THE DYING OFF .....of a hunting group

jraab

jraab

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Anyone else experience this?

I have had the luxury to have been brought into a hunting group of guys at a very young age.
Mostly this group was made up of farmers who used to hunt deer during the controlled hunts as well as Moose.
They have taught me a lot to say the least......They have taught me everything....

In recent years age has taken over the group. Some individuals health has declined, some just cannot do the work anymore, some do not like the possible extreme weather and some are sadly just not around to take part anymore. All Generals must retire at some time we say....

For years I have tried to get people more my age to take up the torch and join the group or build enough guys to start our own tradition.
I have had a few victories over the years bringing some young blood into the fold or even doing something different. - But the group is certainly on its way out. I think maybe we have one or two years of good hunting left. My old man being one of them.

I know lots of guys my age (late 20's to early 30's) who love to hunt. Guys who could make a great new group. We could start a new set of traditions and have lots of time to begin our own "glory days" years - No one wants to moose hunt or take the time to really get into it for more that 2 days or so.

This is my new hunting for now I guess. I still honour and do what I have been taught,.....But there is a 24/7/365 season for getting my friends to get on board for what seems to be a dying breed. This is the new hardest hunting season for me.

Sort of sad to see the once tough work horses soften and go to pasture....I guess its the circle of life.

Take the time you have with those seniors and tell them you appreciate them. Do the hard work knowing there is a lesson in it even if you do not see it.

No point to this post. Just wanted to get something in writing.

Jon
 
I feel your pain. A lot of my hunting buddies were much older than me. Now that they have stopped hunting or moved away or just plain got out of it due to age / health reasons, it' s near impossible to get guys my age out in the field with me.

I'm too busy
It's too cold
It's not nice out


These are mostly the excuses that I get. I still go it alone (my kids are too young for the extended / cold weather trips for now) but no where near as often. I don't mind going it alone but it's just not the same when you can't reminisce about it with the group "that was there" .
 
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I used to hunt with a group o f men (10 ) when I was in my early 20 s. They were in their 40s and 50,s. We would go to a camp at Devils Lake Ont for 14 days . Hunt early in the morning and early evening. Then it would be drinks and poker at night. It is some of the best memories of my early 20s.
 
I'm near the Hammer and looking for a group and/or land as well. I also have friends and we're all looking for some "old hands" to show us the ropes. I don't want to replace anybody but I think we need community (especially in ban-tario where land is very difficult to come by).
 
Not hunting but fishing for my group. This was to be the 31st year for the annual get together (private fresh water fishing derby) but the organizer ended up in hospital so it was cancelled for the first time. My son (who has attended this derby his entire 20 years) and I are heading out camping/fishing tomorrow for 5 nights to honer the tradition. It won't be the same without the other 60 or so people, but perhaps next year we'll see everyone again...
 
I find myself in the same Predicament. My father is too old and no one had the time or interest to hunt with me.
Thank god I have my father in law 8 hours north of me. We at least do birds and a bit of fishing.
I fear we may be the last of the next gen good 'ol boys.
 
In my 20's I was camping, fishing, and shooting all the time. Almost every Friday from late spring to late fall. On my own or I'd get family and friends to join me. But every time I tried to get anyone to go hunting it never worked out. I even had two separate occasions where oldtimers where going to take me out to learn and enjoy a weekend, they both passed away before the season opened. Never knew anyone else that hunted so I gave up shooting for a long while.

Now, 25 years later, I still haven't hunted anything other than groundhogs and coyotes. (Don't get me wrong, this was great and I shared it with a few friends over the years but I always wanted to do the weekend deer hunt experience.) My old 30-06 still shoots well and the M305 is starting to look like it could be a good hunting rifle as well. My father lets me target shoot on the farm in the winter when the horses are in but I have yet to get permission to hunt deer. Groundhog are few and far between but I saw coyote tracks last winter. It's almost time to start bugging him to see if I can visit with a rifle. (His wife doesn't like guns or hunting but she stays in the city most of the winter for work and only comes home on weekends.)
 
I have seen the same thing ,I started at 15 years old with my grandfather and uncles hunting deer for a week in the controlled hunt ,Now most are no longer with us. I have joind another group about 10 years ago and now a few of them have died off as well ,It is hard to keep land to hunt when members are dieing off and land get sold .I wish I could hunt with my granddad again he was my hero and had the storys to share to back it up ..he feed his family on deer and moose ,shot many with his old 25 20 win 92 ,loved that old guy ,,,Dutch
 
I hunt, my brother hunts, and so does my best friend. I'm 65, and god willin', I'll be hunting for the next 20 years just like my father did. My best bud and I are teaching his little guy (my 10 yr. old godson/honorary nephew) the art of shooting and the love of firearms. He' already expressed his desire to hunt with "Dad and uncle Lawrence" when he's of age. My father grew up hunting in Manitoba and as anyone from the prairies knows, hunting for those old guys wasn't sport but food on the table. He imparted his respect for the land, love of the bounty of nature, and respect for firearms that I hold dear to this day. It's sad to see those old breed lose the ability and/or desire to hunt, but look at the decades of wonderful memories of game taken, crispy fall mornings, the glory of a dawning day over fresh snowfall, and all such memories held by those old timers. When my time comes to shuffle off this mortal coil, those will still me among my fondest memories.
 
I wouldn't mind getting into hunting. Mind you I am late to the game at 36 yrs of age, but figure it is something every man should do.
 
My camp has foreseen this happening and we've started looking for guys. I mean we still have a good sized group of able bodied hunters, but the average age is closer to 60 then 30, if you get my meaning.

We're not in dire shape, but we hope to not get to that. Start the look early for new people/
 
I'm the oldest of our group (50 Nov.3) and our group has dwindled from 6-10 guys to just myself and my hunting partner of 32 years.

3rd original member is helping his wife with a bad cancer battle, my oldest boy has lost interest, youngest son is off up North studying Forestry, youngest brother is losing a battle with spina bifida, middle brother just had an operation on his knees.

We have a very rough camp 10 kls from the nearest road, no electricity or running water so its not for the faint of heart but the joy of being totally isolated for two weeks with only the people you trust and love is so worth the work.

It's going to be a lonely camp this year.
 
I am in the city, I was fortune it to join a group of teachers when we relocated here in 97, I was mid 30's. Now it is Doug & myself. Everyone else passed suddenly in the night. Doug has been battling asbestosis for the past 20 years, a real fighter. I think this year will be his last, he is now on oxygen 24/7/365. A bottle only lasts 4-5 hours. His wife & daughters won't let him go overnight anymore. He taught me lots, he knows a lot more. He is more like a father to me then just a hunting buddy!
We fished in the summer & winter. Hunted big game when in season, small game all year along. My sons are not really interested, you know what I mean, in doing the work for the reward. I have accepted that next year, I will be alone, on my own. Just typing this now is hard....
 
I'm happy to be establishing my own hunting group....at the cottage (lucky to have a decent size piece of private property). Some old timers were good enough to show me the ropes, they aren't able to join this year due to health reasons but I've been slowly but surely recruiting some buddies, getting them into shooting and hunting. I think they key is to plan ahead, get people interested, make it as easy as possible for everyone and focus on having fun. Its sad to see buddies move on but its great to continue the tradition.

And to the earlier poster - 36 is not too old to start! Most people don't have the time or funds to take up hunting before then. I'm proud to have brought in 4 people, all over 30 into hunting. Some I didn't know well but took the chance to get to know them. Good luck to all!!
 
I wish more of my friends wanted to got hunting every year like that. The friends that I do know that does hunt every year already has their group.

I would go it alone, but lack the garage for everything after the hunt.

Also at 42 I wished I would of started alot sooner, but I dont think its too late by any means either.
 
Had a group for regular bird hunting 25 years ago, we were all in our teens. Since then some have already passed on, am still good friends with one, but don't have enough friends to even make a group. I would love to get enough people to hunt moose up north for a week to 10 days, but have a feeling it'll be all I can do to get one friend and be lucky enough to get a tag once in the next 10 years.
 
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