Kia ora @
grandpamac ,this may be a bit of a rambling response to your post as it will be a good distraction for me while dealing with having to make a hard decision on our old dog whose health is quickly fading ,but it is also a topic that had a life changing effect on me while still in my 20's & basically lead to the way l lived my life from then on & even now as l approach 60 & Semi Retirement (dont think l can sit still long enough to ever be fully retired ) still does.
Back in the late 80's l was on my second trip to Australia shearing,this was back in the days when good money could be made shooting foxes for skins & rabbit chillers were going full steam . Shearing meant we had access to some of the best hunting country & contacts OZ had to offer, so we were spotlighting Foxes most nights & filling chillers in between sheds,making very good coin while not turning in to drunks like l had watched many of my childhood "heroes & supposed hard men "had become ,another eye opening, life changing lesson Shearing gave me .The amount of hunting & game we shot also meant my dog a Blue Heeler had grown into a excellent hunting dog able to scent & lock on to everything from downed rabbits,foxes in long stubble to quail etc in the next paddock & could run with a egg in his mouth when commanded meaning he could display as soft a mouth on retrieve as pure bred bird dog ,something that won me a lot of bets by non believers & a reputation among the Quail & Duck hunting scene .
Due to being so heavily involved in the Pro shooting / hunting scene with great contacts lead to me being offered my first Gig at guiding & lead to me doing it part time around the world until a couple of years ago.One of the areas we spent a fair amount of time shearing in was a world renown Quail hunting region back then & 2 of our sheds were on prime Quail grounds & l was offered a spot helping to guide wealthy hunters by a cocky we had shorn for, l think more for the novelty of the Bluey being able to work right alongside pure bred pointers .
During that time we dealt with many clients who were doing "Bucket" list hunts etc as they got older/retired & even though we were only on slightly rolling hills ,many could not hack the physical effort/walking/ heat etc & so what should have been a life fulfilling achievement & enjoyment was largely ruined. The experience of seeing first hand how leaving life time goals until it is to late or not being physically fit enough to do the things you love can be hugely disappointing & decided then & there to do as many of the things l dreamed of as soon as l could rather than putting it off & was the reason l decided to take on guiding to see & hunt the things l had dreamed of around the world .
Over the years l went on to guide around the world ,in a lot of remote areas & l would see this happen time & time again, even to the point of clients being too wrecked from the physical effort needed to reach their supposed trophy of a life time to not being able to take it,wound it requiring me to actually drop it or plain beg me to secretly take the shot for them as they were too physically exhausted/out of breath to take it . I made a pact with myself back when first guiding on the Quail try to do everything l really wanted to do before l got too old ,but also more importantly always keep my fitness up,something my later experience in Africa & Arnhem Land etc confirmed.
It should be noted this is something seen in most physical endevours not just hunting , l was lucky enough through my guiding to become friends with the owner/ skipper of a top Black Marlin game boat operating off the Great Barrier Reef in Oz & would get invited to decky/fish when proving new areas or last minute cancellations happened .Many times guys who were on their once in a life time trip would have to hand over the rod as they could not handle the exertion of landing the fish of a life time.
I have always also been a keen motorcycle rider & for the last couple of decades have done long distance expeditions with a group, riding into remote places like Thailand, Laos,India & the deserts of OZ ,many times we will have riders have to pull out as the physical effort was too much ,on our ride a few years ago through India from New Dehli , in to Nepal and all the way to base of Mt Everest, we started out with 7 riders & only 3 of us finished it ,everyone of the guys forced to pull out were devastated & one gave up riding after it,something he had loved doing for over 30 yrs before hand,2 of the guys who pulled out were older than my kids .
The life lesson l learnt early on which is just as valid now, is the old saying of “Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.” but also probably more importantly do not let your own poor fitness be the major hurdle .I am very lucky that my wife in our later years has become keen on coming with me on remote hunts ,where she can hunt for a while & then enjoy her growing discovery of her arty side & love of painting/drawing the wilderness & wildlife ,now having so many remote areas serviced by Helicopter operators & some with Hut accommodation is more accessible for anyone chasing the experience .So my future hunting plans now also include us flying in to remote areas & enjoying out time trekking/hunting there together,my hunting crew normally does a couple of trips each year to the Fiordland & Stewart Island somewhere l am planning on taking her too next year ,just by ourselves .
Good on ya for having a crack @
grandpamac,l have always found swimming & bike riding very good for building fitness pre expeditions while cutting down the risk of doing damage to the ageing body & improving your flexibility/strength with simple resistance exercise that can be done everyday right at home in ant weather are a great help.One of the best things l ever did was get a heated spa ,as have a number of old injuries & broken bones ,plates & screws etc from my days racing motor bikes off road it enables me to do resistance training all years round & is bloody good exercise. Wishing you all the best for your future hunts & adventures.
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