Does Working Out Really Make You a Better Bowhunter?

Fitness training and gym selfies seem to be the rage these days, but does working out really make you a better bowhunter?... Read more...

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I work out and prepare for sitting in a tree by sitting in a recliner.

 

I walk 4 miles every other day to prepare myself for my almost two mile walk in to my hunting spot.

 

This was a great article to read! Great job Brodie!

 

I read this while eating a cosmic brownie...no lie

 

Yes..it does

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At 61 in August, I'm still climbing trees (love it) and it's a work-out every day. So yes, I think it helps me out big time for my bow hunting adventures. When you stop exercising, you stop getting around!

 

While a workout may not make you a better hunter per se, it is just one more tool in the arsenal. If you are hunting out west or in the high country, I don't know why you wouldn't want to be in shape. By the way, I'm 63 and in the best shape of my life. And I know for a fact that I can do things that I couldn't do before and things that some of my hunting buddies, who are younger than I, cannot do. And yes, I am bragging a little

Blessings..........Pastorjim



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If one happens to have a position where he is sitting behind a desk (or similar), then yes you need to exercise. At 77 I consider myself real active every day. Starting with a 1/2 mile walk with the dog each morning. Any time I leave the drive it is either up or down hill. By around 3 pm I am ready to call it a day. More due to physical ailments like bad knees and back. One knee has been replaced and the other could really use it.
Can not, will not do the ladder sticks any more. Ladder stands or a 16' ladder with one stick above to a hang on stand. I don't think any additional exercise program of any sorts would do much more than irritate what is already failing. One big problem with getting in the " physically fit" condition is you have to stay at it, all the time or it is all for nothing.

 

I find it makes a difference! Granted I am 21 years old with hopefully a lot of hunting ahead of me! in high school I did not work out much so in the fall I won't lie it was tough carrying a stand and my bow half a mile uphill. Now I am a senior in college and also play college lacrosse so I am working out year round and have noticed the last three years that uphill walk was much easier and I was not breathing as hard when I got to the stand! so working out can help out in getting you to and from your hunting spots with less stress on the body.

 

No, but my ass it hard enough to crack walnuts while I'm sitting in the stand waiting on a stupid deer. At least it's useful.

 

If you hunt public land- yes, 100% fitness will make you a better hunter- if you use it.
If you hunt private land- then yes, probably. Can't hurt.
Was this paid product content masquerading as a news article? Mostly*.

*brought to you by Cynicism, INC©​

 

In today's world of instant gratification it may be hard to sell "working out" to improve hunting. IMO drawing/shooting a bow is more about technique that physical ability. Working out now may not make a difference today if you are still young and pissing vinegar but once you start getting older and begin to count realistically the number of hunting seasons you may have left psychologically it makes a huge difference. I like to think of it this way. If every minute I work out now, garners one more minute in the stand in my twilight years it is worth the sacrifice. Plus, if definitely helps when it comes to dragging out deer and walking ridges.

 

It’s not going to make you a better hunter but it’s going to improve your health and allow to do the things that make you a better hunter.

You’ll have not only be in better metabolic health physical shape, and mental health.




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Absolutely, cardio is the best way to work out for those long treks to the stand!! The older I get, lifting weights doesn't really help me anymore, its all about the cardio!

 

I guess you may need to work out if you have a sedentary lifestyle, I don't work out but I walk 14-16 miles a week behind the lawnmower, there is the wood splitting, and general labor around the place. If you are not obese you are just fine hunting deer.

 

Just what I need, more physical exertion....makes me tired just thinking about it. I'm going to go take my morning nap, I hate to leave but if I don't do it now I'll be late for my brunch and my after brunch nap before lunch and then the after lunch nap. I hate to throw my schedule off and miss my afternoon work hour before my 3pm nap. That always screws me up for a week.

 

I've never been "obese" but my overall fitness levels have been a roller coaster for the better part of 20 years due to various reasons (not the least of which is laziness.) In years I'm less fit, there are certainly good buck areas where I pass on hunting simply because I know there's no way I'm hauling a deer out by myself and can no longer count on my dad or uncle to help me out due to their ages and various injuries.

So...assuming by a "better hunter" you mean a "more successful" hunter; absolutely lack of fitness can limit your opportunities. But that can also force you to hunt more accessible (and thereby more pressured) areas in ways that make you a better woodsman. So I guess it's relative.

 

Something to add to the debate, I believe some type of cardio/physical activity can improve your hunting success. It will not help bring a wall hanger into your shooting lanes but will help you in those final seconds before you send a message down range.
Hear me out...how many time shave we heard about "target panic" etc. heart is pumping out of your chest, knees are playing a classical out of beat tune, and...dang it, you miss or take a bad shot.
With that said, exercise may not remove all of this issue, but if that is the only time your heart rate is increased, your body is not used to the additional stress. So why not take some measure to ensure you get your heart rate going allowing muscle memory to take over...have you heard that before...like when practicing shooting your bow??? Does it have to be running? No, but it has to elevate and maintain your heart rate for a period of time.
Second, a body that maintains some type of physical activity can handle the stress of injury more than one that is not as active. Such as a fall from a treestand...tweak your back, etc. Revisiting earlier in this post where this is the only time your heart rate is elevated, your body/mind can go into shock creating panic or worse (I have a story for that as well). If you can maintain your composure from this shock you may have a better chance of surviving this encounter.
These are not perfect claims, just a belief of past experience and training. Feel free to debate. I am not a wide open stalk hunter, I walk as little as possible to a stand and sit like most of us, still, I feel maintaining some type of activity is good for your body, family, and your hunting experience.

 

I get a pretty good workout daily with just working. Every now and then I take a long hike or may even jog, mostly when I am on vacation and away from my daily chores. However, a couple of years ago I started taking Tai Chi Chuan. It has definitely helped with being limber and I would go so far as to say it has helped with my shooting. Other than that, everybody should do 30 minutes if cardio a day hunter or not.