Preparing Yourself For Backcountry Hunting

I have been intensely intrigued with backcountry hunting since my late teens. This passion has led to countless adventures in as many mountain ranges and deep, forgotten places. The exploration aspect of this lifestyle is a huge attraction for most who are pulled to this challenge. The chance to have some days that are unpredictable in a structured, civilized world is a temptation that proves irresistible for a particular set of hunters. This style of hunt will bring you, at times, to your breaking point and then to some of the most exciting moments of your life. At times, that full range of emotion happens in the same 10 or so hours of daylight. Memories and big moments always seem to work their way into these excursions to the deep, quiet places that seem to help us grow in some way. So, let’s get into it!

What is “Backcountry Hunting”?

First off, “backcountry hunting” is a relative term, one that has nearly as many definitions as the number of people you might ask to describe the endeavor. For this series, my definition of backcountry hunting is as follows:

• The hunt takes you deep enough into a tract of land that you cannot reasonably physically make it back to a vehicle or permanent shelter at the end of each day. This distance is different for everyone, and that’s okay. 

• The hunt takes place on foot without the aid of pack animals or motorized transportation.

• If successful, the meat needs to be broken down and packed out on foot. 

• The hunt is unguided. 

Mindset 

Like nearly everything in life, this type of hunting is a head game. It takes a certain mentality to take yourself into the wild places left in this world. To pursue and connect with nature when the existence most of us are experiencing, is far removed from this way of being. Here are a few things I have picked up through the years that have helped me stay focused and in the game.

Slow Down

Nature's pace is not even close to the constructed reality that most of us participate in daily. It’s way, way, way, slower. I struggle with this at the beginning of each season. Those first couple of days of sits or stalks or calling sessions each year usually have me expecting instant gratification. I have gotten better at this through the years, but slowing down the mind is a key component to how comfortable you will feel while backcountry hunting. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen at nature's pace, forcing it typically leads to failure. So slow down your expectation of action when embarking, and your satisfaction with the experience will skyrocket. 

Success takes time. You may find success in the early moments or days of a hunt, or not.. It’s important to remember that you will know infinitely more by day 3 than day 1, and day 5 than day 3, and so on. Stay patient with the process and beautiful things will happen. 

Embrace Discomfort    

Expect discomfort and just embrace it.  At some point or many, you will be uncomfortable while backcountry hunting. This is part of the game, just accept the emotion of that and keep moving forward towards your goal. It’s okay to feel that emotion and understand that it will pass, and you will be onto the more positive aspects again soon. You are so much more capable than you think you are. When put into a struggle, it will shock you what you can do if you have to. Just endure, and if it's beyond being able to endure, that’s why you bring an emergency beacon device! We’ll get more into that, though, in a future gear segment of this series. 

Celebrate All of Your Successes

Pay attention and celebrate the successes of the day beyond getting an animal. Acknowledge the victory of summiting that mountain, seeing that sunrise, spotting that non-target animal in its natural state, or connecting with the family/friend you may be with. If you are alone or together, celebrate a few days of breathing clean air and existing in a spectacular place. It’s these acknowledgements that will lead to a successful hunt, whether you are cooking backstrap over a fire or hiking out with an unpunched tag in your pocket. Either way, you went for it! 

Fitness or Unfitness

Here’s my two cents on this subject. I feel fitness is completely overblown within the narrative of this type of hunting. Certainly, it’s great to be in shape, and yes, the better shape you are in, the less challenging these types of adventures feel. I have headed into hunts and found success for the past 20 some odd years in all forms of shape. From a lean, mean trail running machine to an overweight guy driving a desk. These days, in my 40s, I keep myself somewhere in the middle. I have also taken others with me who have been in nowhere near ideal shape and had great moments and successes. If you are capable of getting out there and getting after it, do it! 

Don’t talk yourself out of this type of experience because someone says you need to live at the gym to be capable of sleeping in a tent and going hunting the next day. It’s just not true. Through the years, my most capable seasons have been when my lifestyle has me on my feet most of the day. Standing and walking are what you are doing most of the time besides glassing while on the hunt. If you want to get yourself in triathlete-type shape for a hunt, absolutely do that and more power to you! However, if that is not realistic for your lifestyle or interests, set a few realistic goals.

• Spend some more time on your feet. Even if it’s just standing. 

• Throw 20-30 pounds on your back and go for an evening walk a few nights of the week. 

• Don’t train for heavyweight pack outs! The risk of injury is not worth the gain. If you are fortunate enough to find success, you’ll manage to get the meat out. 

• Do 30 or so body squats and lunge steps most days of the week.

• Drink more water.

• Eat more protein and less sugar. 

Just do a few concrete things; shore yourself up a bit. Design a backcountry hunting trip that is within your abilities. The better shape you are in, the more you will be able to push the envelope. Just be honest with yourself and go have an adventure. I guarantee you this: you will be in better shape when you get home than when you leave. 

Concrete Steps 

The difference between “maybe someday” and “I’m leaving for my hunt” comes down to small concrete steps. So, make a few! Right now, in your mind, you have an animal and a state or general location you have always wanted to pursue and explore. Just start putting in for points. Go buy that new rifle you need for the adventure, or get the one you have drilling tacks with. Get a date on the calendar or send that text to your hunting buddy to get dates put together. We only go around once, and none of us are getting younger. The time is now, and adventure awaits!  

Thanks for checking out my blog. Stay tuned, the next piece in the series will be all about the gear! Enjoy your day, and bang out a few body squats!