Physical Training For Your Hunt

[Swede]

I was reading the latest edition of Elk Hunter Magazine, Editor\'s Notebook by Ryan Hatfield. Well Ryan was railing against someone, on one of the internet forums, that was complaining about all of the push for elk hunters to be more physically fit. It seems a lot of the hunting magazines have focused a lot of attention on the necessity of being physically fit. Hunting forums are contributors too. It seems that to many, that is the secret ingredient necessary for all success.
Now don\'t get me wrong here. I try to stay fit. I workout daily. I watch my weight, even though I can get too heavy at times. I keep it in bounds. Hunters somewhere in the Country unfortunately are having heart attacks every year, so I am not opposed to anyone being totally fit. That said I do not for a second believe, you have to go to extremes in fitness to kill elk. If you are elderly, have a bum knee or a bad whatever, you can still effectively hunt elk. Physical fitness is not the sum total of what elk hunting is about. I would even go so far as to say that patience and perseverance will win over physical condition most of the times. To all fitness nuts, please quit trying to scare off all of us that are elderly or are not capable of running a marathon in three hours. Don\'t worry I will concede that hell hole twelve miles back in the Lost Forever Wilderness. You don\'t have to try to psych me out.

 

[americanbwana]

Well said.

:clap:

 

[elkmtngear]

Swede, 10 days of 5 to 10 mile marathons in Country like this ALWAYS makes me wish I was in better shape. And that\'s all I have to say about that :wave:

 

[cnelk]

Swede
I believe some have found out that Fitness is another part of elk hunting that $$$ can be made.

I agree that you dont have to be in tip top shape to kill elk.
Does it help? YES
But there are more average guys, in average shape, that kill a lot of elk each year.
Probably more-so than guys in tip-top shape

 

[cnelk]

ElkMtnGear
No matter how marathons or biathlons you do, nothing but elk country gets you in shape for elk hunting :mrgreen:

 

[elkmtngear]

ElkMtnGear
No matter how marathons or biathlons you do, nothing but elk country gets you in shape for elk hunting :mrgreen:

Brad, I\'m far from being a marathon runner...but I do train year round for those mountains. 53 years old here...and I flat wore out a 40 year old and a 28 year old last Season...they couldn\'t even get up out of bed the second morning. So I guess I must be doing something right. :eh:

I guarantee they will be training much harder for those mountains this Season :lol:

 

[cnelk]

Jeff
I hear ya there.
I wear out guys much younger than me too [50] even my 17 yr old son!

I dont hunt very much \'steep and deep\', but get into some 1000ft drops that make my thighs burn on the chug up and out.
Thats the one thing I need to work on more.

Would squats be the exercise for that?

 

[Swede]

Jeff, my friend: You are missing my point. I am not for a second trying to play down the value of being in good shape. Nothing could be farther from the truth. What I am saying is that if you are not a great physical specimen, you can be an excellent elk hunter. You can get elk every year with your bow. Knowledge trumps physical ability, and so does patience. At age 67 I believe I still have quite a few elk left in my future. Ditto for that old coot WW if he will forget those crazy popsicles he has loaded his freezer with. If anyone reading this has doubted they should try elk hunting, because they believe the West is too much for them, ask cnelk, or some of us that have experienced numerous elk kills from a tree stand or while siting over a trail just waiting. I might just be able to get one while just hiding behind a big camo umbrella.

 

[Deertick]

I laugh at the posts that say the best way to train is to put 60 pounds of salt in a pack and walk.

What are you guys doing while you are hunting?

But I\'m with Swede. I work out every day ... not because of elk hunting, but because it makes me feel better, and now it\'s like brushing my teeth ... just \"maintenance\". That said, it does help to keep me from wearing down. I\'m not one of the guys likely to be done in just a few days. My games with elk always come down to the last minutes of the 4th quarter ... and being in shape does help that. I want to leave the field knowing I \"left it\" out there, not that I \"got wore-out\".

Also, I think there are a growing number of people who enjoy more physical, athletic kinds of hunting. I think that\'s cool, and wish them the best.

And there are companies that serve them. (Or prey on them, if you think that way about business. I don\'t.)

After all, there isn\'t just one way to do this thing we call elk hunting.

But I would say -- if elk hunting is what it takes to get you to take your health and fitness seriously, I\'m all for it. And if that means Cross-Fit and ultra-marathons, I\'m all for it! If it means walking your dog a little further each day, I\'m for that.

Oh, and when it comes to dogs (and horses, I suppose) ... would you want to hunt with a fat dog that\'s \"done\" after one pass of a field, or an athlete? Would you want to ride a horse that glides into camp, or stumbles into camp? (Someone is going to say that a smart dog is done after one pass because everyone got their limits. Right.)

Just as it\'s not \"all\" fitness, it\'s not \"all\" wits, either! Ideally, I\'d like to keep both my fitness and my wits well into old age, so I can keep doing this stuff.

 

[cohunter14]

All good points. I have personally seen people who are unable to hunt certain areas because of their health. The limitations that they have make it very difficult to get to a spot where they could kill elk consistently. Can they still kill elk? Absolutely. But, to Swede\'s point, you don\'t have to be a marathon runner. Last year, I did not work out at all before the hunt for the first time and I was still fine. Granted, I keep myself in decent shape, I\'m not totally overweight, and I live in Colorado so the altitude doesn\'t get to me. So I think there is a fine line, like John mentioned. You have to be in decent enough shape to be able to cover the miles, but you don\'t have to be capable of running 15 miles a day.

 

[Billy Goat]

I\'m an engineer from Texas. I live at 630\' of elevation, and I dont (yet) have the patience to sit still for the entire season. I dont own horses or mules, either.

all that being the case, I really need to run just to be able to get around in those hills.

the only thing that allows me to do so is (somewhat) regular exercise. I\'ll confess I dont mind feeling generally better, and weighing about 20# less than I would if I didnt elk hunt.

that said, I completely agree that elk can be hunted, in less than peak physical condition. I just think being in good shape allows you to go farther if you need to.

shane

 

[bnsafe]

interesting discussion, an I agree with all the points. being in shape helps kill elk, but doesn\'t define an elk hunter.
I will only add this, as a nurse, I believe a lot of being in shape is genetics. im almost 43, work out around 5 days a week, an a lot of you guys that don\'t do much could walk circles around me in the mountains. im in fairly decent shape, but the genetics in my family suck (I have been gray to white hair for quite awhile). I work out so I can hunt as long as I can an because I promised my wife I would be around for as long as I could. but you cant beat genetics. with that said, get in the best shape you can, but don\'t expect to be Cameron hanes. there are a reason some guys are pro athletes an some cant walk around the block

 

[elkmtngear]

Jeff
I hear ya there.
I wear out guys much younger than me too [50] even my 17 yr old son!

I dont hunt very much \'steep and deep\', but get into some 1000ft drops that make my thighs burn on the chug up and out.
Thats the one thing I need to work on more.

Would squats be the exercise for that?

I think it would.

Personally, I just do daily treadmill workouts with a pack on, on a steep grade. I increase the weight as I approach September.

Not living in elk country...I have to try to simulate the conditions the best I can. Altitude is something you can\'t simulate...as I get older, I notice it takes me about two days to completely acclimate to 10, 500 foot elevation. Used to be just one day.

 

[americanbwana]

I laugh at the posts that say the best way to train is to put 60 pounds of salt in a pack and walk.

Hey! I resemble that remark (Just razzing you).

Actually, mixing in the pack with a good load really helped me last year.

Lot\'s of folks just sit and wait for the elk to be moved past them during rifle season (A good technique by the way).

Being is some sort of shape has made my hunts more enjoyable.

AB

 

[WW]

ADAPT AND OVERCOME! Hmmm! Where have I heard that before? I\'m with Swede on this 100%. Besides, who will see the most game. a still hunter or a marathon runner. Know your limitations and stop and smell the roses once in awhile!

 

[archery bum]

say I\'m getting a late start in my workouts and got about three months before opener. What would be the most critical part of the body too focus most of your attention on legs,back,core or flexibility. By the way archery hunting with a mid-weight pack around 50lbs

 

[Deertick]

Mid-weight is 50 pounds? I\'d hate to see heavy!

I\'d say that most people think of \"exercise\" as either strength or cardio, or a combination of the two.

But if you\'re starting late, you should focus on injury prevention. That means balance and flexibility. You may not win races, but you won\'t get hurt. Do yoga or something.

(Or, if you have 3 months, do P90x 3 ... it will work on \"all of the above\" and is not \"extreme like Cameron Hanes\".)

 

[Swede]

Bum: I do not know your personal situation, but for many of us the answer would be improve your stamina. I would get my weight to as close to ideal as possible, workout my legs and improve my wind. I started this before the tick posted, but have to agree with him. What he wrote fits well with what I had in mind. When I am over weight, and have not been in the forest a lot recently, I notice I get somewhat clumsy. That will slow you down and can lead to injury.

 

[mtnmutt]

For most people, it takes 8 weeks to buildup muscle for a race or event.

For all my races, I started 9-12 weeks before the race. I peaked the weekend before the race and eased off training the week of the race. Easing up the last week before the main event is commonly recommended by most coaches to give the body rest.

3 months is lots of time to get you ready. It may not feel like it, however, it is plenty if you are diligent with your workouts.

I do not train at all like Cameron Hanes. I train to last 10 days of hunting without worrying about injuring myself. Therefore, lots of my training is simply walking and hiking long distances. I personally do not do the 50# weighted pack thing until June because of the lighter hiking packs I use during Spring hikes.

With 3 months to train, I would do everything (legs,back,core or flexibility and arms). Rotate each day. Even if it is only 10-15 minutes for one thing a day, you will be surprised what will happen over 3 months. Walking long distances each day without a pack can be done daily without injury, however, it takes up a bit of time.

Remember to stretch after exercise to prevent injury. Overdoing it leads to sitting out a week or two to heal.

Why make it harder than it has to be? As a solo hunter, preventing injury is at the top of my list.

However, if running up a hill at a screaming bull is your thing, go for it and best of luck to you.

Lastly, take trekking poles with you on your hunt and use them for pack outs, creek crossings and days when your knees hate going downhill. Mine mostly stay attached to my pack.

 

[cnelk]

Hey John H
You posted somewhere recently about a variation of HIIT exercise?

15 jumping jacks, 15 pushups, 15 squats, 15 situps?
As quick as you can? 3 or 4 times?

Thats something Im going to give a whirl.