fullness of the hunt and the mountains with my sons.
I think your advice should be taken very seriously as a young person can, because the years will fly by and before you know it, the good ol' days, are way behind you, and there is nothing you can do to turn them back.
Sure, I still get out and do what I can, but I know that if I overdo it, I will pay the price.
So all of you young hunters, take some great advice from Manny, and live your dreams now, because "I will do it later" just won't cut it!!

Great Advice Manny!!
a*r


A bad day hunting is better than a Good Day at Work!!

 

[scottyboy]

Manny,
Thanks for the post. I aways have lived by the same basic motto on hunting and life itself. Do it today because there may not be a tomorrow. Personally, I am just 26, but I have accomplished alot in that amount of time as far as my hunting expirences go. Ever since I was about 5 years of age, I have always had a passion with Africa. I always wanted to go over there not just to hunt, but to stay awhile and really take it all in. At age 22, I spent a total of 8 months over there on 2 separate trips to guide for an operation. I would'nt trade those days for anything. I got to see a side of Africa the normal tourist does'nt get to see. 8 months later, I got the oppotunity to do the exact same thing in New Zealand. Then a month in Manitoba. And so on and so on.... Those days were some of the best I could ever ask for in a lifetime.
I just set out with the modivation that I was going to do these things before I decided to settle down and get married and start focusing on a career. I now have a great job out of the hunting business and can look back and say that I did what I set out to do all those years back.
And I still have alot more planned before I get to those days where I can't do them any longer!!!
Scottyboy

 

[HunterHarry]

I watched my Dad die when i was 30 and swore to myself to achieve some of my dreams before father time stripped them from me!
Alaska was always a place to dream for,my dad was stationed on Kodiak and as a kid told me stories of he and a buddy hunting the giant bears of the Island, and though he never took one for himself,was always in awe of the great beasts.
In April of 01 I fulfilled our dreams by taking a 10 foot,B&C Kodiak Brown Bear.
I will never ever forget returning back to the lodge on Ugak bay with my trophy Brown,and awaking in the middle of the night, following natures call, I went outside and on a crystal clear night with a full moon overhead and with the most incredible snow capped jagged peaks surrounding me, moonlight reflecting off the bay as tears ran down my cheeks I looked up into the sky and said "WE DID IT DAD".
Without a doubt, the most spiritual,challenging and rewarding hunt of my life!
I am 43 now and slowing a little, but like the rest of you guys my advice is...
"DO IT NOW - YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS"

 

[Blueoak]

I hear ya guys. I am 48 and have never missed a season since I was 12. I am lucky though and still can get up high. However the price I pay on the body seems to get worse and worse. Most of my hunting buddies are all through with tough stuff. I went to Sonora last year for the first time and will do so agian this year. Its great to be able to still hunt side by side with my dad on FLAT ground. He is 74 and in great shape. I do feel blessed. My son is 21 and I need to make sure I support his efforts to get out there now while he can.

 

[nmtaxi]

Manny, great post. I couldn't agree more. I'm only 31, but 4 years ago had an accident while out hunting. My shotgun mis-fired, and blew my left heel off. I laid in the hospital for a couple of weeks with doctors going back and forth on whether to amputate, or try to save it. So there I was, age 27, thinking about all the things I would never get to do. 4 years and 8 surgries later, with help from some terrific doctors and a lot of faith, my foot is... well... not great, but better than I ever thought it would be. I'm heading out in 3 months to AK on a 14 day self-guided float hunt. My window of opportunity might be small, so I am going to take full advantage of it, and do everything I can now. Our experiences and memories are what we will always remember, not the big screen t.v. we bought instead.

 

[Paul_Crawford]

Manny, I just gave my 24 yeard old son the same advice a couple days ago. Right on. PC

 

[dakotakid]

Manny,

Without a doubt, this is THE SINGLE best thread you have ever started here.

Mike

 

[CDub]

This post makes me feel a hell of a lot better about blowing nearly all my disposable income and time on guided hunts, tags, taxidermy and equipment. Sometimes I wonder how much more money I would have if I didn't hunt.

 

[AZBob]

Great post! Hunts never get any cheaper, and you'll never be more physically able to hunt than now.
Like the scruffy-looking homeless man said to the TV interviewer: "I spent most of my money on Hunting and Fishing... the rest of it, I just wasted!"

 

[manny15]

I'm glad some of you guys know where I'm coming from, It really piss's me off, I'm still hunting this yaer but cause it ain't over till the fat lady sings at your funeral 'eh.....LOL.......

 

[The_Wraith]

I agree 100%. I look at what the masses do and I try to do the opposite, most get themselves into to much debt, can barely make their bills and never really get out and experience what life has to offer. As of right now, I'm 29 and I've hunted/fished in 15 different states and I also spent 7 days salmon fishing in B.C. last august. I hunt up to 4 states a year and have hunted 7 different species. This year I'm spending 9 days in S.W. Colorado elk hunting and then a week after I get back I'm going back to Co. to hunt mulies by myself for 7 days and hopefully I'll get drawn for 'lopes in Wyo. I also hunt every chance I get here in So Cal. last year I hunted 23 days and the year before I hunted 31 days out of a 51 day season. Tomorrow I leave for the sierras to go trout fishing for 3 days alone and next week I'm going back with a friend. If you ain't living on the edge you're taking up to much space!!! Get out amd live life to the max because tomorrow is guarenteed to NO man.
Dennis

 

[Montanahunter]

Manny - Sounds like you hit a note with this post most of us can relate to. Like you I have put off some of the hunts of my dreams, kids to college, a new house, now landscaping always a place to spend the money. But you are so right, we only live once and if we use up are healthy years building up material things chances are we will never fulfill those hunts. Talking with my 92 year old uncle about this very subject he said just go, when you get old you will not have missed the money and will have the memories. If you are like me you have programmed your self to hunt a certain way and find that old habits are hard to break. Good luck to ya.

 

[GJM]

Come on Boys! Your makin us sound like the Geritol Club. I'm 46 gonna hunt till I can't no more, Have to confess though this yr I bought a trailer cause I will not sleep on the ground no more and it damn sure has a furnace in it too! One thing for sure after you hit 40 we are all like steers, we have it in our heads but not in our ass, so you like me lost a step or three and you get the aches and pains, but if you did tip over in the moutains could you think of a better place to have it happen? Beats the heck out of cashin in with a bunch of doctors lookin over ya! Nothin like the smell of mahogany or pine in the moutains and that keeps me goin for sure. We come into this world with somebody wipin our asses and most of us go out the same way, but all that slack in the middle, like you said Manny, do er up right if you can, teach your kids to carry on and tell your grandkids the stories, that's what i'm waitin for now, I got 2 grandsons commin up and that's what keeps me goin just hope I make it to watch them do it like I did! Good Luck to you Manny with the ticker, When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! life is one hell of a ride!

 

[manny15]

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on! life is one hell of a ride!"

Words to live by...Kool...

 

[LIK2HNT]

Sometimes I think hunting is a sickness. No matter how much time I spend hunting, it is never enough. The saddest part of every hunt is the moment after I fill a tag and realize that the hunt is over. Even though I have meat for the freezer and great memories I hate the end of the hunt. I think this is why after I fill my tags I take other people hunting until season ends.

I happen to be lucky enough to live in an area where I can go on evening hunts after work almost every day. And hunt weekends without having to travel far. January, February, and March are spent hunting pheasants, coyotes, ducks and and geese. End of March until early May is Turkey season. And with a three
bird limit I can archery hunt them and be very choosey. In May and June there is carp shooting, coyotes, and scouting for blacktails. July starts archery deer season. I get the archery only tags (2) which allows me to hunt with a bow in a few different zones during both the archery and rifle seasons. This goes on Until the end of August. September and October are my worst months. I can not take off due to work, which that time of the year is 12 hours plus a day and seven days a week. During this time I get a few after work evening deer hunts in. November and December is my time to hunt out of the state to chase mule deer or whatever I can draw for. Pig season in California is year round.

There are animals I want to hunt but can not seem to justify the cost ( or find the funds for). Such as hunting in Alaska for sheep, moose, goat, etc. I have two children 4 & 8. I understand Manny's point, but you also must take your responsibilities for your family seriously. Your children's wellbeing and educations must take priority. I really want to hunt Alaska and have given it a lot of though. Last year I came up with an idea to take a second out on the house and use this money for a few trips over a five year span. My idea has not completely passed with my wife yet, but she knows how much hunting means to me. We are still trying to see if we can make this go. Has anyone else done this?

Sorry this got so long . I am 41 years old. Eight years ago I messed up my back. Now I have two crushed disc and a chipped vertebrate. The last few years my shoulders have been giving me problems. Doctor said I need ( will need ) rotator cuff surgery. Which might end my archery hunting. None of this has stopped me yet, but each year the pains get worse. The writing is on the wall, and I want to have more fun while I still can. Like GJM (Greg) I got tired of camping in below zero weather in a small unheated tent, so this year I bought an outfitter tent and wood stove. So I guess the million dollar question is: Have any of you barrowed money to go out and enjoy your dream hunts??

Bill

 

[kilowatt]

The old saying: "Been there,and done that" fits to a tee. I have been through and still have aches and pains from work over the years. At my age there is not much I can about it but just bear with it and keep going hunting.
May not be the fastest walker, climber etc. but I still give it my best and will until I can no longer hunt.
As far as taking a 2nd out on a home to finance hunting, unless you are sure that it will not put the family and YOU in a financial tight spot, that would be yours and I'm sure the spouses decision to do so.
By all means hunt and enjoy it while you can and keep the fire burning with desire for the sport of hunting, even if the body hurts and aches.

Brian***

 

[lefty]

I would say to get started while you're young, and before you get hung up with a woman if possible. They will be around when you get back! No disrespect intended, but women lead to responsibilities like families, mortgages, etc. that often cut into opportunities. Also, you might be more likley to end up with one who is more sympathetic if she knows your history ahead of time.
I'm almost 69 and I've missed a lifetime of Western hunting because of "responsibilities", and a job where I couldn't get away during hunting season. Since I retired I have been hunting in Montana three times in the last five years, and I'm going back this year. A heart attack, arthritis, bad back, and other minor problems have slowed me down but so far havn't stopped me. It bothers me a lot that I don't have many years left to do what I love so much, and getting drawn is limiting those opportunities also. So by all means "Do it while you're
young"!!!
Manny, I pray that your health will improve to the point where you will be able to enjoy what you love at least to some extent.I have two friends, brothers, who have had bypass surgery, one of them twice. They are still hunting. the one who has two surgeries can't hunt the mountains, but he still goes whitetail hunting, Dove hunting in Argentina, and pheasant hunting in South Dakota. The other one does all these things, and he is coming with me to Montana elk hunting this November. Both of us have heart disease. That ought to make the outfitter nervous!Seriously though, our doctors have cleared us so there should be no problem.
I know your problem with your heart is different than ours, but there are so many advances these days that I wouldn't get too discouraged just yet. Make sure that your doctors have plenty of experience in the area that affects you though. If not, do every thing you can to get experienced doctors for the procedure.
Good luck to you.

 

[TheKnack]

I am able to get around better than most my age (36) and even better than some younger but my left knee which is a 10% disabled status from the Marines will catch up with me sooner or later. Keeping in decent shape I am hoping will prolong the time it takes to arrive.
Best,
Jerry

 

[HullinPhx]

Manny,

I hear what you are saying, But.... Hunting is not a priority for everybody on here, I love to hunt as much as the next guy, I love the outdoors, But.... in my opinion, I have never had a greater feeling in my life than being able to come home to a great big house, Fantasic food, knowing my kids are able to go to the best schools, buying my wife her dream car. I guess that is my dream.. Being able to provide for my family is a better feeling that a 30in Mule deer or a 400 bull... It is all just a matter of your priorities

John

Please I would love to hear others opinions

 

[manny15]

>Manny,
>
> I hear what you are
>saying, But.... Hunting is
>not a priority for everybody
>on here, I love to
>hunt as much as the
>next guy, I love the
>outdoors, But.... in my opinion,
>I have never had a
>greater feeling in my life
>than being able to come
>home to a great big
>house, Fantasic food, knowing my
>kids are able to go
>to the best schools, buying
>my wife her dream car.
> I guess that is
>my dream.. Being able to
>provide for my family is
>a better feeling that
>a 30in Mule deer or
>a 400 bull... It is
>all just a matter of
>your priorities
>
>John
>
>Please I would love to hear
>others opinions


HullinPhx"

I never meant to imply that, what you've stated, to never be done, just that it can be achieved at a latter date, you only have your youth (ie; health) once then your old and decrepit.... just my opinion...that's all....nothing more....

We have our home and my wife has her dream car ect: but my wall is missing the big one.......

 

[nmtaxi]

I'm a single father, so really don't have to worry about getting the wife her fancy car. The hunting experiences that me and my son, and my dad share together are more important than anything I could ever buy. I don't want to get to a stage in my life, where I'm a lot older, and realize that I spent my whole working just to accumulate more stuff, and never really lived at all. I have a nice house, and a good vehicle, and that's all I need. A bigger house isn't going to make me or my son any happier. A more expensive vehicle isn't going to me or my son any happier. It's the enjoyment of life that makes us happy. And hunting is our biggest enjoyment, so that's where the money goes.

 

[GJM]

Manny ever since you posted this you've had me thinking about alot of things, and I thought, You know there is more to this after you get long in the tooth. For instance last night I couldn't sleep, aches and pains and all the other good stuff! So I get up this mornin look outside and I know why the pains were there, Yup, snow in the moutains and having the good fortune to draw a mulie tag in my favorite area 12 in the "Great State of Nevada", a place where I grew up as a kid, I found myself excited and wondering, damn this means good feed in the moutains and that "big boy" is up there guttin up on that grass just waiting for me in Oct, so I get out the frying pan and make me a good breakfast, eggs, sausage, toast and a good cup of coffee (the only thing missing is the campfire) so I turn up the thermostat to take the chill off and stare out my window towards area 12 and watch the pastel clouds to the east knowing it will mean 1 more day of rain a precious commodity around here after 6 yrs of drought. So you know what? It isn't all bad gettin old, you just look at it a different way,in my heart i'm still 20 yrs old with a ragin "woody" to hunt, and I will once more, but I just take the time now to smell the coffee and take it all in and think God what a beautiful morning and you know what? I got to see it once again, that's what it's all about!... When you get to the end of your rope!, tie a knot in it and hang on! life is one hell of a ride!

 

[manny15]

>I'm a single father, so really
>don't have to worry about
>getting the wife her fancy
>car. The hunting experiences
>that me and my son,
>and my dad share together
>are more important than anything
>I could ever buy.
>I don't want to get
>to a stage in my
>life, where I'm a lot
>older, and realize that I
>spent my whole working just
>to accumulate more stuff, and
>never really lived at all.
> I have a nice
>house, and a good vehicle,
>and that's all I need.
> A bigger house isn't
>going to make me or
>my son any happier.
>A more expensive vehicle isn't
>going to me or my
>son any happier. It's
>the enjoyment of life that
>makes us happy. And
>hunting is our biggest enjoyment,
>so that's where the money
>goes.

nmtaxi'

you hit the nail on the head, it's the expeirence that you share with your family that they'll remember most not how big the house was that they lived in.

 

[antlerrick]

Well said GJM, The gettin old isn't all that bad, just the creaks and groans that seem to accompany the "old". If ya didn't get old, you wouldn't have the grandkids to enjoy and share the great outdoors with. I still have the heart to be out there every minute of every day, just the body doesn't see it the way the heart does. Good luck with your hunt this year!
a*r

A bad day hunting is better than a Good Day at Work!!