Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/299259
S P O r t i n G C l A S S i C S 1 0 2 i t happens to everyone: That shocking day finally arrives when you realize that you are a mere mortal. Those glory days spent tramping the hills oblivious to a 100-pound pack and a nine-pound rifle while locked in a fevered search for "The Great Racker" are over – history! So too are those mad, youthful quests for "virgin waters." You can no longer sprint from boulder to boulder, rod in hand, your 75-pocket fly vest bulging with must have gizmos and fly boxes housing more feathers than the carrier pigeon flocks of yore. No, my friend, there will come a point in each outdoorsman's life when "truth" at last raises its ugly head – your gear did not get heavier, the hills did not get steeper, and trout stream riffles haven't been secretly lined in Teflon! You have changed, for time wears us all down, aided and abetted by the hair-brained stunts we pulled in our youth. Like a well-used pickup, the miles on your life's odometer have taken a toll and you, too, metaphorically speaking, are now showing primer. The good news is that sportsmen experiencing such wear and tear (like myself: bad knees, back discs compressed as thin as typing paper, arthritic fingers, etc.) can continue to head into the boonies and have a wonderful time. How? By modifying our approach! Being in reasonably good physical condition for one's age is of singular importance, but don't give up just because you can no longer bench-press an engine block. Your continued enjoyment, success and safety afield will be reflected in direct proportion to the realistic assessment of your current capabilities (in consultation with your doctor), and a critical re-evaluation of the gear you have been using. It may be time for some changes. After personally addressing the equipment side of that equation, the following items have proven to be exceptionally useful to me. While I cite specific models, there may be other products available that would more closely suit your particular needs. ern Boer, host of Wild Dakota television show, catches a nap on his prairie goose hunt. On the preceding pages, Bill Kent takes a breather in the Minnesota grouse woods. V