I am not ancient, but life beat me up and it is getting harder to hunt the back side of the mountain every year. The thing I think about is when my cousins and I were kids, and went hunting with our dads and uncles for small game. We were not old enough to hunt, we just went along. At the end of the day everybody had a rabbit or pheasant or two of each and had missed a couple. We probably kicked out 50 birds and over a dozen rabbits. All the old guys stood around and shook their heads saying "Yeah, its not what it used to be." We thought they were laying it on a little thick. Now in a state where pheasants went up 15-20 in a bunch there is nothing.
Now at the end of the first day of deer season , I am the one standing there shaking my head saying "Yeah, its not what it used to be. I used to see 50-60 deer the first day." In the last five years, I have had two first days with out seeing one deer. I wonder if the youngsters think I am laying it on a bit thick? I really think about what will be left to talk about when they get old.