Thread: Up Side Down

@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.

Originally Posted by Ryan

@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.

@Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

U still have the thrill of the kill , some people weaking at your age good to see Luke you have the force

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Originally Posted by NRT

U still have the thrill of the kill , some people weaking at your age good to see Luke you have the force

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@NRT Yes, some people do lose interest in the taking animals side of it. I haven't. I love all the aspects of the hunt - you know - the guns and ballistic performance (I still fish around inside looking for spent projectile and assessing performance) , the butchering and knives, the gear, gadgets and hand loading, and the physical challenge. My. dog - love hunting with her. Taking pics. Taking my grandchildren with me and sharing my experiences, encouraging others, and at the end other people get to appreciate beautiful organic meat.

Well Bruce , Your post is a inspiration and a timely reminder to those that think they can no longer do what they could in the past , i would encourage them all to continue as long as possible , they may not be the first to the top of the ridge , but they will get there .

Jim was a top bloke and certainly sowed a seed that has inspired you to spend as much time as possible in our great outdoors , ( did he ever take you to his block down the Ahu Ahu ? )

Keep up the good work and i look forward to reading your posts

I will turn 72 in 3 weeks and enjoy my hunting as much as ever

Originally Posted by Murray N

Well Bruce , Your post is a inspiration and a timely reminder to those that think they can no longer do what they could in the past , i would encourage them all to continue as long as possible , they may not be the first to the top of the ridge , but they will get there .

Jim was a top bloke and certainly sowed a seed that has inspired you to spend as much time as possible in our great outdoors , ( did he ever take you to his block down the Ahu Ahu ? )

Keep up the good work and i look forward to reading your posts

I will turn 72 in 3 weeks and enjoy my hunting as much as ever

@Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.

I never hunted the bottom end of the Pari , only the top end , we would camp at tarns and spend our days hunting Mania , Dirty spur , beautiful tussock country of the Whanahuia range

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Murray N Jim was a wonderful man to me and a guiding hand. I never went to the Ahu - he took me up the Pari a couple of times and I was gob smacked by the Ruahines. I ended up living at Mangaweka so I got to know the area very well. I hope to have a maybe last trip to the Pari this autumn.

inspirational ..time flys , you mentioned the Pari , did you ever explore the "underground" whilst in that area ..?

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

A life well lived. That was pretty ballsy to have a complete change and go to Uni at fourty. It is hard to plan our lives ahead without the input and example of people who have already lived those years and are willing to share their thoughts and observations.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@Ryan I shot my first deer with a .22 up the Whanganui river when I was about 15. We were goat shooting. A school mates old man took me. I only ever had a Mum. I was smitten, and got a job at Tisdalls sports shop after school. The manager Jim Newman took me out a couple times and encouraged me.

By the time I was 21 I was married with a child and shepherding and deer were worth money so I started meat hunting in my spare time. That led me to eventually chucking shepherding and doing casual farm work, mustering, shearing and meat hunting for a couple of years to get some money together. I shot a lot of deer to sell. All foot hunting. Then I got a farm (some will remember the 75% finance scheme for young farmers) with deer on it and got into live capture and more shooting and selling. Sold the farm after 20 years and in my mid 40's and went to uni. Got into a different career and have hunted recreationally pretty seriously ever since. Have shot 20-60 every year for the last 15 or so years. Before that some times a lot more and the odd year just a few. So been hunting for over 50 years and probably averaged 30 a year. Nothing exceptional about that or me. I have lived through a great era.

You've certainly not led a wasted life. If someone could invent a time machine, where people could experience different eras, that would be *the* biggest thing ever. Got to play the cards we're dealt ultimately and life is indeed what one makes of it.