Mental Preparedness

[CMuehl]

I see many posts on here about physical preparedness for hunts but there isn't much about mental preparedness. You could be in great physical shape but if you can't effectively deal with the mental stress of a hunt it doesn't matter. Does anyone do anything to mentally prepare for a hunt? How do you keep calm when you've got an animal in your sights and your adrenaline is pumping? How do you stay motivated when you're wet/cold and haven't seen anything?

 

[muddydogs]

It's all mind over matter. If your to dumb to mind it doesn't matter. As I get older I must be getting a little smarter because the long hikes and crappy weather are starting to matter more.

Its hard to prepare for the hardships that one can encounter when hunting without living them. After 20 years working in the woods nothing much phases me and when the going gets tough I know that the only way to get out of a situation is one foot in front of the other and every inch in the right direction gets me closer to the end. I think about the positives, if I'm cold and wet I tell myself well its only X miles to the truck, tent or trailer and it could be XX miles to salvation.

One has to learn how to control the adrenaline dump when it happens, only way to learn how to control it is experience the highs and work on thinking through them. Some guys never do get a handle on the adrenaline and will always be the ones jumping around talking a mile a minute after the shot. Others get so nothing phases them and can shrug off a near death experience like nothing happened when others around them can't hardly believe there still alive.

 

[mtnhmr]

Bring less food with you during pre-season hikes.

I advocate for hunting hungry.

/agree muddydogs - it's all about experience and overcoming the hardships.

 

[Ariettabob]

It’s an everyday lifestyle thing dealing with adversity. I work outside pouring concrete. When it rains or snows, wind is blowing sideways or it’s scorching hot I just do what needs to be done, no questioning it. I seem to get in a zone anymore where nothing external bothers me. I’ve developed that attitude over years of living it. I’m 62 and have been at it for damn near 40 years. I’m lucky in that I HAVE to do it, but I believe anyone can develop the right attitude. Go for that ruck or run even when it’s cold and/or wet. Blistering hot, take plenty of water and pride yourself afterwards on doing it when not many others would. Go hungry as mtnhmr said. You’ll come up with many ways to develop the “can do” attitude over time. It’ll help not just hunting but all of your life.

 

[ozyclint]

adversity fosters resilience. like ariettabob says, add some adversity to your day and your mental toughness will develop over time.

mental preparedness is very underrated, i've seen and heard of plenty of physically cable people whimp out at the slightest bit of hardship.

 

[5MilesBack]

How do you keep calm when you've got an animal in your sights and your adrenaline is pumping?

My adrenaline starts pumping as soon as I get into high altitude.......it's a rush. I thrive up there, and I thrive on adrenaline.

Quitting or failing isn't even an option, I have no need to prepare mentally, I live my life every day like that. If I ever wanted to quit, I'd kick my own butt......and then keep pressing on.

 

[sodaksooner]

One foot in front of the other. Never quit.

 

[jorgensen.travis]

All physical training is mental training


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[deadi]

My now deceased hunting partner and good friend used to say "you just do what is necessary to get it done".

 

[NebraskaHunt]

I agree with folks that says it just takes years and that having an outside job where you're subject to the eliments is the only way to go. With that said, having worked in construction for 20 years I've now gone from pouring concrete to crunching numbers in the office. It definitly makes you physically soft, but that can be combatted with a training regiment. The mind can also be trained just as the body, but it takes dedicated effort. Patience is key and when it's go time, you have to be willing to do ANYTHING to make it happen. My hunting partner has a mindset and I can just tell when he sets off he's not coming back until he's got an animal.

Winners find a way to win. Hunting is no different.

 

[mtwarden]

I think if you add some training that closely resembles a hunt, you'll be a lot better prepared mentally. I backpack year round, including the dead of winter. I've seen every imaginable kind of weather, the very worst of terrains, have pushed myself to the very brink of exhaustion numerous times, navigated complex routes in the pitch dark, have to field repair numerous different items, nursed injuries (knock on wood, most minor), etc. All these experiences give you the confidence needed when heading afield in the fall.

 

[Pdzoller]

Definitely a thread to keep alive. Just last week I had an opportunity at a good mature blacktail. We had been planning the hunt for a year and decided we wanted to hold out for a mature animal. We hunted hard for eight days. After four days behind the glass and not seeing anything we were interested in. Things started getting tedious. I wanted to move more, not get out of bed, leave before dark, etc… We stuck in there and four days later my wife turned up the biggest buck I’ve put in my crosshairs. When the time came to pull the trigger I could barely hold it together. First shot was a miss, second shot I took more time and focused on my breathing. When I pulled the trigger I knew I had him. He jumped up like he’d been hit, only to come back out of the brush and continue feeding. I was sick from it and I didn’t try again. We went to check the zero even though I had just sighted in prior to the hunt. We figured out that the top turret was not holding zero or adjusting correctly. If we would have let our mind run we would never have even had the opportunity and If not due to equipment failure I believe it would have come together. I personally believe that staying hydrated and having the proper nutrition while out is huge. Also I try to focus on the little things that bring me enjoyment. The more you do it the better it gets, for me at least. In the beginning I had the hardest time being in the woods alone at dark. I just keep forcing myself to just do it and now it’s not really an issue.

 

[Somthingoriginal]

I use cold showers as a mental exercise. They suck but it's a small, daily exercise that will make you a little tougher.

 

[mtwarden]

I use cold showers as a mental exercise. They suck but it's a small, daily exercise that will make you a little tougher.

hmmm- my wife is always telling me to take a cold shower

 

[S.Clancy]

I go shed hunting and chukar hunting in the "off season". I have yet to find a hunt that is as miserable or physically demanding (straight up vertical) as either of those.

 

[GT1]

Read David Gogins- Can't Hurt Me

 

[V2Pnutrition]

I see many posts on here about physical preparedness for hunts but there isn't much about mental preparedness. You could be in great physical shape but if you can't effectively deal with the mental stress of a hunt it doesn't matter. Does anyone do anything to mentally prepare for a hunt? How do you keep calm when you've got an animal in your sights and your adrenaline is pumping? How do you stay motivated when you're wet/cold and haven't seen anything?

This is a great question and you've already received alot of great answers. While the "Goggins mindset" is all the rage, I've found that "rah-rah" speeches wear with time.

The best way I personally have found is to just go do it- whatever "it" is.

-Raining during your scheduled run? Throw a rain jacket on and go.
-Supposed to snow during your hunt? Pack an additional layer and head out the door.
-Planned workout that you don't feel like doing? Lace your tennis shoes up and commit anyway.

Somewhere in doing that often enough, you quit negotiating with yourself when something seems like it might be hard. Naturally, that'll carry over in the field.

Wet, cold, and want to come off the mountain? "That's ok. I've been here before and know I'll be back to the truck eventually."

Tired and don't want to get out of camp? "That's alright. I've been there before many times when it came time for a morning workout. I know I'll be glad I got out of the tent when I do it."

I don't think you need to "callous the mind" with workouts that absolutely torch yourself to get "mental strength." Simply doing something when you don't feel like it will help develop the strength you need over time.

....granted none of this will calm your nerves if you have a 400" bull in your scope or peep sight

 

[hep]

Read David Gogins- Can't Hurt Me

Seconded. That book inspired me to run a marathon. And I haven’t ran again since I completed it lol

 

[*zap*]

Daily self imposed adversity, live soft=be soft.