Too late to start?

[Bwana Barry]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

a) Stay married.
b) Buy a US$10m Life Insurance Policy.
c) Inform her that you, your neighbours, Bank Manager and your buddies will consume all the deer meat.
d) Do it - even if only a once-off.
e ) Keep us posted about the hunt and the state of your marriage.

 

[Txrockman]

Just tell her you've decided not to hunt with your Neanderthal, knuckle dragging friends but, You have decided to take up long range shooting and reloading. This will help you to be outdoors and have a great hobby. The rifle should be a custom built with a high end scope. Combined should be in the 5-10k range and the remodel on her sewing room to the new reloading room with all the reloading tools will be 25k or less or you could just borrow a buddy's rifle and see if it is something you will enjoy. I did this years ago. Now my wife enjoys hunting also and reloads her own shells! Good luck! Happy Hunting!
Rockman

 

[Tree Farmer]

a) Stay married.
b) Buy a US$10m Life Insurance Policy.
c) Inform her that you, your neighbours, Bank Manager and your buddies will consume all the deer meat.
d) Do it - even if only a once-off.
e ) Keep us posted about the hunt and the state of your marriage.

If you choose b), better hire a food taster.

 

[flyguy1]

Now we'll see if it was about hunting or about control. Frankly, if everything else is fine, similar interests, equal division of decision making, equal financial contributions I might not go if that's forever going to be a bone of contention. Would I at 25,35,45? Yep. But approaching retirement age in an otherwise good marriage if that's the only issue that is hotly contested maybe go dove hunting; tastes better than venison except for heart liver and backstrap anyway. Also, going from Texas to Pagosa Springs (beautiful!!!) will be quite a physical demand. Make sure she doesn't prove you right about conditioning. Good luck.

 

[hunter0528]

I did my first big game hunt 3 years ago, and I was 68 at the time. My picture shows the results. I had the meat shipped home and got here to try it. She will eat it but does not really enjoy it. I applied for a Moose permit in Maine and she said I need to Donate most if not all to Maine as they are looking " Hunters looking to help area food kitchens and pantries can donate game in order to combat hunger in Maine. Hunters for the Hungry is a cooperative program in Maine sponsored by Maine Sportsmen and Sportswomen who care about the hungry, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, and the Maine Department. Good luck. Perhaps if you use this reasoning she might let you go.

Good luck

 

[Coldfinger]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

The only regret you will ever have is, man I should have gone hunting when it's too late to. Try it and invite your wife she may enjoy the outdoors, I've driven across the country to go hunting several times and smiled every time I was heading home regardless of squeezing the trigger. Just the experience is mind clearing and I believe every hunter has a better regard for life after harvesting an animal. Yes we could be shot on accident but that's better than living on our knees wishing we could hunt!

 

[ELR_Shooter]

Getting into marital fights can be exhausting. But regretting missed opportunities can be miserable. I'd suggest you give it a try, let wife know it's important to you. I don't think a spouse would ever neglect their significant other, a once in life time opportunity. You may hate it and it will never be an issue, but I'm guessing it will be your new addiction. 60 years old is not old, if you think so, then you really need to get out of the house. I'm gonna suggest your wife will appreciate the free time. My wife asks me why I'm not hunting during the season.

Until you have three digits in your age you are young.....

 

[CNC Apps Guy]

I just turned 50. Hunted a couple times as a youth with a relative. It's been something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I have one son left in the house; the rest are married and gone. He said he'd like to as well. You're never too old as long as you are in relatively decent shape. This year we will go. COVID-19 be damned. I have a friend with some property and he invited us.

The other issues you face... you're going to have to weigh it out. I'll say though, men NEED hobbies.

JM2CFWIW YMMV

 

[latestart]

hi James i am 75 been married 55 years and all i can say is it sucks to be you son! it is too late to try to change her so if you like being married i guess you need to forget about hunting, SORRY

 

[Lethal_Chica]

From a woman's perspective...... Do yourself a favor and go hunt with your buddies. Your wife loves you and will continue to love you. Be respectful, but also live your life. We get one shot at this life, don't regret not doing something because someone told you that you cannot, even if it is your wife. Take if from the woman that is writing this and who has cheated death for 8+ years now with my best friend's kidney keeping me alive. In the last 8 years I have lived a lifetime to many.... I have hunted elk off horseback in the backcountry, shot gators in Florida, killed a monster bull elk (avatar photo) in Utah, hunted antelope, white-tailed deer, waterfowl in the famed Arkansas and Canada, and a bunch of other critters. I have traveled the world, lived, loved, drank and laughed... I would not change a thing. You cannot do any of this Epic stuff from the couch or the safety of your home. So go do it. Live a grand life full of adventures and no regrets. Maybe try getting your wife to go on some type of outdoor adventure.. perhaps a great fishing trip.

If I played it safe and listed to people tell me the things I could not do, I never would have seen the view of the picture below from the back of the horse I was on at 13K feet and never would have had the opportunity to take this photos... No regrets.... life is meant to be lived. CARPE DIEM!

 

[RevJim]

Another "option" is to take her with you, book a hunt for Exotics ( go shoot an axis doe, wonderful eating! OR just shoot pigs/coyotes) on a nice Texas Ranch ( when the weather is not too hot or cold) that has all the amenities! These places are beautiful, swimming pools, fishing ponds, plenty of stuff to occupy the wife. Its "almost" like a Safari in South Africa, animals all over, etc. Include her pard! That's a long way around to saying "its not too late" to hunt 'something".

 

[tooth doc]

I have been married for 35+ yrs. I have never hunted anything but fish & only then a few times a year with 3 fishing buddies. Now my fishing buddies have either retired & moved away or have plain retired. I am the last one working & a co-worker whom i have known & worked with for 25 yrs has invited me Deer Hunting for several years now. I want to go, the deadline for getting tags is in 2 days. This fall i will be 60 yr old. I did not bring it up to my wife before because i know how she feels about hunters......because her dad & uncles hunted & she grew up & did not appreciate their demeanor. Last night i told her i wanted to go this fall, She gave every reason under the sun ranging from , "This is not you" to , "i don't want the mess in the house, i will not eat deer meat, Your 60 yrs old, you have a bad back, you could get shot. You are not going to do this. You did not grow up this way"...…..My question is , How do i get thru to her? I do not want to be insensitive but is hunting worth pursuing at my age? I feel i would regret it if i didn't at least try. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I turn 70 in oct. Hunting is my passion and is supported by my wife. During the years we had kids in the house i fed my family on deer, elk bear and birds. Sure helps to have the wife on board and some peopl are just blind or unwilling to see the positive benefits of hunting. You r not too old, just hunt to your physical limits. Dont know your wife, but if she loves you she will at least tolerate this for your benefit. You might fall down the stairs or choke in a bite of granola, or have heart attack or get hit my a kid texting while driving. All more likely than being killed hunting. Live life,enjoy life dont just exist! Good luck! Good hunting! Expand horizons and keep life exciting! A friend!

 

[tooth doc]

I am 70 years "young" and I will tell you I have worse classification of severe spinal stenosis and severe spinal arthritis that can be debilitating at times. Actually most times. I had my best year of deer hunting ever last fall and it was hard to do but it was worth every second of the effort. I went elk hunting last fall and toughed it out right up to being snowed out and having to break camp for a bug out. But when I am in the woods, watching dawn break and woods coming alive, pain just melts away and I am in a really good place. If the shooting of a deer is of question, still go and sit with your buddy if he is ok with it to experience it first hand. Maybe you won't like it or maybe you will absolutely love it. Hunting is not killing but the summation of a total experience that cannot be easily described to anyone unless you actually experience it. Hearing a deer walking up on you will elevate your senses to a degree you never thought possible and even if you do not shoot anything that experience alone will be worth every second in the woods. If you take the time to be an observer, you will see animals do things that you didn't think was possible and sometimes laughable. Bring a camera, bring a lunch, take a nap in the woods, enjoy the moment is what I will tell you.

Oh yeah, my wife will not eat venison but she understands my time in the woods is my mental health fix and she hopes I can do it for as long as I can stand up.

Amen to thid! One last note if you like the deer hunting, try hunting africs, not nearly as expensive as you may think and amazing.

 

[James K.]

Another "option" is to take her with you, book a hunt for Exotics ( go shoot an axis doe, wonderful eating! OR just shoot pigs/coyotes) on a nice Texas Ranch ( when the weather is not too hot or cold) that has all the amenities! These places are beautiful, swimming pools, fishing ponds, plenty of stuff to occupy the wife. Its "almost" like a Safari in South Africa, animals all over, etc. Include her pard! That's a long way around to saying "its not too late" to hunt 'something".

From a woman's perspective...... Do yourself a favor and go hunt with your buddies. Your wife loves you and will continue to love you. Be respectful, but also live your life. We get one shot at this life, don't regret not doing something because someone told you that you cannot, even if it is your wife. Take if from the woman that is writing this and who has cheated death for 8+ years now with my best friend's kidney keeping me alive. In the last 8 years I have lived a lifetime to many.... I have hunted elk off horseback in the backcountry, shot gators in Florida, killed a monster bull elk (avatar photo) in Utah, hunted antelope, white-tailed deer, waterfowl in the famed Arkansas and Canada, and a bunch of other critters. I have traveled the world, lived, loved, drank and laughed... I would not change a thing. You cannot do any of this Epic stuff from the couch or the safety of your home. So go do it. Live a grand life full of adventures and no regrets. Maybe try getting your wife to go on some type of outdoor adventure.. perhaps a great fishing trip.

If I played it safe and listed to people tell me the things I could not do, I never would have seen the view of the picture below from the back of the horse I was on at 13K feet and never would have had the opportunity to take this photos... No regrets.... life is meant to be lived. CARPE DIEM!

View attachment 194998

Thank you so much for a view from a woman's perspective. Your reply is inspiring as your photo, Great Shot!.....Yes, Carpe diem!!!