Training for western hunt

[Brooks]

Had a mid west flat lander out here in NM last Sept that was 55 years old he was a pretty solid built guy and was hunting up to 9800 feet . He could run up the sides of these canyons. I swear he was part Billy goat. He said he was doing squats with a 150 pound bar bell on his shoulders 3-4 times a week and running the other days. Altitude didn’t bother him either. Impressive !

 

[isocyanate]

If you are in decent shape you will be fine.

It’s not so much can you run up a mountain once, as much as how you feel at 4 am as a light drizzle hits the tent. You’ve walked and looked 10 hours a day for five days now. Your feet hurt. You haven’t had enough to eat. Do you listen to the inner bitch, or do you put your boots on and get after it? I don’t know about you, but my inner bitch makes some real valid points, and sometimes I listen.

 

[Will_m]

This mental toughness is so silly and out of hand. Telling somebody to be mentally tough is like telling a short person to be tall (or vice versa).

If your advice is to be “mentally tough”—which is a buzzword these days—just say it’s not going to be enjoyable the whole time.

I don’t think you can train a person’s tolerance for discomfort. You can train things that expand the mark for that discomfort, but the line of tolerance never moves. Some people just don’t give a damn about that pain. I am not one of them.

 

[Cant hit em]

I feel better physically and its mentally easier knowing I’m in better shape and can do whatever i want during a hunt without hesitation. With that said if you’ve been doing manual labor as tough as concrete you’ll probably be fine , I am a truck driver.

 

[WeiserBucks]

This mental toughness is so silly and out of hand. Telling somebody to be mentally tough is like telling a short person to be tall (or vice versa).

If your advice is to be “mentally tough”—which is a buzzword these days—just say it’s not going to be enjoyable the whole time.

I don’t think you can train a person’s tolerance for discomfort. You can train things that expand the mark for that discomfort, but the line of tolerance never moves. Some people just don’t give a damn about that pain. I am not one of them.

You're not wrong. But mental toughness is a real thing that some people have and others don't. You can't train it. I've spent time in the military with athletic specimens that run a 16 minute 3 mile and bench 500 lbs. They quit when it gets tough.

The most successful elk hunter I know is 6' tall and weighs 280 lbs. He knows where the elk are and knows how to kill them . I've learned a ton from him and my success has improved by spending time with him, but it didn't involve 1 minute of physical training. My success has been more about learning elk than running up and down mountains.

 

[Titan_Bow]

Find some stadium style stairs, load up a 45-50lbs pack, and go up and down as hard as you can go for an hour at a time. This is the best workout I’ve found to prepare me for the mountains


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[sargent]

I think your job gives you a better starting point than most people, but specific training will make your hunt easier and more enjoyable. I am a carpenter and have found that weighted pack training combined with the "general strength" training I get at work has helped me feel my best on the annual fall elk hunt. Make sure you get in a few long (all day or multi-day) sessions with your pack to understand what it will be like on the hunt. IMO physical training enhances mental toughness. It's also easier to be "tough" when your body is prepared for the task you are asking it to carry out. Good luck and have fun.

 

[Chuckmfcraig]

Carry heavy chit up hills or stairs!

Any and all fitness is a plus.

Good broken in boots and quality comfortable socks are a must!


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This is first comment that I feel sends you in right direction.. I’ve hunted and hiked at many elevations… higher elevations make you become fatigued much faster.. get a good pack, put 40lbs in it, find some stairs, warm up on the stairs up and down for 15min straight, then walk 5 miles, stairs for 15… of course all this with pack on and boots you plan to wear.
I’ve got off the couch done this for (3) weeks and then done a rim to rim packing 45#. With no issues. It also worked for my NM DIY pack hunt, Kilimanjaro, and havasu

 

[Fullfan]

What I tell others. Doing a little bit of something, is better than doing nothing at all. And when you think your in shape, add 20 pounds to your workout pack. Run 3 milers further, and do 35 more 18” step ups..

 

[Bluegrassvw]

I've never trained a day in my life and I've killed plenty of elk, mule deer and bears all DIY. Being in good physical condition isn't going to hurt, but being MENTALLY tough and not quitting is something you can't train.

I agree, first year I ever went I trained. Second time, didn't do anything to prepare and it was no different. Aside from just being a slob, most should be fine if they are healthy.

 

[3325]

…….mental toughness is a real thing that some people have and others don't. You can't train it.

I think it can be trained. At least in some people. I see people in three categories: 1) People who are mentally tough; 2) People who are not mentally tough; 3) People who are not mentally tough but can become mentally tough. Because mental toughness is in your mind and you can change your mind.

I was in category three in my younger years. Went out for sports in school several times and quit. But served in the Army in Airborne Infantry and now, at age 55, I did another tough pack out this past season.

Maybe in my case I needed to find something I thought was worth being mentally tough for. Football and wrestling wasn’t it. Army was and elk hunting is.

 

[kentuckybowman]

I've never trained a day in my life and I've killed plenty of elk, mule deer and bears all DIY. Being in good physical condition isn't going to hurt, but being MENTALLY tough and not quitting is something you can't train.

I try to get in some kind of good condition but he is right, being mentally tough is way more important.

 

[Hunt41]

Just workout and ruck till it really sucks. Then do it longer. Eventually you just used to the suck, and it’s not so bad during the hunt.

 

[KBC]

You can absolutely train yourself to be more mentally tough. Just keep putting yourself in challenging situations.

I might suggest that the guys who say you can't train your mind to be tougher are giving in to their inner b!tch

 

[JeffRaines]

The best training you can do is the actual task at hand - that is walking all over the hills gaining and losing elevation with a heavy pack.

As far as the mental toughness aspect - its absolute BULLSHIT that it cannot be "trained". No one comes out of the womb "mentally tough", same way people don't come out of the womb killing elk or climbing mountains. To me, "mental toughness" boils down to optimism. If you get inside your own head because you haven't seen anything in days, well yeah of course you're gonna want to run down the mountain and go home to the wife/kids. The mental toughness aspect is remaining unwaveringly optimistic, even if you haven't heard or seen anything in days.

What helps it? For one, having a proven and comfortable sleep system. Seriously, more hunts have been broken because some macho guy figured he could hit the hills with nothing but a blanket and a 1/4" foam pad. Some guys can sleep like that - but most can't. Be honest with yourself about what you need and leave the machismo bullshit out of it. Need a pillow? Bring it. Need a soft cushy mattress? Bring it. The more rested you are the better your attitude will be.

Second thing is keeping well hydrated and fed. Climbing up and down mountains all day is absolutely draining, and I don't know about you, but elevation really makes me lose my appetite. If I let it go and deal with it at the end of the day, I'll bonk and its hard(but not impossible!) to come back after that. I force myself to eat every hour if I'm hiking. I don't restrict my fluid intake whatsoever. Another thing that helps is having food that actually tastes good. If you're truck camping, its no big deal. If you're camping off your back, invest in the decent meals like the Peak ones. Yes, I hate paying $10 for a meal... but it actually tastes good and makes me want to eat it. One thing that I've been doing while truck camping is waking up early enough to get a good breakfast in(doesn't necessarily have to be elaborate, just something filling), and making a "day bag" for myself that consists of something substantial for lunch, a ton of good snacks, and a zipfizz/liquid IV.

Don't be afraid to nap or break during the day. If you have an adequate time for hunting(say you took 2 weeks), don't be afraid to have a down day where you maybe hunt the morning/evening and rest the other part of the day. You can bring a fishing rod or something like that, that's always a welcome distraction when the action is slow. Go catch enough brookies for dinner - talk about a morale booster! Not a great idea if you're in a time crunch, but if you budgeted enough time its great. Don't forget to bring your weapon along - those damn animals like to show up at the damnedest times.

I find having a fire at the end of the evening a morale booster as well. Not so important in August when its balls hot out, but in September on when the evenings can get chilly. Bonus points if its a fire in a wood stove - nothing like coming back wet from sweat or rain and being able to get warm and dry your gear out for tomorrows hunt.

Finally, back to the original subject - being in shape. It helps a ton when you're not getting your ass kicked up and down the mountains all day. Whenever a 3k 10 mile day is "okay" and not an "ass whipping", its a hell of a lot easier to remain optimistic. I would be loading your pack up and walking uphill and downhill. Don't waste time "walking the neighborhood" as its hardly helpful. I guess it will help some with your straight line endurance, but know the mountains are rarely a straight line. If you don't have mountains nearby to hike, a step mill at the local gym will help... so will a treadmill set on max incline. Hell, even hitting the stairs in your house for 1k/2k "up" steps will help more than walking flat ground.

On the weighted pack - you should know how much your pack weighs with a day load out and a backpacking load out. If you plan on hunting primarily from the truck, get your day pack weight including snacks, lunch, water, weapon, etc... and then either purchase a water bag or bags of concrete and use it in lieu of your gear. No funny looks while you're out on trail, and I'm sure most gyms these days would probably kick you out/ban you for bringing a weapon inside... bonus - if your pack gets stolen out of your rig while you're out it won't have all your gear in it. Just make sure it weighs at least the same as what you intend on carrying.

I do not think you have much, if any, advantage with your line of work. I guess you have more than a cubicle dweller/desk jockey, but it isn't enough of an advantage to go into it without training unfortunately.

 

[mtwarden]

Good afternoon fellas. I had a training question for a new guy out west. Most of the training advice i have read seems to say the same thing about endurance and strength training. My question is do you think that is more geared to office guys, and/or do I have an advantage with the type of work ive done for the last 22 years? I have been in concrete work just about the entire time.

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/guidelines-for-posting-in-the-correct-forums.189565/

you're new, but there a lot more forums than the General forum- always worth looking to see where your thread best fits

Fitness forum would be the best one

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/forums/nutrition-running-strength-training-other-workouts.27/

 

[BeastOfTheTrees]

I just scout the river hills in PA as usually they are the steepest. That and hitting
the gym all year. It all helps but as stated earlier, it’s all mental. Bite down and enjoy the pain.

 

[Plainsman79]

A simple 16”-18” wooden step/box works good for me. It’s lower impact on my joints. If you’re after cardio, go faster. If your after strength or conditioning add a weighted pack.

“Mental toughness” is a real thing. Once you do anything long enough, you’ll have days that are tougher than others. These are the ones you’ll need to push yourself and dig deep on the “why” am I doing this.

 

[Glory]

It all depends on the hunt. Plenty of good hunts you don’t need to be a billy goat to do and walking 3 miles a day will have you ready. Other hunts you need to be a machine. Doing a really brutal hunt while not ready for it just sucks and takes the enjoyment out of it.

Just don’t hurt yourself in the process of training.

 

[Scoot]

Lots of good info and input in this thread. I've got a couple thoughts... First, I totally agree that being mentally tough is SUPER important. Also, you can train yourself to be mentally tougher. However, telling someone to be mentally tough probably doesn't do crap to make them mentally tougher.

I have a buddy who is a tough, stubborn SOB. Great friend and hunting partner. He pushes me a ton (a decade younger than me and typically in kick ass shape). The year after his second kid was born found him with extra weight and out of shape come Sep. We drew a good elk tag in moderate country and it was interesting seeing how his lack of physical conditioning impacted his mental toughness. He had several "just can't do it" moments (even though he did it and pushed through), and he's a guy who I had never, ever seen give up on anything. His mind was a lot tougher when his body wasn't fighting him that hard.

I also hunted with my 62 year old cousin last year. He's a tough and stubborn dude too! He got in the best shape he could and pushed hard on our hunt. I was impressed with his combo of mental toughness and physical effort. He kept up pretty darn well, all things considered.

Last example- I have a friend who is in construction who told me he wasn't going to do much before his first elk hunt. His work is "very active" and requires a lot of physical labor. When he got back he swore to never do that again! He got his ass kicked and has prepared very differently for every elk hunt since. This one seems most relevant to the OP.

If you want to have more fun, go into the hunt in better shape. It's so much more enjoyable when you don't think you're going to do trying to reach the top of each ridge...