elk hunting shape?

[Ikeepitcold]

Let me begin by saying I will be 72 this October. I work out in a gym 3 or 4 days a week doing mostly cardio stuff on the treadmill and stairmaster. I also do leg work on the weight machines. My workouts take about 1 1/2 hours. During the spring/summer/fall, I walk 3 to 4 miles over hilly terrain near my place 3 to 4 days a week in the evenings.

The hardest part for most hunters (IMHO) is getting used to the altitude, especially the ones who live at less than around 3000 feet. I live at 6800 feet so I have a distinct advantage in that respect.

At my age and even with a total knee replacement that is 10 years old, I can usually keep at it all day. Each summer I do several high altitude hikes in a local wilderness area to fish. Usually do the 10 or so mile roundtrip in a day and hike to 11,000 to fish.


Just keep at it, and at my age, no looking back as they might be catching up!!!

Holy crap CC! I hope I have that kind of motivation when I get to your age.

[Ikeepitcold]

Yeah, an 18 minute 5k is "decent" Hahaha.

There are a lot of individual things that go into it, but I think being in "elk shape" involves being able to go all day hard in the elk woods and being able to do it again the next day, and the next...

Totally agree. The first day or two are the easy ones. It's the days after that. When you wake up in the morning and feel its hard to get out of bed and do it again that's when it gets into the mind game. For me if I'm really in the correct shape to hunt the mind game isn't so hard to over come.

I would say that when you think your in shape and you've made your goals, you should make new goals and keep pushing yourself to do more then you expected. The extra work will pay off in the end.

[ivorytip]

yeah cc thats awesome. and oldtimer too. i just read a thing idaho fish and game just posted saying that the average elk hunter in idaho has hunted elk in idaho for 30+years and is 50 years or older!!! thats awesome but scary as well. we need some young blood in there to carry on the tradition and to keep fighting for our rights. i love running into to older more expierinced elk hunters in the hills and talking with them. allways a great story to be told.

[Colorado Cowboy]

There was a time about 25 years ago when I let myself get out of shape and in pretty poor shape. I was working tons of hours on the B2 program and traveling a lot and just got too busy. But after I survived 2 bouts of cancer, I decided that it was my wake up call and things changed a lot. I made myself my priority, not my job. Once I retired I really got serious about keeping in shape. It still is a challenge, but now my wife and I workout together and it is really a lot easier. If I feel lazy, she tells me get off my ass and let go to the gym and I do the same with her. Works for us!

[Kevin Root]

Keeping in shape can be a challenge and a battle. I admire those folks that can keep at it year round because I believe it pays off not only for health reasons but also pays off when we are hunting. Depending where and how one hunts Elk might factor in to how fit one needs to be but being healthy only helps. This year I had to drop more weight than any previous year to date. I've lost 20 and have 10 to go to hit where I need to be. I'm hoping I can eat better in the future and kept my muscles toned up not only to hunt and feel better this year but to be able to add a few more years to it all.

[Old Hunter]

I just show this picture to show I was serious about staying in shape. I was about 40 in this picture. I lifted weights to gain strength for hauling gear and elk meat. Most of my training was for endurance though. I ran marathons, and hiked the mountains with heavy backpack year around. When elk season came I could run up the mountains.

[Muleys 24/7]

Keeping in shape can be a challenge and a battle. I admire those folks that can keep at it year round because I believe it pays off not only for health reasons but also pays off when we are hunting. Depending where and how one hunts Elk might factor in to how fit one needs to be but being healthy only helps. This year I had to drop more weight than any previous year to date. I've lost 20 and have 10 to go to hit where I need to be. I'm hoping I can eat better in the future and kept my muscles toned up not only to hunt and feel better this year but to be able to add a few more years to it all.

Yea, i get so busy with work( sometimes 14 hr days) it's hard to keep a good work out schedule. But at the same time my work is physical. So a few months before season I start doing a lot of up hill hiking with water jugs in my pack, I empty them at the peak of the climb to save my knees on the way back down, also work in some cycling and hit the weights. Ever since I started doing this before season I've noticed a huge difference when it comes to climbing up mountains with weight.

[Muleys 24/7]

I just show this picture to show I was serious about staying in shape. I was about 40 in this picture. I lifted weights to gain strength for hauling gear and elk meat. Most of my training was for endurance though. I ran marathons, and hiked the mountains with heavy backpack year around. When elk season came I could run up the mountains.

Hey old hunter, you still look like that with gray hair right? I always thought you looked more like Bigfoot....Lol

[Old Hunter]

Not quite.

[ivorytip]

all this time oldtimer has lead us to believe he leaves his antlers on the hill. that guy has been slipping deer velvet under his tongue