What should I be doing now to get ready for my hunt? ...June edition.

[Wworker]

I'm signed up for my first elk hunt (guided, rifle, Montana) with my nephew in late October.

There is a lot of info out there, so I've been reading, listening to podcasts, etc. in an effort to learn as much as I can.

Today as I was driving, I thought it might be a good idea to get some input from guys with experience on what I should be doing for each of the next few months to get ready for the hunt.

So what do you think I should be focused on in June?

Thanks in advance for your input.

 

[Battletoad]

Get in shape and know your gun. The guide should help you with what equipment you need.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Guided or outfitted?

 

[chindits]

I make sure my garden is in and my firewood is put up by June so I can start backpacking the country I’m going to hunt. I also prioritize wife maintenance so I can be freed up by late July to really be hitting the woods solo. I don’t know about guided hunts or not being in shape to hunt.

 

[Jsunkler]

Gym, Hiking, and Range Time

 

[Ruskin]

Assuming you have basic proficiency with your weapon, I think most guys are limited by their own physical conditions. Out west often involves lots of walking in tough areas. Cardio is key, but so is strengthening all the supporting muscle / ligaments. If you are not doing backpack cardio, I would suggest you think about starting to take walks/hikes with a backpack on. Start with 20lbs and see how it goes, work up from there.

 

[Fatcamp]

That depends, are you shooting elk out of a hay field or riding horses into the wilderness. The former? Probably nothing. The latter? You better get to the gym, find a stable, and start shooting your rifle.

 

[Wworker]

Thanks guys. We'll be riding horses in and then walking for the hunt.

I'm practicing with my rifle (not just from a bench) and working to get into better shape. I'm going to start hiking with some weight in the next week or two, once I have a little more time walking/running without weight. I'm 53, so I need to make sure I'm being smart about how I ramp up.

 

[Ross]

Pick your boots and get walking and hiking. Make time and start early you don’t have to be a marathoner but time invested for the next four months can go along ways to success and enjoyment....don’t overdo it and stay injury free Good luck

 

[WyoElk]

If you are riding horses in, and have the ability, start riding now. You would be surprised how Much toll riding a horse could have on your body if your not used to it. You don’t want to make it there and be laid up A couple Days while you recover.

 

[ramont]

Find a place with elevation changes for your hiking training, use a the steps of a stadium or a tall building if you have no other choice. You can train on flat ground all you want, it can help your stamina if you do it properly, but you need to train with weight on your back going up and down in elevation. If you are going to be hunting in the mountains of the western side of Montana it wont be unusual to climb several hundred feet up and down multiple times per day.

 

[mtnkid85]

Physical conditioning is a no brainer, concentrating on putting in vert. I would wait till you have a well developed base of fitness before I started doing anything with a weighted pack and then still don't load it stupid heavy.

Gear-
BOOTS!!! If you don't already own them make this top priority! Get your boots your going to take with you and start wearing them! Get them broken in and comfortable, make sure they work for you. It can be a long process figuring boots out.

Next make sure you know your rifle, figure out and verify your drops, or figure out your maximum comfortable range.

And don't forget about your significant other- I really concentrate on her needs through the summer so that I can be freed up and have her support come Septemeber.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Gear-
BOOTS!!! If you don't already own them make this top priority! Get your boots your going to take with you and start wearing them! Get them broken in and comfortable, make sure they work for you. It can be a long process figuring boots out.

Wearing boots to work and around town doesn't count. And hiking without pack doesn't count either. Although you said you won't be backpacking, so that relieves that sitch. But putting hard miles in your boots is worth gold. I know its been said on Rokslide 10 million times but once your feet go bad they are trouble all week. An example I have is that last year I had a pair of insoles that i had in my sneakers all summer and they were fine so I threw them in my boots. The arch on them pushed blisters after 10 miles and I even pretaped. Boots had many miles on them with no issues but the new insoles changed everything. Train like you hunt. Don't take short cuts. Personally I don't go out of my way to hike with weight until the end of summer. I spend the summer turning my legs into tree trunks and then tune up with weighted pack the last twoish months. Works like a charm for me and my back is fairly touchy so I need to put in the pack work but not year round.
There a million other things I obsess over all summer as well but legs, back (shoulders) and feet are the 3 things that take time and need to be dialed.
As far a gear I try to compartmentalize. I work on one aspect at a time. Kitchen constantly getting tinkered with, kill kit put together. All that stuff dialed in during the summer so when the last month is speeding by I'm concentrating on the big stuff and not bogged down with scrambling to get gear worked out. I watch hunting buddies get frantic toward the end getting ready and by then I am chilled out and just being ready to hunt. I think it makes a big difference for me to go in calmly as opposed to getting ready just under the wire. Some people thrive on that last minute prep but for me it really helps to be drinking coffee, looking at maps and being chill in the end knowing I'm ready physically, mentally and gear wise.