Prep scores at T-38 days

[Brillo]

I have 4 major categories of prep: 1) Equipment, 2) Scouting/intel 3) Physical conditioning, 4) Nutritional Here is where I perceive that I am: 1)Equipment... A-, Been working this steady and it has almost become a surrogate for the other categories that are hard to accomplish. 2) Scouting/intel... A/B, (maybe) because I am new to this I may not know how little I know. I have made some excellent contacts through Rokslide and other resources that have helped beyond my hopes. I currently have 6 potential areas all marked on my Go Hunt app which I have reviewed until I am sick of it. 3) Conditioning... C-, I am way beyond where I started in December but no where near to where I think I need to be. This is my weakest link for sure. Biked 10 miles this AM and ran 1 mile with capacity to spare. Every three days I climb 2K feet in the gym on the stair climber but I am at a low elevation. 4) Nutritional... A I still have some foods to settle on but I think I have a solid 3K calorie per day plan. I do a lot of wilderness canoeing so I have some good experience here. Maybe you have additional areas of focus such as shooting or funding goals you need to work on. I'd be interested in where everyone else puts their focus and how it is going.

 

[isocyanate]

1 - I’m with you. Gear is easy to spend time on. I think I’m in good shape. Give me a B.
2 - scouting may be a C. I’ve done all I can with the aerial maps, but I’m still a little blind.
3 - I’m in good shape, but as a fellow sea level dweller….there’s only so much I can do. Stairs, mountain biking, and hundreds of burpees….call it another C.
4 - Nutrition is in good shape. We aren’t trying to stay out ten days, so I can slip slip back to the truck and sear a big steak no problem. In the back country, it’s going to be chicken packets, freeze dried BS, and other processed garbage. But from a performance perspective: B.

Good format to look at this.

 

[reaperukon]

Well you still have time to double down. If you haven’t looked into mtn tough, I’d highly recommend it. You’ll suffer a little bc of the elevation, but depends on how high you are hunting. Some of mine are at 10k -11k feet. Even living at 5500 ft I’ll be sucking wind with you. Adaptability is the key. If you are tuned to adapt you’ll handle it well. Mtn tough seems to find those weaknesses.


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[Blind Squirrel]

as a rookie, I’m gonna guess I’m no more than a C on any level, despite my best efforts to prepare for an early season archery hunt, but I understand there is no way to be truly prepared without experience.
1: I’ve got the bare essentials for gear. I bought good wool base layers, good backpack and boots, but everything else is old Walmart quality stuff I already owned. My brother (another rookie who roped me into this) has a good back packing tent that’s big enough for us both.
2: scouting/intel: I’ve listened to every podcast I can find from Newberg/Jacobsen and their friends and done the Elk101 course, watched YouTube, bought a new flat bill, and done as well of a job as I know how on e-scouting, but living east of the Mississippi has kept me from putting boots on the ground.
3: conditioning: I have been doing HIIT workouts multiple times per week plus fairly regular squat training for a couple years. Been adding in swimming a mile twice a week (1/4 mile intervals with a couple minutes rest in between) for the last month. I think I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since college (that’s a really low bar), but I know I’m not prepared for the elevation. That’s why I didn’t buy a bugle tube, I figured I wouldn’t have the breath to spare.
4: Nutritional: probably the least prepared here, but I do have a plan. I just haven’t bought and assembled everything into prepackaged daily rations. Planning on nuts, dehydrated fruit, granola/oatmeal, jerky, mountain house or similar, and protein bars with a 3000 calorie/day target. I’ll start assembling them next weekend.
All in all: I’m semi prepared for an expensive back country camping trip with my brother, and I’m gonna take a bow along in case we trip over an elk. Y’all are welcome to follow along and just stay about 500 yards down wind of us, I’m sure we can spook something your way.

 

[isocyanate]

That’s why I didn’t buy a bugle tube, I figured I wouldn’t have the breath to spare.

I can relate to this post.

 

[Gerbdog]

is there a weapons proficiency category? Not sure what weapon of choice your hunting with but i train my archery year round as often as possible which is.... really often. I'll do my workout in the morning and go straight into flinging arrows. Make sure its second nature / instinct to pull the arrow and make the shot cause the opportunities for a shot are hard to earn and when that opportunity presents itself there shouldnt even be the thought in the back of your mind that you'll miss. Havent hunted rifle in years and years but i remember a friend pulling the trigger on his chance and forgot to take the safety off *doh*. I forgot to remove the covers on my scope on an opportunity .... *doh*. It's the little motions like that in the moment that if they dont just come naturally as part of the process they'll come back to haunt you.