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@grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.

@Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.

Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee. I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.

Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs.

I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.

Last year I shot 59 deer - most go to friends and a soup kitchen. This year so far 5. It seems a lot but nothing is wasted and I just love the challenge of the hunt and bizarrely the carry.
I bone the deer out, waste very little and carry some good loads for hours. I bloody love it.

I'm driven by a fear of not being able to be active or hunt. Also driven by my ego and sense of competition and wanting to do stuff with my lads and friends until my last breath, albeit that I mostly hunt on my own.

In terms of big walks Chris flies me into the Kawekas a couple of times each year. Last year Back Ridge and Otutu. At Otutu I walked over to the Manson/Spien Kop and the Burn. Will be back there in March.

A couple of days ago I shot a stag and was following his blood down a steep scrub face and a bank gave way. I did several cart wheels, my rifle flew out of my hands and my torch was ripped off my head. I had a hell of a pain in my right hand and my first reaction was to feel for my PLB on my belt. I was 45 mins from my truck. Any way, I retrieved my torch and looked at my hand and I had 2 dislocated fingers looking wonky so I grimaced and straightened them and then checked my body. At my age your skin is paper thin so there was plenty of blood on the back of my hands but it was really only scuffs to the gel coat so that was ok. My pack had been ripped right off me and that was probably why I had sore neck. Long story short I got my shit together and headed for the truck (I will go back and try to find the stag some time). Got home at 2.30 am and bed at 3am. Terrible cramp every 30 mins until 6.30 am when I got up and had porridge I had a great sleep that after noon.

Earlier in the hunt I had shot a Fallow so at least I did have some meat to take home (190 yards, 7-08).


My dislocated fingers are sore. My neck hurts. My legs are sore.


Anyway, back to this mind over matter thing. I could now sit at home and sulk for a while and recover. Or call it a day and say I'm too old. Or I could suck it up, take some meds and push on. And that's why tomorrow son Craig and I are off to a rough coastal station for an overnight hunt. Im as excited as a kid.

Never give up.

Great attitude Bruce
I'm 60 last week so only a boy compared to you but wouldn't like to go for more than a week without shooting something.

Great attitude.
You get a limited time on this earth, so make the most of it.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.

@Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.

Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee. I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.

Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs.

I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.

Last year I shot 59 deer - most go to friends and a soup kitchen. This year so far 5. It seems a lot but nothing is wasted and I just love the challenge of the hunt and bizarrely the carry.
I bone the deer out, waste very little and carry some good loads for hours. I bloody love it.

I'm driven by a fear of not being able to be active or hunt. Also driven by my ego and sense of competition and wanting to do stuff with my lads and friends until my last breath, albeit that I mostly hunt on my own.

In terms of big walks Chris flies me into the Kawekas a couple of times each year. Last year Back Ridge and Otutu. At Otutu I walked over to the Manson/Spien Kop and the Burn. Will be back there in March.

A couple of days ago I shot a stag and was following his blood down a steep scrub face and a bank gave way. I did several cart wheels, my rifle flew out of my hands and my torch was ripped off my head. I had a hell of a pain in my right hand and my first reaction was to feel for my PLB on my belt. I was 45 mins from my truck. Any way, I retrieved my torch and looked at my hand and I had 2 dislocated fingers looking wonky so I grimaced and straightened them and then checked my body. At my age your skin is paper thin so there was plenty of blood on the back of my hands but it was really only scuffs to the gel coat so that was ok. My pack had been ripped right off me and that was probably why I had sore neck. Long story short I got my shit together and headed for the truck (I will go back and try to find the stag some time). Got home at 2.30 am and bed at 3am. Terrible cramp every 30 mins until 6.30 am when I got up and had porridge I had a great sleep that after noon.

Earlier in the hunt I had shot a Fallow so at least I did have some meat to take home (190 yards, 7-08).
Attachment 160306

My dislocated fingers are sore. My neck hurts. My legs are sore.
Attachment 160305

Anyway, back to this mind over matter thing. I could now sit at home and sulk for a while and recover. Or call it a day and say I'm too old. Or I could suck it up, take some meds and push on. And that's why tomorrow son Craig and I are off to a rough coastal station for an overnight hunt. Im as excited as a kid.

Never give up.

Quite inspirational that post.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@grandpamac has inspired me to jot down a bit about what he has said about his Kaweka revival and what its like for us "mature" old farts.

@Nathan F is correct - it really is a mind thing.

Im 73 this year. I have a blood disease that is treated at hospital 12 weekly and arthritis in most joints including in 2 chambers in each knee. I have had a cataract op in my left eye and have one growing in my right. 2 years ago I had a dodgy tumour removed from inside my neck. I take paracetamol every 4 hours and stronger stuff over the top of that at times.

Every day I do an exercise regime with 4kg bar bells for upper body strength and do more passive exercise like tensioning for my legs.

I try to get out for a hunt about every week. Mainly rough farm land for deer now and several week long trips a year on steep country culling wallaby. A couple of public land deer trips a year now. I live in central Wellington and drive 40K km a year - my average round trip for a deer is 4 hours.

Last year I shot 59 deer - most go to friends and a soup kitchen. This year so far 5. It seems a lot but nothing is wasted and I just love the challenge of the hunt and bizarrely the carry.
I bone the deer out, waste very little and carry some good loads for hours. I bloody love it.

I'm driven by a fear of not being able to be active or hunt. Also driven by my ego and sense of competition and wanting to do stuff with my lads and friends until my last breath, albeit that I mostly hunt on my own.

In terms of big walks Chris flies me into the Kawekas a couple of times each year. Last year Back Ridge and Otutu. At Otutu I walked over to the Manson/Spien Kop and the Burn. Will be back there in March.

A couple of days ago I shot a stag and was following his blood down a steep scrub face and a bank gave way. I did several cart wheels, my rifle flew out of my hands and my torch was ripped off my head. I had a hell of a pain in my right hand and my first reaction was to feel for my PLB on my belt. I was 45 mins from my truck. Any way, I retrieved my torch and looked at my hand and I had 2 dislocated fingers looking wonky so I grimaced and straightened them and then checked my body. At my age your skin is paper thin so there was plenty of blood on the back of my hands but it was really only scuffs to the gel coat so that was ok. My pack had been ripped right off me and that was probably why I had sore neck. Long story short I got my shit together and headed for the truck (I will go back and try to find the stag some time). Got home at 2.30 am and bed at 3am. Terrible cramp every 30 mins until 6.30 am when I got up and had porridge I had a great sleep that after noon.

Earlier in the hunt I had shot a Fallow so at least I did have some meat to take home (190 yards, 7-08).
Attachment 160306

My dislocated fingers are sore. My neck hurts. My legs are sore.
Attachment 160305

Anyway, back to this mind over matter thing. I could now sit at home and sulk for a while and recover. Or call it a day and say I'm too old. Or I could suck it up, take some meds and push on. And that's why tomorrow son Craig and I are off to a rough coastal station for an overnight hunt. Im as excited as a kid.

Never give up.

Greetings Tahr,
Very inspirational and many thanks. You have a year on me and more challenges as well but still leave me in your dust. Hope to run into you at Chris's hanger one day. Makes my planning look a bit limp but that's how I do things
Regards Grandpamac

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings Tahr,
Very inspirational and many thanks. You have a year on me and more challenges as well but still leave me in your dust. Hope to run into you at Chris's hanger one day. Makes my planning look a bit limp but that's how I do things
Regards Grandpamac

Nothing limp about what you are planning @grandpamac. You are humble. Your post inspired me not to let a fall hold me back.

Excellent stuff @Tahr (not the fall and injuries, all the other stuff)!

you inspire me Mate..... your humble attitude and willingness to give to others are the marks of a real man....Im proud to know you....
that Tilly thinks you are OK too means you must be,she strikes me as a good judge of character.
If I can still be as active as you are at same age I will be a happy man.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

you inspire me Mate..... your humble attitude and willingness to give to others are the marks of a real man....Im proud to know you....
that Tilly thinks you are OK too means you must be,she strikes me as a good judge of character.
If I can still be as active as you are at same age I will be a happy man.

@Micky Duck Tilly is having an op for a breast lump on Tuesday. 'Bout the size of my thumb nail - has been growing quickly. Vet 95% sure its cancer. May or may not have spread but he said that she is healthy. The dear old thing is 12 next month. Hope that she dies with it rather than of it. She couldn't help me find the deer when I tipped up because she was at the bottom of the bluffy face where the blood was whining cause she couldn't get up there - hips too sore. Bless her.

Mate...that just sucks....absolutely sucks...we lost "Buttons" with it...we payed the $$$ and got her operated on and it bought her another 18mths...then it came back,vet said she can have one more opening weekend.... the day she went into vets for last time was terrible...she is buried on island and every year I shoot a duck over her without fail.....
sad sad day indeed.
you give Tilly a hug from me please Mate. hopefully she will be happy to keep hunting for some time yet.

Awesome, great attitude is the key, good luck with the hunt. I still get that nervous excitement before a trip, long may it continue.

Never a truer word said Bruce NEVER GIVE UP keep it up,just had a week in the kaimanawa dosnt get any easier but can still do it,in my 75th year long may it last

Originally Posted by Huk

Never a truer word said Bruce NEVER GIVE UP keep it up,just had a week in the kaimanawa dosnt get any easier but can still do it,in my 75th year long may it last

Wonderful!

awesome post Bruce- at 50 I need to read this once a week to remind myself to stfu and get going.

@Tahr Respectfully, how old were you when you dropped your first deer and how many deer have you taken since (and including) then? As an aside your (and the other senior hunters') kampfgeist is laudable.