USSA The Most Important Hunting Tool: A Healthy Body

Once again I have had the honor of continuing as a guest writer for the United States Sportsman's Alliance (http://www.ussportsmen.org/)  They are a truly amazing organization who are actively protecting our hunting heritage and I am proud to be a member as well.

 

You can read it on their website on the Presidents Blog here: http://www.ussportsmen.org/news/themostimportanthuntingtool/

and I have posted it here with additional pictures for motivation:

 

 

What is the most important tool needed for hunting? Most will say their bow, gun, GPS, or knife, but I will disagree with all of your answers and venture to say that your body is the most important tool used for hunting and outdoor activities. Like any other tool or weapon, your body requires maintenance, fuel or ammunition to function, and consistent training in real-life situations. So why do so many of us wait until hunting season is upon us to start eating better and become weekend workout warriors? Most of us don’t leave our weapons, trail cameras, hunting gear, and tools locked up until the day before we go on a hunt. Instead we scout, plan, prepare, practice, educate, and put in tireless effort months before or sometimes year round. So what makes our body, the tool that will carry us through all of this, any different?

 

 

The need for year round maintenance and care for our bodies is essential to prepare and maintain during the crazy chaos of hunting season. It was brought to my attention that so many hunters spend the months of hunting season bouncing around from state to state eating whatever they can find at the nearest gas station or local fast food drive thru. We all know this is not beneficial but we still do it. A few bad meals shouldn’t hurt us but if we aren’t doing much during ‘offseason’ then it could be detrimental now and in the long run. Hunters need to keep a consistent lifestyle of diet and exercise in their off seasons so a bad week or weekend of burgers and fries won’t derail our bodies. The ideal situation would be healthy eating on every hunting trip but for most of us that is not realistic depending on location, amenities, food sources, and schedule. We should all strive to make every meal as healthy as possible, especially on grueling hunts where protein and nutrients are essential, and some are able to do this with meal preparation and planning. I am not one of those but I do try to make good decisions on the road and in the field.

 

I am far from a personal trainer, a nutrition expert, or perfect in my health habits, but I have learned what works for my body over the years and tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle in both diet and exercise. I am fortunate enough to hunt wild pigs year round in Texas, so I truly never have a hunting offseason, but I can get complacent and lazy. Whitetail and big game seasons bring a need for increased dedication because of the travel and limited diet and exercise resources upping the ante for better offseason dedication.

 

 

I prefer to work out at home with high intensity interval style workouts because the exercises incorporate bodyweight and minimal equipment which allows me to take these exercises on the road. I also use the bow trainer tool to keep my ‘bow muscles’ working when I can’t shoot. Home workouts require a high level of motivation and may not be for everyone, but each person must find their inner motivation to push themselves and possibly an exercise partner or trainer to keep you accountable; find what works for you, make it fun and consistent. Healthy eating habits are not something that happens overnight and will almost always be a struggle. My biggest piece of advice is to start by making small changes to your meals and view food as fuel for your body; wheat instead of white, fruits instead of sweets, and gradually incorporated better habits and push out the negative ones.

 

 

These small changes throughout the year help create a lifestyle that I carry into hunting season. I find myself buying almonds and pistachios instead of candy bars for snacks on the road and in the field; I notice my eyes darting around on menus for grilled, steamed, or baked instead of fried foods. This is not always easy in some of the small towns that I hunt in or remote locations. Local diners and fast food stops will happen and sometimes we only cook on BBQ pits because the ranch doesn’t have a stove or running water. Healthy eating is very difficult on the road but making better choices when we are home or during the offseason can help counteract the ones we sometimes cannot avoid.

Take care of your body and it will take care of you. It is the most important hunting tool you have; it gets us to and from the stands, or high up into the mountains, and is fundamental in packing out that trophy animal. Maintain your body year round because it’s the number one tool in your hunting gear.