Off Season to Become Better Hunter

[Mcribs]

What do you guys do to improve skill during off season? I’m at the point in my life where I have time to devote to becoming a better hunter (Deer and Elk). I live near winter range for big game.

Here’s where I’m at but looking for ideas:
Observing resident elk in some lower country and finding bedding areas.
Setting some cameras
Shooting bow
Staying in shape

What do you guys do in the off season?

 

[fngTony]

Lately I spend more time hiking to keep or increase mobility. Usually it’s in the Colorado alpine where I can observe animal behavior and just study the terrain. Low chance of drawing for those units but still plenty to learn.

 

[Customweld]

I bird hunt, do some shed hunting. I like to do some volunteer work for Idaho Fish and Game. Most importantly, replay missed shots and blown stalks over and over and over again in my mind.

 

[HingleMcCringleberry]

Plan is to shoot much more. Structured practice and not on a flat range.

 

[grfox92]

Plan is to shoot much more. Structured practice and not on a flat range.

Same here. I want to shoot at least 1000 rounds before next season. Just got my first scope to learn to dial (SWFA 10x) and plan on getting very proficient with my 7mm08.

I'll also be focused on kettle bell workouts, push ups, pull ups and dips. And over the winter all cardio exclusively on the stair climber.

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[Ozarkansas]

Squirrel season here is only closed March-April, so if I REALLY cared about honing my hunting skills I’d be in the woods all winter and summer chasing bushy tails and scouting. That being said, hunting squirrels in summer is a too hot of work for me, and I only chase them until the end of February

 

[Ross]

Gym, gym and shed hunting

 

[redchinviking]

Backcountry skiing, gear geeking, running through my notes on modifications needed to my system and train.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Workout more, shoot more.

 

[Marble]

Learn the area you want to hunt. All the drainage, trails, watch where they come from and go to. The more familiar you are with your hunting area, the less time you'll spend searching for where they hang out at and more time hitting those areas while you hunt.

That is how a lot of guys in low success rate areas kill animals every year.

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[49ereric]

What do you guys do to improve skill during off season? I’m at the point in my life where I have time to devote to becoming a better hunter (Deer and Elk). I live near winter range for big game.

Here’s where I’m at but looking for ideas:
Observing resident elk in some lower country and finding bedding areas.
Setting some cameras
Shooting bow
Staying in shape

What do you guys do in the off season?

Did all that scouting when I was young and I hunt the same ground.
no cameras cuz who knows where a rutting buck will be. Then some years they just don’t move typically. Could have been the local dogs running them that change their movement this year. Tag soup cuz I wouldn’t eat the dog I shot.
this off season less mercy for running dogs.

 

[Brando]

Get out and work out. I get lazy and complacent. When hunting season rolls around the laziness doesn’t automatically go away.
If I’m in hunting shape it doesn’t matter if I kill something as long as I was able to hunt hard. Physically And mentally.
Hunt small game, set trail cams and check on a regular basis. As silly as it sounds I have geocached in the past to be more comfortable with my GPS and navigation with a compass. It‘s also fun for the family If you have younger ones.
Go hike the trails in your hunting area if close by. If not, hike local trails as if you were hunting.
Don’t just do it on days where the weather is nice. Get out in the weather that you hunt in.
I feel like I’m more prepared for hunting season when I get out in the woods on a regular basis during the off season with a hunting attitude. I think all hunters are like that. Always “hunting”.
Oh and target practice and buy new gear. That helps too New gear always fires me up for the next season.

 

[SwiftShot]

I go to the gym at least 3 times a week. I also go to the rifle range once a month at least. I try to go more but it doesn't always happen.

Working out is a huge bonus.

Remember 90 percent of elk are killed by the same 10 percent. The fact you are asking about getting better is a great start.

 

[JakeT]

Work so I can pay for it all and scout scout scout. Just spending time in the woods teaches you valuable things.

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[Tom-D]

Its a bit different because im in Australia and we can hunt deer all year round if we want to but i avoid it during the summer months when its too hot to go hiking around so thats my off season. In those months i try to do a bunch of trips shooting pests on farms, pigs and foxes mainly. its great shooting practice in real situations not just practicing at the range

 

[MallardSX2]

I run my sawmill and piddle.

I shoot my bow a lot and shoot some of my guns.

Shooting the guns costs so much these days that I don't do it nearly as much as I used to. I used to shoot 5+ thousand rounds a year and now I bet I shoot less than 100. Hopefully one day the prices come down and the components get cheaper.

I have been toying around with the idea of getting a big bore air gun and casting my own bullets and getting into shooting that. Just haven't pulled the trigger on it yet.

 

[jayhawk]

I listen to a lot of Joe Rogan podcasts and drink Elk Blood in between my trips to the gym to get ripped.

 

[Rich M]

Shooting the guns costs so much these days that I don't do it nearly as much as I used to. I used to shoot 5+ thousand rounds a year and now I bet I shoot less than 100. Hopefully one day the prices come down and the components get cheaper.

Been there for a while - the first shortage slowed me down, the 2nd about stopped me, this one has me wondering if I'm going back to .22 rifles except for a few rounds to check zero on deer guns. Can shoot plenty with .22s, just less noise and recoil.

I don't think we're gonna see prices come down. Components may ebb and flow, but prices seem to be established at the new level.

 

[Wapiti1]

I fatten myself up so that I have a weight loss goal in the fall.

I try to write down a rough journal of my hunts throughout the year. After the season ends, I review those notes and think about what I would do differently, what worked, what patterns I find year over year related to weather, food, animal movement, number of critters. It's amazing how useful those have been and how transferrable from unit to unit the knowledge is.

Then I figure out what hunts are in my future next season. Depression sets in at some point during that process and I curse the points systems across the west. This usually leads to binge eating smoked wild game sausage and cheese washed down by cheap beer. See above fattening up comment. Eventually a plan forms where I will draw no LE tags, and will have to hunt my fall back positions.

About this time, I realize that fishing is easier, pivot to that and forget about hunting for a while.

Jeremy

 

[mtwarden]

I backpack year round. I’ve found the best way to stay conditioned for the mountains is to spend as much possible time in the mountains.

Blessed to have them close by!