Hey everyone im going backcountry bowhunting for elk in CO for 5 days. Its not for a while but i want to get in shape for it. Im well set with muscle due to wrestling but i want to get fit for the backcountry. Ive looked online for specific bow hunting / backcountry workouts but came up with nothing. Any ideas? You can also email me workouts if you have them to my email; [email protected] Thanks! P.K.
Look up Cameron Hanes. That dude lives for back country elk hunting and has tips and plans on his websites about getting in shape for it.
If your good to go on muscle just take your cardio workouts to the next level. Hunting mountains or just wilderness terrain is all about indurance an stamina. If you wrestled just train like you were preparing to be a state champ.
I been backcountry hunting since 94. when I first started ...i just went cold, no prep no training...nothing but young legs.but as i gotten a little older I have to work a bit harder to be in shape..don't go nuts but I start training about 3 prior.I have always found my best conditioning comes from replicating What I a am training for. I usually run/ jog a few times a week any way but Before a hunt the important thing for me is to start hiking with a full pack, start out slower with like 30 pounds and work you way up till your hauling your full load. I am lucky that I live near the mountains so I hike them often. Thing is being in shape helps but it's not more important then having the mental tuffness not to quit. You just have to want success more then you care about your uncomfortable current state...... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good advise here. Also is the thin air. It will wear you out no matter how good of shape You're in. Just plan on pacing yourself. I'm doing another CO Elk hunt myself.
Gentlemen, Next month we will be covering Nutrition by Davie Crockett Ferraro and Cardio by Dan Staton. Both of these guys are passionate bowhunters and fitness freaks! A lot to be learned from them. Check out the main web page for the complete articles next month. I will try to post exact dates later.
Muscle bulk does nothing out there. Cardio and endurance training does. I'm currently just doing about 45 mins a day of cardio trying to shed some weight... It's challenging as I'm also giving my legs a month off to hopefully heal these shin splints. Once I'm down to about 180 or so I plan to do another round of p90x for strengthening my core coupled with some actual hiking with weight (I walk my dog in the hills w a 60 lb sack of concrete in my pack). I don't get too extreme, I'm just working on being able to not get winded, not worried about not being able to lift a small car.
Before he fought Ivan Drago, Rocky went to russia and ran up and down a snow covered mountain to get in shape. If you can't afford to fly to russia, I'd just find the closest thing to siberia you can get and run up and down the mountain. good luck!! hope you arrow a monster!
Go on hikes with a pack. a heavy pack if ur walking on flat land like 60lbs. start with 2 miles and work up to at least 5
This. Total muscle bulk won't do too much for you out here. Endurance training will. I'm not too big into off season training as I am basically in the hills 2-3 times a week during the down months hiking the same stuff I do during season. If I were back east and training for a hunt out west I would look at a cross training routine. I like a lot of hiking with the pack on, either hills or on bleachers. Emphasizing terrain changes here. Power up your hills rest on your downhills. The next day I might hit an easy 2-3 mile run. Any workouts focusing on muscle would be a P90x workout. I am 5'10" about 175#'s. I'm built, but not covered in muscle. I have a very high endurance, though. During elk season I will generally drop down to about 155# to a point that I consider "undernourished". I use the off season as a time to build back lost muscle and add a little fat. It's hard for to keep any weight come September.
Cardio Cardio Cardio Cardio.... Yes the are is a lot thinner up here in CO especially seinse you will be hunting up in the mountains. I'm down here in Colorado Springs and the elevation is 6000 some feet. thers places up in the mountains that i just walk around that are 10,000 ft easy. I can run 13:00 Min 2 miles in Wisconsin and lower elevation and it takes me about a month to get back to that every time i come back to Colorado. Even walking you will feel the difference just walking up a couple sets of stairs. I would figure out what your Min. Pack weight is going to be train with that for a couple miles twice a week. Nothing crazy if you are not used to caring weight for long periods of time you need to start small otherwise you will hurt your feet/legs. Than do train your lungs as your just rucking around breath only threw your nose to try and make yourself control your breathing. Young people don't have as much of an issue with breathing just because its how there built. but your muscle wont do a whole lot for you except your legs and cardio endurance. Start slow and build up your distance and weight i wouldn't push it over a 60 lbs pack if you don't think your carrying close to that.
if you want to get crazy with it they have oxygen deprivation masks to represent higher elivation training online.
Something I aways felt was important is training on similar ground that you would be hunting on. Obviously that's not always possible but it's something to consider. Your feet and legs need to be conditioned on up and down slopes/ dirt rocks and grass...they all have much different give then pavement and other flat surfaces. Also break in your boots while your working out. 6k up and 8 miles in no time find out you have a boot issue. Buy the best you can, if that means saving another month for them..it's worth it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great advice. You need good footwear. Buy the best you cab afford and nothing less. Pay close attention to insoles as well. Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2
I've seen several references to "good footwear' on this thread. That is a pretty open statement. Are we talking the current Army boots or camo waterproof I spent $500 on designer boots? RC
When I go to Alaska I do lots of walking with a pack. I get up to a #50+ pack for 5 miles. There is a small ski hill about 10 miles from me and I climb that with a pack and a 3' #12 iron bar (fake gun) quite a few times before I go. I was also given good advice by a sheep hunter: Walk barefoot as much as you can to toughen up your feet. It's a good way to prevent blisters. Sometimes I think I am loony.......walking the woods bare foot with a 50 pound pack. It must work for me. We packed out 2 Caribou 3 miles (2 trips each in 2 consecutive days) with zero issues last trip. It seems like you are on the right track. Good luck.
quite honestly I love Asolo GTX Flame there 200$ on zappos and they lasted me 3 years of walking in only mountains. Army boots are ok only if your feet are broken into them properly, but Asolo makes an amazing hiking boot.
Current Army boots could be a pair of Danner Combat hikers ..Gortex and very well made... Here are some brands of boots that make models that would serve well for mountain hunting. Mendil, Danner, Kentrek, Asolo, Hanwags, Crispi... I am sure I missed a few brands but that should work for an example.
