Are you physically ready for hunting season?

[bigdonniebrasco]

I know I am a new member and fully understand that 99.99% of you have forgotten more about western hunting than I will ever know!

I would however like to contribute in any way I can, and it just so happens that for over 25 years I have been helping athletes, as well as "normal folks" get more fit for a multitude of reasons.

I have absolutely nothing to sell, I'm just trying to give back anything I can after all the great info I have gotten regarding my first western hunt!

I don't push powders or pills, or any whacky diet plans.

As most of you already know, depending on where your hunts take place, your body is usually the "weak link".

I personally know a guy that drew a dream hunt in the mountains of CO, and after several days in the snow, he connected with a monster elk! Unfortunately he was completely spent, and didn't have the juice to get to him, and haul him out.. just left him lay!

Legs, Lungs, and joints are the biggies, but there are several other things to consider before your hunt in order to give you that edge you might need.

your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during.

It's not always easy, but all of us could make some tweaks in order to make us better "predators".


That's all, no gimmicks, no websites ... just offering my help in the event that you have a hunt coming up and you're concerned that you could run out of juice before you run out of hunting days.

Good luck this season!

you can respond on here if you like, so everyone can benefit, or PM me.

*if this post is in the wrong place or something that maybe doesn't fit this site feel free to move it or take it down.

Don

 

[MNElkNut]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

 

[Jamen]

I have two elk hunts I am going on in the badlands of ND this fall. One early Sept, the other in Oct and again in Dec if need be. I was getting in better shape throughout the summer when I found out my cousin and father both drew elk tags(different units and seasons) Dropped about 20 lbs was going to the gym 4-5 days a week. Summer hit my new job got crazy busy being the boss had its challenges, gym time started to be sparse 1-3 days a week and recently no days a week.

Last week while playing softball I sprained my back to the point I couldn't put on socks the following day. Has been getting better but I fear it may not be elk hunting ready by Sept. I do not want to be a bump on a log and slow down the show. It is just discouraging preparing for these hunts and come up with an injury that may make it a pain in my rear end. I have battled back pain ever since I was 16 years old I will be 25 next week so that is nothing new. this is just the worst I have been in. Any rehab ideas I can do at home or in the office?

 

[Fatrack]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

Me too.

I TRY to watch what I eat, but when the hunt it on I start eating stuff that I normally wouldn't due to convenience. At home I try to eat pretty clean...ff it walks, swims, flies or grows kinda thing. But that all goes out the window on extended hunts, due to convenient light wieght backpack food and I feel like my body pays the price. Mountain House for example, I don't eat anything like it leading up to the hunt and kinda wreaks havoc on my system. Cliff Bars and such...I use them a lot during the season, but never before season.

Any suggestions for an easier transition?

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'm hunting antelope and elk in easy country in upcoming weeks. My liver is totally pumped up and ready for almost anything I can throw at it.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

I'm hunting antelope and elk in easy country in upcoming weeks. My liver is totally pumped up and ready for almost anything I can throw at it.

I would assume a lot of us train like this in the summer month! * me included!

 

[Big Sky Dreamin]

Me too.

I TRY to watch what I eat, but when the hunt it on I start eating stuff that I normally wouldn't due to convenience. At home I try to eat pretty clean...ff it walks, swims, flies or grows kinda thing. But that all goes out the window on extended hunts, due to convenient light wieght backpack food and I feel like my body pays the price. Mountain House for example, I don't eat anything like it leading up to the hunt and kinda wreaks havoc on my system. Cliff Bars and such...I use them a lot during the season, but never before season.

Any suggestions for an easier transition?

Aside from jerky, salami, nuts, cheese most of which need plenty of water to digest?

The Gritty Bowman did a podcast on this very subject a little while back. I'd give that a listen. Good luck.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

The first part of that statements is regarding the make-up of your calories. Your body will adjust to whatever you feed it (to a degree). I realize that the majority of us have lives, and families and we enjoy beer, soda, sweets etc. I will keep it high-level unless someone REALLY wants the science behind hormone release, etc.
The bulk of the average North American diet is processed foods. Several weeks before I have an endurance event I start eating single ingredient foods, and a LOT of fat and dietary cholesterol... I know, I know but trust me most Doctors are wrong when it comes to dietary cholesterol vs blood cholesterol. Don't take my word for it... just google "dietary cholesterol vs blood cholesterol".

The reason for cutting out processed foods, and increasing the fats, and cholesterol, and single ingredient foods is to get your body accustomed to using these materials for fuel.

Processed foods of just about any kind will cause a rapid surge of insulin, then a subsequent crash, and craving for more processed food becoming a vicious cycle. AND .... eating processed foods is the equivalent of trying to heat your house with a wood stove by stuffing it with newspaper. The last thing you need in the mountains is a spike and crash energy cycle.

In prepping meals for the field you'll want to include as much fat as possible... think nut butters, and oils. The field is NO place for diet foods!! (I will write up some meal suggestions for the field later)

By conditioning your body to use fats and more complex carbs for energy, you are now heating with seasoned oak, that will give you a long steady burn, before needing to be reloaded.

BTW, I test ALL of this research on myself and volunteers and so far, after many years, nothing but rave reviews.

Your back and knees can't tell if that weight is in your pack or in your ass.
If I am trying to get leaner so I am hauling less of ME up the mountain.

Give yourself an 8 hour eating window if you are trying to reduce body fat.

* I don't eat a thing until noon (Hunger never killed anyone), then it's meat of any kind, broccoli, boiled egg, an avocado.
* Snacks are fruits veggies, nuts (nut butters) jerky. and as odd as it sounds look up "coconut butter" I can eat it with a spoon, along side almonds and an apple!
* Dinner is similar to lunch, Meat, veggies any single ingredient foods. I LOVE skin-on chicken thighs, and I eat a LOT of them... SKIN FIRST! :hump::hump::hump:
No food after 8pm, so about 7:30 I make a huge bowl of fruit (frozen or fresh) cover it with FULL fat plain (NO SUGAR) yogurt, and some of that coconut butter (for fat)

I prepare all my lunches on Sunday and package them up for the week. Bake a bunch of chicken thighs, or whatever. Boil 5-10 eggs, buy several avocado's and apples, and nuts... grab a bag of frozen broccoli and I have no excuses to fail!

-----------------------------------

Hydration... most of us (thanks to jobs, soda, and beer, are walking around dehydrated and our body just gets used to it. Once again, several weeks before my hunts I cut out all non-water beverage... yes, ALL and focus on keeping the urine clear! Once again, most of our bodies aren't used to managing proper hydration so we need several weeks to make a state of hydration the new "normal".

If you skip this step, you run the risk of heading to the hills bloated, and retaining water once you start chucking water. If you follow the previously mentioned steps you might retain some water weeks before the hunt, only to shed it, and normalize before you leave. This is no small matter. It's not unheard of to retain a gallon or two of water depending on your size and the makeup of your diet. A gallon of water is 8 pounds, and I sure as hell don't want to carry that much extra weight if I don't have too.

Your body utilizes water for SO many of it's systems, you simply will not perform to your potential if you aren't managing your hydration properly.

I have two elk hunts I am going on in the badlands of ND this fall. One early Sept, the other in Oct and again in Dec if need be. I was getting in better shape throughout the summer when I found out my cousin and father both drew elk tags(different units and seasons) Dropped about 20 lbs was going to the gym 4-5 days a week. Summer hit my new job got crazy busy being the boss had its challenges, gym time started to be sparse 1-3 days a week and recently no days a week.

Last week while playing softball I sprained my back to the point I couldn't put on socks the following day. Has been getting better but I fear it may not be elk hunting ready by Sept. I do not want to be a bump on a log and slow down the show. It is just discouraging preparing for these hunts and come up with an injury that may make it a pain in my rear end. I have battled back pain ever since I was 16 years old I will be 25 next week so that is nothing new. this is just the worst I have been in. Any rehab ideas I can do at home or in the office?

I have to be careful here not knowing the specifics of your back injury, but I will say that a large majority of back injuries will improve if you start with this simple to perform movement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw9YuQTTc58

Me too.

I TRY to watch what I eat, but when the hunt it on I start eating stuff that I normally wouldn't due to convenience. At home I try to eat pretty clean...ff it walks, swims, flies or grows kinda thing. But that all goes out the window on extended hunts, due to convenient light wieght backpack food and I feel like my body pays the price. Mountain House for example, I don't eat anything like it leading up to the hunt and kinda wreaks havoc on my system. Cliff Bars and such...I use them a lot during the season, but never before season.

Any suggestions for an easier transition?

I will make a separate "field food items" post on this sting later tonight or tomorrow.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

Just a little more on the food piece before I get into the fitness piece....

I just re-read my previous post and I apologize for the endless rambling but I hope you were able to get some useful bits out of it.

As a fellow backpack hunter I understand the importance of packing as light as possible. Keeping that in mind we need to find a happy medium between weight, and proper field nutrition.

Fat is your friend in the field!
I got some small leak-proof bottles on Amazon that use in order to take oils with me (olive oil, coconut oil etc) I'll even put herbs and spices in one bottle of olive oil, in order to use it to pep up some feild food. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013B16F2G/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=256FI3FSV3RGZ&coliid=I3KATJE5SDMVG2&psc=1


These handy little packs of guacamole let you get healthy fat and calories in a convenient pouch. After you drop deer or elk etc, nothing KICKS-UP the rice and beans and backstrap, like a big old pile of spicy guacamole!
http://www.taraburner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wholly100snackpacks.jpg

Some foods to try and incorporate into your field menu for more sustainable energy...
Cheese
Summer sausage type meats
If it's a cool weather hunt, dark chocolate is a great idea!
Any kind of nut butter ... *pair it with the nut butter!!!
Once again in COOL weather I have been known to take a few hard boiled eggs, knowing that I would eat them within a few days.
Depending on how careful you are about scent... Salmon or Tuna can be purchased in single serving pouches! (healthy fats for sure)
Nuts of almost any kind are a great idea, and you can munch them as you go.
I make all of my own meals ahead of time (I'll post a GREAT link below) and I always incorporate Chia seeds in my breakfast bags. It's kind of a "hippy" food but they're fantastic for energy.

I am NOT affiliate with this lady in any way (too bad she's already married ) But trust me... check out this link and how she packs the camp food!! Very similar to what I do!!
http://www.theyummylife.com/Backpacking_Food


Can't function without COFFEE .. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NOE1KHG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=256FI3FSV3RGZ&coliid=I3E8R796PBC6KH

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

As for "mountain fitness", us flat-landers can't just hike a mountain every day to get in better shape so we just have to improvise. For those of you with actual HILLS you have more options

Thanks to the fitness industry, so much of it has become confusing.

Many years ago a student asked Bruce Lee, "how do I learn to punch faster?" to which Bruce responded "punch faster !"

That's an oversimplification but the reality is, as I train to be out in the woods for several days with a heavy frame pack on my back, I simply hike anywhere and everywhere I can with a weighted pack on my back. It's also important to note, that I wear the same footwear (to include the same socks). I use my trekking poles and hydration bladder as well.

I would venture a guess that the majority of us aren't super-fit, pain free young athletes that effortlessly bound up mountains! So, for a lot of us, the old joints are certainly a consideration! As contradictory as it seems a lot of joint paint (knees and hips) can actually bee alleviated by using them MORE! Obviously PLEASE talk to your Dr if you have an actual injury or diagnosed physical condition, but my "bum knee" and hip stem directly from sitting at a desk all day. Once I get out an really get them working through a full range of motion, they actually feel better.

Lots of us have muscle imbalances due to years of repetitive motion. For healthier "wheels" you need to make sure you are using your lower extremities in a full range of motion.

Look online for movements to engage your Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes.
Doing leg PRESSES, leg CURLS, and leg EXTENSIONS will engage all these, as well as using your joints in a full range of motion.

Other than the above mentioned movements there really isn't a need to do small isolation movements like biceps curls, or triceps press-downs. In fact those movements can often lead to muscle imbalances and injury because the muscles aren't working as a unified group.

The very best way to improve overall strength, fitness, and hormone response is to do compound movements. Movements that engage multiple muscle groups at once.
Dead lifts (PROPER FORM)
Bench Press
Military press
Squats !!
Pull-ups (or pull-downs on a machine)

Last but not least ... SLEEP!!!! As we age sleep is even more important as that is the prime time that our body recovers, release growth hormone and optimizes testosterone utilization. Simply get as much as you can, and on the same schedule!! I work a ridiculous schedule that wrecks my sleep patterns but I try to always get to bed by 10 and up about 7.

SO, to recap:

1. Move you joints in a full range of motion as often as you can.
2. Well before your hunt, start humping a weighted pack as much as possible.
3. Hit those big 5 compound movements.
4. SLEEP!


Once again I have rambled on like a lunatic, but I promise this approach is sound, and effective!! If not I will give you a full refund of your investment!

 

[noharleyyet]

Best cardio discipline in 10 years...think I can grind out one more year w/o replacing the 'other' knee'...

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I'm struggling with injuries right now. Messed up my right shoulder, Been babying it for awhile now but was getting by. Last week, it's a Beautiful day out so i went to the lake with some buddies. I figured i'd hit the wake board for just one run. I was only using my left arm trying to be gentle on the right. Long story short, My left hurts worse than my right after i crashed hard. Can't draw my bow right now and I'm 6 weeks out from Archery Elk. Seems to be getting better and i might try shooting this weekend.

 

[dcopas78]

I am still having trouble with plantar faciitis in my foot. I'm trying to be patient and work through it, but it is SLOW going. I really haven't been exercising like I want to, but I'm affraid of aggravating it to the point that it is severely uncomfortable (or impossible) to walk on when I get to New Mexico. I think I will be OK by the time my season gets here. I'm not in horrible shape, but I was hoping to lose a few pounds. It is much, much better but I haven't gotten to the point that I feel like I should really stress it much. I walked around 7 miles this past weekend and it tightened up some. I have another doctors appointment with the podiatrist tomorrow. Hopefully she has good news in regards to the thickness of the fascia. I'm hoping that it had reduced with the therapy I have been putting myself through.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

I'm sorry I didn't address this fully...

As I eluded to in an above post, you don't want to just abruptly go from one eating style to another, for a several reasons. You'll want to begin eating the "types" of foods and in the "mountain manner" a few weeks out. Adding higher fats, NO sodas or beer, cut out the junk etc. Among other things you don't want to end up constipated or WORSE ... the other extreme!!


As for training... I stop all strenuous training 7-10 out! This gives my body time to recuperate from the previous weeks or months of training! You aren't going to get any "BETTER" in the 7-10 days leading up to your hunt. In fact hitting it hard right up til the day you leave, could leave you tired, and still recovering from training. Thereby effectively making all your hard work a waste of time.
Eat good, get lots of rest, drink only water, and dream of MONSTER bulls/bucks!

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

I'm struggling with injuries right now. Messed up my right shoulder, Been babying it for awhile now but was getting by. Last week, it's a Beautiful day out so i went to the lake with some buddies. I figured i'd hit the wake board for just one run. I was only using my left arm trying to be gentle on the right. Long story short, My left hurts worse than my right after i crashed hard. Can't draw my bow right now and I'm 6 weeks out from Archery Elk. Seems to be getting better and i might try shooting this weekend.

From your avatar, you're a beast! As for your shoulder... does it "feel" internal to the socket or more external muscle? One way to help pinpoint this is to reach back like you were going to pull a wallet out of your back pocket, raising your elbow high as you do it.... gingerly. If that "ZINGS" in the socket it's likely to be a rotator cuff concern. There are some very easy rotator cuff exercises you can find online... high reps VERY low weight! A good practive for all of us bow hunters in fact!
If the pain is external (deltoid muscle) and there is no bruising you likely just strained it. *** Obviously take this with a HUGE block of salt. Rest it, anti inflammatory, ice/heat.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

I am still having trouble with plantar faciitis in my foot. I'm trying to be patient and work through it, but it is SLOW going. I really haven't been exercising like I want to, but I'm affraid of aggravating it to the point that it is severely uncomfortable (or impossible) to walk on when I get to New Mexico. I think I will be OK by the time my season gets here. I'm not in horrible shape, but I was hoping to lose a few pounds. It is much, much better but I haven't gotten to the point that I feel like I should really stress it much. I walked around 7 miles this past weekend and it tightened up some. I have another doctors appointment with the podiatrist tomorrow. Hopefully she has good news in regards to the thickness of the fascia. I'm hoping that it had reduced with the therapy I have been putting myself through.

I have had to deal with PF in years past from too much running! You know what I did?... STOPPED RUNNING! LOL!

In all seriousness that is a tough one! Healing / management is usually facilitated by orthotics, rest,and NSIADS. Talk to your Dr about orthotics that you could use in your hunting footware.

I can also tell you that when I went from 220 pounds to 170 pounds, my feet AND my joints threw a party !!!

 

[dcopas78]

I have the orthidics and they have helped a bunch. Two extra bones in each foot pushing in all the wrong areas is my biggest problem, but it is coming around. Anything to avoid fascia release surgery is worth a try. Next step is platelet rich plasma injection. Hopefully this will help heal the tears that I have in the fascia. At least most of the swelling is gone.

 

[bowhuntmontana]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

This. I am really interested in fueling my body leading up to and during tough mountain hunts.

 

[Gellar]

"your training and tapering off of training. The manner in which you eat leading up to and DURING your hunt. Hydration before and during."

I would like to hear your suggestions with regards to the above sentence.

I was just thinking about this the other day. I know when I wrestled in college we talked about peaking at the right time, before a tournament. So I was curious about when people start to dial it back to ensure their legs are still in good shape, but not dead and sore.
I usually hit it pretty hard until the week before I leave, the week leading up to the hunt I try to hike the same distance but without a weighted pack. Not sure if this is correct so I wondered what others did before their hunts.

 

[bigdonniebrasco]

This. I am really interested in fueling my body leading up to and during tough mountain hunts.

Unfortunately, the old "carbo-loading" gimmick of days gone by doesn't really work. The science behind it is based on glycogen stores in the blood and liver, and that's only viable for hours, not days.

The best we can do is "pre-load" our bodies by eating really well, sleeping really well, and RESTING the week or so prior.

I know I have beaten this horse into oblivion but eating plenty of fats while you are hunting (along with carbs) is HUGE with regard to maintaining energy levels!

Eating plenty of healthy fats and LESS junk leading up to the hunt helps by conditioning your body to use the slower, longer burning fuel source vs carbs/sugars. Carbs are fine, just make sure you are eating a lot of fats. I promise you will notice a big difference.