Last weekend I was fortunate enough to take part in the Train to Hunt (TTH) qualifier in Casper, Wyoming. This was not only my first TTH event but also my first 3D shoot ever. I have shot 3D targets at the range in preparation for hunting but never in a competition setting. This was an excellent experience largely due to the efforts of my wife and brother-in-law who came to support me, the entire TTH staff to include the production crew known as High Plains Creative, all the sponsors and of course the other competitors.
There are naysayers in almost everything in life whether it is regarding an innovative idea, sport or product idea. This is no different with TTH. There are people who are skeptical of its validity or of its application towards hunting. I am not one of these naysayers and never have been regarding TTH. My experience last weekend in Casper confirmed for me the validity, application and benefits of the TTH program and competitions. There are several different things that Train to Hunt does uniquely to benefit the hunting community: it changes the perception of the hunting community, serves as a platform for gear validation, enhances physical preparation and develops increased mental toughness.
During the Wyoming qualifier my wife, brother-in-law and I all stayed in a lodge known as the Sunburst Lodge on Casper Mountain only 2.5 miles from the Robert L. Adams Archery Range where the TTH qualifier was held. We were lucky enough to find this lodge online and booked the reservation after confirming its location in relation to the event. We couldn't have been luckier to find such a great facility to stay within minutes of the range, definitely top notch. I bring this up primarily because during our stay I was discussing the event with the lodge staff only to realize their complete surprise that a bow hunter would go to such great lengths to prepare themselves, physically and mentally for the upcoming hunting season. It was never my perception that these people were anti-hunters at all, however when someone mentioned that they would much rather see someone like myself who prepared so diligently for the hunt go after animals with a bow, it became clear that TTH is changing the way people view bow hunters. This person went on to say that they would much rather see prepared hunters go after an animal with a bow, with a lesser chance of an animal being non-mortally wounded and running around with an arrow sticking out of its body. This is exactly what TTH is doing, better preparing bow hunters to hunt and giving them the tools to do it more efficiently, effectively and confidently.
Before stepping out into the wilderness on a hunting trip it's always a good idea to test all your gear. Before competing I gave each piece of gear (bow, arrows, release, pack, binoculars, bino pack and rangefinder) a full inspection to include checking all the Allen screws on my bow and release and also ensuring all excess straps or webbing were properly secured. All my gear has performed better than I could have hoped for; a big thanks to Kifaru International, Alaska Guide Creations, MTN OPS, Vortex Optics and Hoyt bow hunting. Train to Hunt is an excellent way to validate your gear and ensure you are prepared when that animal steps into your shooting lane this Fall.
Physical preparation is crucial to backpack hunting, particular out West in the mountains but it is also extremely important in all types of hunting whether you are in a tree stand, duck blind or hunting upland game. There are some who say that a person doesn't have to be an extreme athlete, physical stud or even have a high level of physical fitness to be a good hunter. This may be true in some circumstances however the one thing that nobody can deny is that having a higher level of physical fitness enables you to move farther distances and hunt longer. Much like backcountry hunting, a high level of physical fitness is required to perform well in a TTH event. There is not one specific type of training that can fully prepare a person for backcountry hunting; a person must use a multifaceted approach to fitness. The TTH program develops the specific aspects of fitness that are most important to hunting and each of these areas is tested in a TTH event. I personally do a combination of TTH workouts, CrossFit, weightlifting, trail running and weighted hikes. An integral part of my physical preparation is centered on nutrition. My nutrition plan is made up of clean eating and supplemented by products from MTN OPS which have truly driven my performance to the next level. I will go into my nutrition and diet in more detail later. By developing my training plan to improve my overall fitness in the areas that are important to hunting I have increased my performance and it has also made it much easier to shoot my bow under stress, physical and mental.
The most significant benefit I realized in the TTH event is the further development of mental toughness. In order to be successful in the TTH events a person must be mentally tough for the physical events alone; however the true test of mental toughness in TTH is when it comes to shooting a bow under pressure. Any person in decent shape can run through a course and do exercises; however this becomes significantly more difficult when asked to do it while making accurate shots with a bow and while under the stress of a competition. In my opinion the greatest benefit TTH provides to bow hunters is the experience of shooting under both physical and mental stress which is very closely related to the actual circumstances that many of us encounter while backcountry hunting.
Train to Hunt is a new and innovative way of preparing for bow hunting and it is also serving as a way to really bring the bow hunting community together. One of the biggest takeaways from my first TTH event was the camaraderie and friendships that are developed in this sport. I was very fortunate to have a great group of guys to shoot with on the 3D course and I was impressed with everyone else at the event. I am really looking forward to Nationals and I'm hoping to see some fellow Roksliders there.
-Dan M.
There are naysayers in almost everything in life whether it is regarding an innovative idea, sport or product idea. This is no different with TTH. There are people who are skeptical of its validity or of its application towards hunting. I am not one of these naysayers and never have been regarding TTH. My experience last weekend in Casper confirmed for me the validity, application and benefits of the TTH program and competitions. There are several different things that Train to Hunt does uniquely to benefit the hunting community: it changes the perception of the hunting community, serves as a platform for gear validation, enhances physical preparation and develops increased mental toughness.
During the Wyoming qualifier my wife, brother-in-law and I all stayed in a lodge known as the Sunburst Lodge on Casper Mountain only 2.5 miles from the Robert L. Adams Archery Range where the TTH qualifier was held. We were lucky enough to find this lodge online and booked the reservation after confirming its location in relation to the event. We couldn't have been luckier to find such a great facility to stay within minutes of the range, definitely top notch. I bring this up primarily because during our stay I was discussing the event with the lodge staff only to realize their complete surprise that a bow hunter would go to such great lengths to prepare themselves, physically and mentally for the upcoming hunting season. It was never my perception that these people were anti-hunters at all, however when someone mentioned that they would much rather see someone like myself who prepared so diligently for the hunt go after animals with a bow, it became clear that TTH is changing the way people view bow hunters. This person went on to say that they would much rather see prepared hunters go after an animal with a bow, with a lesser chance of an animal being non-mortally wounded and running around with an arrow sticking out of its body. This is exactly what TTH is doing, better preparing bow hunters to hunt and giving them the tools to do it more efficiently, effectively and confidently.
Before stepping out into the wilderness on a hunting trip it's always a good idea to test all your gear. Before competing I gave each piece of gear (bow, arrows, release, pack, binoculars, bino pack and rangefinder) a full inspection to include checking all the Allen screws on my bow and release and also ensuring all excess straps or webbing were properly secured. All my gear has performed better than I could have hoped for; a big thanks to Kifaru International, Alaska Guide Creations, MTN OPS, Vortex Optics and Hoyt bow hunting. Train to Hunt is an excellent way to validate your gear and ensure you are prepared when that animal steps into your shooting lane this Fall.
Physical preparation is crucial to backpack hunting, particular out West in the mountains but it is also extremely important in all types of hunting whether you are in a tree stand, duck blind or hunting upland game. There are some who say that a person doesn't have to be an extreme athlete, physical stud or even have a high level of physical fitness to be a good hunter. This may be true in some circumstances however the one thing that nobody can deny is that having a higher level of physical fitness enables you to move farther distances and hunt longer. Much like backcountry hunting, a high level of physical fitness is required to perform well in a TTH event. There is not one specific type of training that can fully prepare a person for backcountry hunting; a person must use a multifaceted approach to fitness. The TTH program develops the specific aspects of fitness that are most important to hunting and each of these areas is tested in a TTH event. I personally do a combination of TTH workouts, CrossFit, weightlifting, trail running and weighted hikes. An integral part of my physical preparation is centered on nutrition. My nutrition plan is made up of clean eating and supplemented by products from MTN OPS which have truly driven my performance to the next level. I will go into my nutrition and diet in more detail later. By developing my training plan to improve my overall fitness in the areas that are important to hunting I have increased my performance and it has also made it much easier to shoot my bow under stress, physical and mental.
The most significant benefit I realized in the TTH event is the further development of mental toughness. In order to be successful in the TTH events a person must be mentally tough for the physical events alone; however the true test of mental toughness in TTH is when it comes to shooting a bow under pressure. Any person in decent shape can run through a course and do exercises; however this becomes significantly more difficult when asked to do it while making accurate shots with a bow and while under the stress of a competition. In my opinion the greatest benefit TTH provides to bow hunters is the experience of shooting under both physical and mental stress which is very closely related to the actual circumstances that many of us encounter while backcountry hunting.
Train to Hunt is a new and innovative way of preparing for bow hunting and it is also serving as a way to really bring the bow hunting community together. One of the biggest takeaways from my first TTH event was the camaraderie and friendships that are developed in this sport. I was very fortunate to have a great group of guys to shoot with on the 3D course and I was impressed with everyone else at the event. I am really looking forward to Nationals and I'm hoping to see some fellow Roksliders there.
-Dan M.
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