Good to hear the stories Alley. May your seasons continue.
Myself I grew up and my father did hunt. Being a Marine though he didn't always have time and he either took time before work to go hunt or sometimes during his lunch. He used to clean and butcher the deer he brought home by hanging them on our old metal swing set (with the two swings). Because we lived on base, base would only allow us to hunt after completing the hunters safety course which was only offered if you where 12 or older. So we had to wait a long time till we where allowed to join him.
Once finally of age my dad started us out by taking us out squirrel hunting. As we got older he would take us out hunting but I will admit I never learned anything in those years. Lets be honest, you wake a kid up at 5am to go hunting we tend to fall back asleep in the vehicle so we really never learned where we went. We would wake when we got to the area and then holding on to our fathers belt or hand would walk in the dark to a location our father knew. There we would spend our time till we either got too antsy or too cold and would leave. I wont lie, we never really learned much in those years as we didn't know what to ask or look for and as my father still says then we discovered girls and would rather do that then go hunting.
Joined the Navy and after I got out and moved back home, I got really heavy back into fishing first. Spent year round fishing almost every single day (wife but no kids yet). But then I got an urge to join my father out hunting. Don't know what it was but just had an urge to get out there and hunt.
Now I consider my hunting life in two stages. The first was with my father and now with me over the last few years doing more solo. Or us taking two different locations. I ask him alot more questions now to learn what he knew and I spend time out in the woods to learn even more. You guys passing on information has helped alot as well. The reason I consider my hunting life in two stages is because most of the deer I have ever harvested was with my father by my side. When I have struck out on my own I have not been as successful, and I am OK with that. I am trying to apply what he has passed on to as many new areas as possible to learn from my mistakes and learn more areas that where not previously known by him. I think I am currently in the golden years you speak of and can only hope to go as long as some of you have.