Haven't fired a shot in several years, I guess I'm more into seeing other enjoy themselves than myself. The next buck will have to go at least 170 before I pull the trigger and that's only going to happen if GOD smiles on me. Looks like I'm going to have another surgery on my left shoulder and my bow hunting days may be over (Not much left to work with). So what do you do when you decide to call it quits? I'll continue to do my Vet hunts as long as I'm able to but at a some point you decide it's over for yourself. Maybe just being able to share is the end result and I've always enjoyed that.

Guide, family, friends and young'ins

Bobo that's kind of the point I'm at right now.

Go hunt something besides whitetails/hogs!

I'm done killin but enjoy taking my grandkids and friends these days maybe more than when I was pulling the trigger. Title these days is guide, skinner, boner, camp boss and facilitator.
You have a lot to look fwd to sir. Enjoy!

Doctors can do wonders these days, so dont give up my shoulder is messed up from fallen of steps at work, then again on a recent trip I took on dirt bike, had to have been their, been having ta turn down bow started at 70#, now, think can throw an arrow farther, an I throw like a sissy. Be thankful for what ya have, pray that your surgery goes well. for what ya do for vets. Some of these Wounded Warriors have their whole life ahead of them, TIP my hat ta them..

Never.

I cant stop. I have never ever killed what I deem a respectable buck, more so WT. I have killed a few smaller bucks, but not braggin size. I hope to acomplish that one yr. My down fall will be my physical capabilities. I dont see that getting better.

At soem tiem I will be forced to quit. Hope its later and not sooner.

My dads 75 and he's still out there chasing em

When I am dead

What about different methods? Unscoped rifle, black powder, pistols? When I got somewhat bored I started hunting with an open sighted John Wayne 30-30 and that really changed things for me.

you need to re-think things
and come up with a new plan.
get a decent .357 magnum rifle
that won't buckle your shoulder
and just limit yourself to bow
range shots. make 50-60-70 yard
shots. if i can do it, you can do it.
lots of light-recoiling adequate
calibers to be had. practice-practice
practice and you'll find you don't
need to ruin your shoulder just to
harvest a deer.

The open sights went years ago. I am now legally blind in one eye, cataracts in the other, without a scope I can still tell it is a deer and if it has horns. I feel better using a scoped rifle, and I know I can still drop them right where they stand.

Totally understand that one.

I'm pretty much there with whitetails. I get more of a kick with the young'ins and newbies.

We all have that one bucket list deer, I actually hope I never find him.

I am nearing the end of my hunting. I am a duck hunter and I deer hunt. I haven't killed a deer in years. I really never killed a good buck. I just never had the chance to hunt in area that had many large bucks. The predawn cold is colder now. The marsh bottom seems harder to not fall setting out the decoys. My dog is old. Cleaning the game is more of a chore. I have a hard time cooking and eating it all. We don't cook at home so much. My son is stationed far away. Then there is the money.
Maybe I will just fish more.

This is the evolution of a hunter. Don't loose heart. At times I thought I could quit hunting. I bought a killer camera that I hunt with more than anything. I am getting old now but it is in my soul as I imagine it is for most of you. My soul is at rest in the field. I find rest in green meadows. I love to lie by still waters. The lord has given us the land and it is the only place I find peace. Share what we know with others and when at last our trophies at last we lay down know where you are headed but never quit.

"My soul is at rest in the field. I find rest in green meadows. I love to lie by still waters. The lord has given us the land and it is the only place I find peace."
You said it!!!

My greatest joy has been seeing the improvement in the wildlife on the ranch as a result of taking an active role in management. When I look back at my best hunting related memories, it is not the trophies on the wall. It was the look on the face of the 12 year old kid who had his dad bring him by my ranch house late one evening to show me his first deer.

Nice job of expressing some complex and evolving feelings. Well done, Sir.

Never, not in this lifetime or the next one

That's what it's all about. I absolutely have as much fun with youth hunts as hunting myself. When it's time for me to hang it up, I'll still be hanging around camp. Heck, even now I get a ton of enjoyment just being the camp cook.

I don't think I will ever get tired of hunting WT and MD. I never get tired of taking new hunters. I just built a new house with twice the space for mounts as I used to have. So I got to work on doubling my collection to fill it up.

The only thing I enjoy more than hunting, is taking my kiddos hunting!

A year ago. Our lease is no longer "female's welcome"