Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Are you in shape to elk hunt?

Been walking 2 miles in the neighborhood (lakewood co. Green Mountian)at 4:30 in the morning for the last month and 4 miles almost every night on the Green Mountain trails all most all of this year. I think I'm ready!
About 6 weeks left to go!

Had drinks for two hours with a friend yesterday, then had a very large bowl of steaming hot pork green chili. Waited an hour and ran 4 miles with my dog at 6000 foot elevation. Figured if I made it till 5 am without some type of serious complications that I would be ready. No issues and I am ready to roll. 3 weeks 8.75 hours to go.

i enjoy running and run 6 days a week. i bow hunt co every year and have never had a problem. in the mtns, i walk my son-in-law into the ground (and he is 32). staying physically fit is critical to a successful diy elk hunt imo.

Amen to that hotsoup. I've been doing much better the last few years and it really boils down to conditioning. By day 5, you had better have some gas in the tank or the fun level is going to drop dramatically.

I dont know about you guys, but I dont have problems with being in shape, I have problems with my feet. Every year I seem to get a blister that just makes hiking hell. I am trying to wear my hunting boots more often this year.

The wife and I work out three to four times a week at the gym...weight lifting, aerobics, running.....been doing it since 1998. I will be 52 this year and she's 50, and looks much better than me.

Round is a shape too you know.

I plan on going next year and I sure ain't gonna mess it up by being out of shape, too much money and vacation time not to make the most of it.

JM.

Been doing 3 miles every evening and intend to add a weighted pack but it is hard to make myself strap it on with the temp. at 98 degrees and 86% humiidity.

Been getting ready since December 2008. Running up to 5 miles and lifting weights. Just turned 52 and am in better condition now than the past several years. Have also been saving receipts from things purchased this year to get ready. Haven't added them up yet and not sure I want to. Still not 100% certain where we are hunting, but we are going! Big concern is altitude sickness, just hate to put all this effort into this trip, then end up sick. Planning on taking couple days easy to adjust, then putting on the packs for the climb. Sorry got off track a bit, but hard not to think of all that goes into these trips. It's great.

nclonghunter, I think you will find that the better shape you are in the less the effects of altitude will be...at least that has been my experience.

regarding the op, I have been doing 4 mile walks thru the hills & hollers with a weighted pack on in preparation for my WY Muley hunt. Unfortunately I cannot replicate the altitude, I am around 800 feet here in Indiana.

I'm 68 and not what anyone would call in good shape. Not bad for my age, but my best days are far behind me
I expect to make a kill this year.
I walk slow to where the Elk are, hang around until I see one and shoot it. Then I make a call for help and let the young guys do the work.
No need to run them down on foot.

I've found that the best way to condition is to put on a pack of aproximately the same weight and go do some serious up and down slopes. Wearing your hunting boots, of course. If you don't workout in your hunting boots, your feet will not be ready while the rest of you may well be.
Running is OK, but walking, and pushing it hard, works as well as long as you do the same distances.
Runners need to be careful as to not injure themselves. Your muscles get stronger much faster than the tendions and ligaments do.
Another point is to know how to slow down as to not get completely winded in the mountains.
If you have the time, I much prefer to hunt hard one or two days, then take at least one day off to rest. E

E,
walking with your hunting boots on is very good advice. I wear hiking boots walking most of the year but the last two months before the season starts I wear the boots i plan to hunt with. I take several different pairs for different weather conditions.
Also wearing the backpack is good advice. I start out with just a little weight and add more the closer the season gets

Like I have for the last 60 plus years..I hurt like hell for the first two or three days, then I'm good to go for the rest of the hunt..Been told thats not healthy and I suppose thats right, but I rope about 3 times a week and I do have a bow flex that I use off and on, I work around the place a good bit..I don't drink much, don't smoke at all, quite chewing, what more can they ask of me!!

I am opposed to walking! I prefer to hunt horseback or spot and stalk from the pickup, but elk are in the back country and you just gotta get out there and walk your butt off, same when hunting cape buffalo, it sucks but I love it...

started a low carb diet tuesday, plus exercising, and so far i've dropped almost 8 lbs as of this morning !
i want to drop, i hope 20 lbs by hunting season, so my clothes will be loose again.
i am not fat, just a gut, i weighed 242, when i started, and now weighed 234.6 today...
6'0" tall, 17 inch arms, 49 inch chest, 27 inch thighs, and an 18.5 inch neck, 45 inch hips, and 46 inch waist.
just lose the gut and i'll be fine.

good luck to us all.

i really don't feel any different yet, so we'll see.....

I had back surgery 9 weeks ago! and in 16 days we leave for our ML hunt in colorado. I've been walking 2 miles per day adn wearing my hunting boots to work and walking. I'm not going to be able to handle much of a pack but my conditioning is coming along best I could expect. I've also started some light Physical therapy.

Does anyone practice shooting when fairly winded?

I tried it once and boy does it make things tougher.

JM.

John, I would love to take my rifle on my walks on Green Mountain. Problem is there are some of the biggest bucks I've ever seen up there. I would be to tempted to shot one.

LOL!

Dan

Guys make too much of all this physical therapy stuff.Like Tracks,I have a few yrs on me. I post this every year. I buy a box of jelly donuts, go down to the corral and share them with my mules. Come the day to laod up, They hop in the trailer and we go elk hunting. I imagine I kill more elk than most. Probably inthe 80% + range of success.
Too many guys forget that this is suppose to be fun