Thread: Up Side Down

I want to say something appropriate but I don't know what, so..
It's a tale of determination I'll remember for awhile Bruce and I gave it a "like", I'd have given it half a dozen if I could have.

@Tahr One of the best things l ever did was get a heated spa ,as l 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 year round & is bloody good exercise using resistance exercises to maintain your core body strenth .Also bloody good to soak in after coming back from a extended time in the hills,we use to dislocate our fingers a lot dirt bike racing ,keeping them "buddy taped"to the next good finger to make sure they are kept immobile & supported ,helps a lot in healing time & once the swelling pain has subsided we would use wet clay & a bucket of sand & use to build grip strength ie squeeze/work wet clay with injured hand & plunge hand into bucket of sand & do the same .These exercises worked to quickly get mobilty back & keep one of those squeezy exercise balls handy to keep flexibity up any where. Hope you are on the mend soon & give the hound a pat from us.

Cripes. I'm almost half your age @Tahr and my knees are sore. There's hope yet. Very inspirational post.

@Tahr good shit mate. That’s the attitude. Nothing is as good or bad as thinking makes it. I learnt from a weight lifting guru that little diddy “the mind will give up a thousand times before the body “. It’s very apt for the hills also. Keep pushing.

Great post Bruce. You're a bloody legend and an inspirational figure.
Good luck on your coastal hunt and many many more

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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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Your tumble and recovery just goes to prove that it is not the size of the dog in the fight but more the size of the fight in the dog that counts. I have always subscribed to the old adage that what the mind can conceive and your heart can believe, you can achieve. You are living testimony to this Tahr.

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 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 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.

Legend. Have you considered living other side of the Rimutakas? Given how often you are out in the bush you cut the kms in half I’d guess.

Originally Posted by chainsaw

Legend. Have you considered living other side of the Rimutakas? Given how often you are out in the bush you cut the kms in half I’d guess.

@chainsaw Yes, would love to. My Great grandfather was the first mayor of Greytown and I farmed in Nth Wairarapa so it feels like home, but my wife is a real city girl and it would be pretty cruel to move her. I have got a hut up Nth Wairarapa now though so that will mean some overnighters and more relaxed travel.

@Tahr you’re an inspiration mate. Regularly putting your body through the wringer and feeding those who need it with the results. I can’t really think of many better ways to use the wild game resource that all of us have at our disposal.

I hope to be half as persistent as you when I hit that age...I’ve got about 45 ish years ahead of me to prepare.