I don't fish much anymore, but I still enjoy hunting. I avoid going out by myself (63 yrs. old) as so many things have changed since I was young. Not just my physical abilities and general health, but realizing people I could call on if my truck left me stranded have now passed on. Next door property owners sold to others and I have no connection to them. Our nearest town from ranch is 30 miles away and cell phone is NOT a given, due to terrain. And the property (by road mileage) is at least 3 miles with locked gates between our property and the road.
A lot of truth in that video - Thanks for linking to it.
Something I learned about through dealing with my Father's passing... (Hint - don't read below if you don't wanna know): The folks in the Hospice and home-health aide market call it circling the bowl. Invariably, an elder falls and/or is injured (broken arm/wrist, my father broke his hip getting out of the car, contusion/head injury, etc.) In our normal age and health, it would have been a bad-bump, maybe a broken-bone/cast for 4-6 weeks, back at it good as new. Once you are 'elderly', you are now a statistic. Dad was average, 6-9 months. Some make it 18. The 'fix' to the injury usually is successful, hence why they still do it, but life changes afterwards. In my Dad's case, he died of MRSA - likely contracted during hip surgery, but impossible to prove. The home-health aides agree, the pattern is the same, hospice workers agree, the pattern is the same.... injury, home, dead in 18 months or less for various reasons. Despite best efforts and modern medicine, once injured later in life, it is rare to come back for any length of time. There are outliers, but statistically speaking, its a very poor prognosis (which is really weird, the hip healed up fine, he was totally mobile inside of 3 months from surgery, home-aides kept up w/ the housework and cooking... no reason he shouldn't have made it years more) It appears to me, the trick is avoiding the injury in the first place! Be careful out there in the fields, Joe!
I never went fishing in a boat without another person. It never seemed safe and to be honest not very practical especially in the ocean. Hook up a fish and now what? Run the boat, clear rods, gaff the fish takes at least two people. When I was young, I got lots of free trips when some friend's dad want to go out but needed a second person on board.
Now I will admit I enjoyed hunting by myself in the big woods. My wife knew I was going to a general location, and my truck would be at a trail head but that was all. It was a choice of solitude over safety, a measured risk I was willing to take.
Now in my 70's I end up babysitting some gentleman around my age who have health issues. They don't hunt very hard, just a few hours at a time. I still enjoy the time outside, but it is not the same. Turkey season opens this weekend. Wish us luck.
I don't fish much anymore, but I still enjoy hunting. I avoid going out by myself (63 yrs. old) as so many things have changed since I was young. Not just my physical abilities and general health, but realizing people I could call on if my truck left me stranded have now passed on. Next door property owners sold to others and I have no connection to them. Our nearest town from ranch is 30 miles away and cell phone is NOT a given, due to terrain. And the property (by road mileage) is at least 3 miles with locked gates between our property and the road.
ReplyDeleteA lot of truth in that video - Thanks for linking to it.
Something I learned about through dealing with my Father's passing...
ReplyDelete(Hint - don't read below if you don't wanna know):
The folks in the Hospice and home-health aide market call it circling the bowl. Invariably, an elder falls and/or is injured (broken arm/wrist, my father broke his hip getting out of the car, contusion/head injury, etc.) In our normal age and health, it would have been a bad-bump, maybe a broken-bone/cast for 4-6 weeks, back at it good as new. Once you are 'elderly', you are now a statistic. Dad was average, 6-9 months. Some make it 18. The 'fix' to the injury usually is successful, hence why they still do it, but life changes afterwards. In my Dad's case, he died of MRSA - likely contracted during hip surgery, but impossible to prove. The home-health aides agree, the pattern is the same, hospice workers agree, the pattern is the same.... injury, home, dead in 18 months or less for various reasons. Despite best efforts and modern medicine, once injured later in life, it is rare to come back for any length of time. There are outliers, but statistically speaking, its a very poor prognosis (which is really weird, the hip healed up fine, he was totally mobile inside of 3 months from surgery, home-aides kept up w/ the housework and cooking... no reason he shouldn't have made it years more)
It appears to me, the trick is avoiding the injury in the first place! Be careful out there in the fields, Joe!
Going out fishing or hunting no matter WHAT age you are tell someone where you're going and for how long, good grief, it's only common sense folks.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteYou will never understand how often EMS gets a missing many be injured call and vague last seen heading that way a couple of hours ago.
We look for unattended tractors, trucks and last winter a unattended snowmobile to start the search.
Nylon is correct tell folks where and when you plan to be back.
The last dead one was unable to get back into their truck where his cellphone was.
Michael the anonymous
I never went fishing in a boat without another person. It never seemed safe and to be honest not very practical especially in the ocean. Hook up a fish and now what? Run the boat, clear rods, gaff the fish takes at least two people. When I was young, I got lots of free trips when some friend's dad want to go out but needed a second person on board.
ReplyDeleteNow I will admit I enjoyed hunting by myself in the big woods. My wife knew I was going to a general location, and my truck would be at a trail head but that was all. It was a choice of solitude over safety, a measured risk I was willing to take.
Now in my 70's I end up babysitting some gentleman around my age who have health issues. They don't hunt very hard, just a few hours at a time. I still enjoy the time outside, but it is not the same. Turkey season opens this weekend. Wish us luck.