Flatlander Fitness

[midwestcowboy]

I wouldn’t worry about it unless the guy is overweight or something. It’s not THAT hard.

Ideally you are just moving to glassing knobs and not wandering around all day.

Dudes who physically train for hunting are probably in the minority when it comes to people who filled their tags each year.

Mostly agree with you here. However, a few years ago he tagged along with me on a scouting mission a month before season and it about killed him. He sat it out at the truck the next day. I couldn’t tell if it was physical or mental, or both. I guess it wasn’t his tag - so maybe just not as motivated?

He’s a heavier set guy. I don’t wanna blast the area, but there aren’t many roads. Also, he lives at 450ft elevation and will be hunting around 8500ft.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Archery or Rifle?
If Archery I'd be more concerned that he's practicing enough and 100% confident at 40-50yds.
Then mentally being ready for a week long grind. Most can grind thru 5-6 days of mountain hunting if they are mentally ready for it.
Some guys just don't get excited enough for this type of hunt to get in shape, most go once and either get addicted and change their ways, or never try again.

I hope he gets the full elk fever...it's the best!
Good Luck!

Rifle tag. I’ll be chasing deer alongside. I hope I’m wrong and he beats me up the slopes all week long.

Appreciate the response. I’ll let you know if he ends up catching the fever.

 

[midwestcowboy]

Start a training competition with him. Could be as simple as loading the pack up with 50#'s and seeing how many step ups you get in 15 minutes, or how long you can do 12-15 step ups every minute on the minute. If you are outperforming him it may enough to get his ass in gear.

Honestly a great idea. I don’t wanna hound his ass about it yanno. Thanks for the post.

 

[cbuck516]

I'm not sure there is anything you can say to someone to make them want to train for a challenging hunt. It requires a significant level of commitment and I think this is something you really have to want for yourself. I am a flatlander myself, and got up at 3am this morning in order to take my goats on a 5-mile weighted-pack training hike. Having tags in my pocket certainly helps motivate me, but I have seen others that just aren't willing to put in the effort required and it does affect their ability to punch their tag.

You might just be blunt with your friend and let them know how low their odds of success will be if they don't prepare appropriately. For example, if harvest report data for his hunt indicates 20% success rate, I would says his odds of success would be reduced by at least half if he doesn't train hard, so in this case 10% harvest success.

Also, not everyone has the same goals for a hunt. Some people are happy just being in the mountains on an adventure and don't necessarily "need the meat".

 

[Predator_SD]

It’s more mental than physical. Really anyone can do it if they are reasonably fit and not just completely out of shape.

But imo what really matters is how determined someone is to get it done. Someone can be fit as can be but if they just aren’t that determined to get a kill they won’t cut it out there. Likewise, an out of shape desk jockey can pull himself off the chair and hunt like a beast destroying his body but just keeps going because he is dead set determined to get it done so he just won’t quit.

If he wants it he will do what’s needed to get it done. If he doesn’t he won’t. Either way nothing you say to him is going to change his mindset.

There is a reason i mostly hunt alone. If i was to hunt with a friend who doesn’t regularly or has never hunted as i do id honestly just be looking at it as more of a trip with a friend instead of a legit hunting trip tbh.

 

[Indian Summer]

You will not get him to do any physical conditioning because that means a change to f lifestyle. Prepare him mentally. Speak up and be realistic. Also have a plan. Make sure that if he gets really beat up he’s ok with just taking a day off and not running back home.

Also…. my advice would be to pack in some gear before the hunt if you live there. Camp up at the elevation you’ll be hunting so he doesn’t have to do the morning death march up the mountain every day. He can hunt right out the door. Plus if he does take a break at least he’s up there where it’s beautiful so he’s more likely to regroup and get back to hunting. Be ready to do some solo hunting.

 

[jpe5714]

Have him do a stairclimber at a gym. Best workout for building strong legs, plus it puts no stress on your back and knees, at least for me. I've been doing an hour almost every day since '09 and I have no problem keeping up with my guide

Sent from my SM-S921U using Tapatalk

 

[Poser]

It’s more mental than physical.

This is an often repeated line, but, how does one get to a point of mental toughness without exposure to physical hardship?

While I am sure there are a few outliers here and there, "mental toughness" generally implies the ability to compartmentalize and stay focused on the moment rather than becoming overwhelmed by the duration of discomfort/pain/hardship. I have a difficult time buying into people possessing the innate ability to do that without having endured physical hardship, whether that was something you learned early on in life carrying firewood by orders of your dad, hard labor working construction etc or on a ranch or similar, or though voluntary hardship associated with physical activity, training, athletics, competitive sports etc. If you grew up slinging hay bales, you probably learned pretty quick to not think about the wall of hay bales and just stay focused on the one you are moving. Same with moving firewood. Same with running a 100 mile race. Same with getting through bootcamp or SF selection: The enormity of the total task vs. the discomfort of the moment will overwhelm anyone who doesn't have a way to stay in the moment.

Sure, anyone can convince themselves that they won't quit, but if you don't have real world data on that mental-physical connection for dealing with hardship, I just don't see it.

I'm just not sure "mental toughness" commonly exists without some sort of physical touchstone.

 

[TaperPin]

With guys who may struggle I tend to pack enough extra gear they can spend the whole hunt back at the vehicle, but it doesn’t effect my hunting.

 

[WeiserBucks]

This is an often repeated line, but, how does one get to a point of mental toughness without exposure to physical hardship?

While I am sure there are a few outliers here and there, "mental toughness" generally implies the ability to compartmentalize and stay focused on the moment rather than becoming overwhelmed by the duration of discomfort/pain/hardship. I have a difficult time buying into people possessing the innate ability to do that without having endured physical hardship, whether that was something you learned early on in life carrying firewood by orders of your dad, hard labor working construction etc or on a ranch or similar, or though voluntary hardship associated with physical activity, training, athletics, competitive sports etc. If you grew up slinging hay bales, you probably learned pretty quick to not think about the wall of hay bales and just stay focused on the one you are moving. Same with moving firewood. Same with running a 100 mile race. Same with getting through bootcamp or SF selection: The enormity of the total task vs. the discomfort of the moment will overwhelm anyone who doesn't have a way to stay in the moment.

Sure, anyone can convince themselves that they won't quit, but if you don't have real world data on that mental-physical connection for dealing with hardship, I just don't see it.

I'm just not sure "mental toughness" commonly exists without some sort of physical touchstone.

The vast majority of mentally tough people weren't forged in a gym.

 

[midwestcowboy]

There is a reason i mostly hunt alone. If i was to hunt with a friend who doesn’t regularly or has never hunted as i do id honestly just be looking at it as more of a trip with a friend instead of a legit hunting trip tbh.

Realistically this is how I should be looking at it. I normally hunt alone. Since I'm going with him I'm likely going to need to take a more relaxed approach and lower expectations...

 

[midwestcowboy]

You will not get him to do any physical conditioning because that means a change to f lifestyle. Prepare him mentally. Speak up and be realistic. Also have a plan. Make sure that if he gets really beat up he’s ok with just taking a day off and not running back home.

Also…. my advice would be to pack in some gear before the hunt if you live there. Camp up at the elevation you’ll be hunting so he doesn’t have to do the morning death march up the mountain every day. He can hunt right out the door. Plus if he does take a break at least he’s up there where it’s beautiful so he’s more likely to regroup and get back to hunting. Be ready to do some solo hunting.

I'll definitely be packing in some gear before the hunt starts. Trying to make it as streamlined as possible. Good news is I live "close" to the area we will be hunting, but not close enough to where he can go back to my place for a rest day (which I don't want him to do) - pitch a hammock at camp and relax if needed.

 

[midwestcowboy]

With guys who may struggle I tend to pack enough extra gear they can spend the whole hunt back at the vehicle, but it doesn’t effect my hunting.

Definitely going to have enough gear and food around the truck that I'll feel comfortable leaving him there to rest if needed. Good idea, thanks for the response.

 

[Poser]

The vast majority of mentally tough people weren't forged in a gym.

I don't disagree with that at all. The gym can certainly play an important role in physical preparation, but the true, real world "mental toughness"/ "grit" aspect is learned under conditions of more gargantuan, overwhelming, uncomfortable and unforgiving environments.

 

[Chris in TN]

What season? If he's hunting 2nd/3rd/4th rifle season it may not be so terrible at lower elevation. When I was a kid we deer hunted once on BLM land where the terrain was honestly easy. And I killed my first two elk pretty out of shape. On the last one I was in far better shape than I needed to be, strictly speaking, but I prefer that to the former for sure.

Having tags in my pocket certainly helps motivate me, but I have seen others that just aren't willing to put in the effort required and it does affect their ability to punch their tag.

That goes way beyond fitness. I can say 100% that while I enjoy shooting as a hobby unto itself, shooting in preparation for hunting out west is a completely different level of intensity for me, as is any sort of physical training.

I have went so far as to explain to my wife that I live/work/do better, when I have future trips on the calendar. Having trips to look forward to is a huge motivator for me.

 

[midwestcowboy]

@Chris in TN It'll be one of the 1st rifle seasons of 2025, late Sept / early Oct. More than likely going to have to get up high to find 'em

 

[Marble]

People either need to be motivated or disciplined on their own. I suspect it's a lost cause for your hunting partner. My dad is 75 and has gotten by without doing any physical exercise specifically for elk hunting for decades. And he does just fine. But now, he is slowing down and actually needs to be in better shape. Not sure he has the will to do it. He's ok with just being there and hanging out with the boys.

Some people can get by without doing anything prior to because of their natural abilities, and/or their attitude. Even though western hunting is very physically demanding, being mentally fit is more important. You can't help him with that either.

 

[CaliWoodsman]

I believe there is a saying about a horse and water and something about drinking. He may not care as much as you do.

I believe this is the saying you were referring to.

 

[WCB]

 

[T-Rex]

Being a flatlander from the mid-west I can say there is really nothing you can totally do in the mid-west to truly prepare you for the mountains. I train 3-5 days a week and still suck wind the first couple days I'm out there adjusting to the mountains. That's not saying you shouldn't train as much as you can, but its hard to train for 9000' when you live at 500'.... I need to send you guys some of our air