Stepping in holes while hunting? - Fitness gurus on the board?

K

KsHusker

Active member
Topic may sound a little silly - I was out yesterday with a guy that i've introduced to hunting and he's went with me a couple times the past couple years. The first few trips it always seems like somehow or the other I end up stepping in some sort of animal hole (coyote, badger, possum, whatever burrowing animal it is) and fall down and we have a good laugh - thankfully we've been as safe as we possibly can and no accidents with the gun etc.


He's a naturally gifted genetic athlete - me not so much.


Fast forward to yesterday he actually catches a hole for once and bit it and we he quickly cracked a joke I was due - sure enough last field of the day I fell in a viet cong booby trap at an old overgrown farmstead. Zero chance for me to see this hole and as luck would have it I found it. Anyways my foot dropped in and as fell back it got wedged in and felt like it would not give way, as time stood still thankfully I started to relax my foot and it finally became unwedged so I did not snap my leg or ankle and only have a slightly sprained back as a result.


So after those 2 stories, is there anything you guys do to condition your bodies for this sort of thing?

I need to drop weight so I carry less, but almost being 37 now I am starting to feel the effects of days in the field and they don't go away as quickly as they used to.

Wondering if there's a stretching routine or if I should focus on lower body/core workouts -- if there are any fitness guru's in here I'd appreciate any input. I'd like to continue chasing my bird dogs around for a long time and dont want to hobble myself because I'm not physically prepared like I should be. :cheers:
 
I was listening to the most recent MeatEater podcast and it was a very similar topic. They made a couple good points. First of all, there is no realistic way to prepare your body for hunting via working out, at least not to the degree that it is challenged during a hunt. Hunting is a strenuous activity that requires mental discipline as well, and to replicate it would be incredibly time intensive. But they did provide a surprising suggestion... yoga. The argument made seemed logical to me. Yoga combines physical work with mental discipline. Personally I don't practice yoga. I'm 5 lbs from the weight I weighed my last year of high school (although I doubt I can run the same 40 time). But each year recovery is longer so I may start.
 
Wouldn't have thought of yoga but likely a good point. I agree, probably hard to prepare universally, however being in better shape can't hurt and I definitely need to get there if I want to prolong my hunting days.

We had a lot of windshield time yesterday as I think we drove round 330 or 350 or so miles round trip/scouting/hunting a fairly new to me area, but also had a lot of time in the field.


I'm actually going to a networking meeting in regards to real estate with a gal who owns a gym, I'll have to bring up the topic and see what she may have to say -- I'll be passing along some information on a property rehab she's starting and help any other way I can so maybe there will be some personal training classes with one of her trainers in my future. Would probably help if they knew I had a specific goal in mind. I struggled to get much out of the 1st and last trainer I've tried when I tore some ligaments in my shoulder. I still probably need surgery from that.

Would like to keep this topic going - surely there are some fitness guru's on here. I and I'm sure others can use some pointers, figure if you're on the board you at least understand the activity, if you don't hunt you really dont get it and also don't get it's not something I go after for an hour or two - I get up at 5 or 6, leave, get to my hunting spot around 8 or 9 and hunt till dark with a few breaks. Then maybe do it over partially again the next day if I stay overnight somewhere.
 
I don't have any good answers for training for bird hunting. The amount of exertion is so variable depending on type of habitat you are hunting, then add snow and that amps things up. I would say any type of exercise that really works your hip flexers I think would be beneficial. Also stair climbing or stepping up on to a box or boxes of different height. I had to do this years ago for our wildfire fitness test a good workout.

I hunt a lot for grouse and woodcock and it is nothing like pheasant hunting unless there is a lot of slash on the ground and you have to step over. Cardio can be achieved on a treadmill or elliptical. It is usually my hips that are sore from the lifting of the legs.

Regarding the holes and stepping in them I generally just try and go limb when I step in one fall to my knees, worked so far.
 
I step in holes all the time and often fall down when I do. Sometimes my gun flies out of my hands, but the safety is always on so no unintended discharges. Staying in general good shape is probably the best defense against serious injury from holes.
 
I am probably a little more of a fitness guru than most people on here... I have my own garage gym where I work out several times a week and I also coach HS sports with a lot of my focus on the strength and conditioning aspect of our HS athletes.

This can be very simple or very complex, depending on your age, ability, fitness goals, time, commitment level, etc.

Diet is an extremely underrated aspect of your general overall health, and is equally important to your body than working out is. You can workout all you want, but if you are not eating properly then you are probably not going to be improving in your general health like you should.

To make a diet easy, avoid processed foods, avoid added sugars. Eat foods in their most simple whole form. Some of the best foods that somebody can eat include fruits, veggies, meats, eggs, sweet potatoes, whole grains, healthy oils and fats, etc. Drinking water is extremely important for your body. I know the well known theory is to drink 8 8oz glasses of water a day for 64oz of water. Personally, and through lots of readings that I have done, I feel like 64oz of water a day is extremely low. I would recommend to shoot for 100+oz.

Another thing that people often fail on, is while you are out on a multi day long pheasant hunting trip, people eat like crap. Food is nothing more than a fuel for our body. Would you put bad gas in your truck for a long trip? Give your dog bad food before/after a hunt? Then why put bad food into your body? Try to limit the fried food or McDonald's, limit the dehydrators (pop, alcohol). Focus more on having a healthy quick sandwich and a banana for lunch, drink tons of water, have filling breakfast with eggs and limited amounts of sugar (pancakes, etc.), have a quality dinner that can refill you after a long day and prepare you for the next (high protein, high carb, veggie).

The fitness level, again can be extremely simple or complex. At the very least, everybody out there needs to just do something each day for their body. Whether it is spending 10 minutes walking, 1 hour running, 10 minutes doing a body weight workout, or 2 hours of lifting weights. You just have to do something each day. Little things like taking the furthest spot in the parking lot, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, getting out of your desk for 2 minutes at the top of every hour, they all add up.

In regards to pheasant hunting, your going to want to focus a lot on your lower body, hips, glutes, hamstrings, and core to tie it all together. If you do not have much of a fitness or strength training background, it can be confusing to get started because technique is incredibly important and not really something that I can type out on online forum.

Things you can do in the meantime to prepare though, include simple body weight circuits. You can find a large amount of body weight exercises online, and then just start switching it up.
An example body weight workout would be.
20 squats, rest 30 seconds.
20 pushups, rest 30 seconds.
20 lunges, rest 30 seconds.
20 bench/chair dips, rest 30 seconds.
20 calf raises, rest 30 seconds.
20 hip extensions, rest 30 seconds.
20 sit ups, rest 30 seconds.
30 second plank hold. rest 30 seconds.
repeat 2, 3, 4, 5, times, whatever you can do.
There are literally hundreds of body weight type workouts, combinations, and exercises that you could put together without having to purchase any equipment, getting a gym membership, or spending much time workout it.

A strength coach once told me that most people "do a lot of cardio and sprinkle in a little lifting, and it should be the other way around. Do a lot of lifting and sprinkle in a little cardio." And I completely agree with that.

Also make sure to spend some time stretching each day. Most days at work right after I finish my lunch, I just spend a few minutes stretching in my office.

It is also easier and better for you if you maintain your health throughout the year rather than starting to workout in August of each year to gear up for fall.

My general yearly timeline looks like this... January - April - Heavy lifting, 3-4 days a week, almost no cardio (due to the weather outside and I do not have a treadmill or anything). May - July - Lighter lifting, more cardio, make the workouts fun and enjoy the outdoors. August - December - tough time for me, between coaching HS football and pheasant hunting, I don't have a lot of time. I try to workout 2 days a week, but a lot of times it is just one long workout that covers cardio and full body strength training.
 
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I would suggest walking in a swimming pool at a fitness center where the water is about waste deep. I go out and walk with a light ruck sack 20 pounds a month or so before my next trip, keep your distance about 5 miles at a moderate pace. On the treadmill same weight but carry a shotgun and keep the moderate pace up for 3 miles. I know how it is with the holes and feeling it the next day, after spending 20 years in the Infantry. One thing about old age, it does not last long.
 
I know the type of situation you are talking about. I seem to step in one of those hidden holes about once or twice a year. Haven't been seriously injured yet, but it always shakes you up a bit.

I don't know if fitness is much of a factor. Certainly not in preventing falls. It may reduce joint injury a bit, but would depend on the circumstance. Learning to fall might help more, but it is not something that you can really practice effectively and in this case is complicated by carrying a shotgun. This site has some tips:

http://www.wikihow.com/Fall-Safely

Jerry
 
I am good for 2 holes per trip... I am getting real good at it now.. Eyes on dogs and where you think birds are hidden and bam!! Becareful of the dead fall!! Not too sure you can train for hitting a hole. Try and fall as graceful as posssible and hope your leg comes out of the hole!:D
 
Good tips guys :10sign: :cheers:


I think what freaked me out this time is my foot was caught/wedged in and as I was falling it was not giving - it may have been because I tensed up my calves/ankles -- finally I relaxed mid fall and it became un wedged -- it was really awkward and freaked me the hell out - I hope nothing like that happens again as normally I can fall just fine - I've never had my foot and half my calf get wedged like that....I also have had in the back of my mind that Bill Jordan (Real Tree fame) broke his leg I think via a similar type of accident 10 or more years ago when mule deer hunting was more open to non residents here...(I seem to think per the article I read in our local Wichita paper thats what he was doing and he may have been life flighted to a hospital...but cant remember the specifics -- Michael Pearce the writer could probably recall).


I like to be in BFE when I hunt - I may need to put together a mini survival kit and keep it in my Mother day pack vest -- I wasnt a long ways from the truck but holy hell - it was the end of the day and with a snapped ankle or broken leg Id have been there the rest of the night crawling back to the truck. Sometimes I like to be miles from a vehicle. I also want to work up next year to walking/hiking 20 plus miles in a day if I need to for a mule deer hunt.

I was in that kind of shape 4 years ago but now it would really be a struggle. 12 mos to prepare.



Anyways I like weight lifting I just feel I'm completely unknowledgeable on the subject so I probably need to seek a professional to get me on the right path - feel i've spun my wheels in the past. Stretching is something I need to incorporate as part of my daily routine as I age. Maybe some workouts tailored to a baseball player would be a good foundation - they likely need strong cores and great flexiblity, the things I could leave out are speed related and have someone add in endurance type of activities.


Jackrabbit - good tip on the eating - yes hunting is often used as an excuse to eat like crap since you are burning the calories but thinking more about what you put in is something to work on as well.
 
I'll be no help at all. Threw my turd scraper at a pup that wouldn't stay in his house from 50 feet away with no chance of doing anything but a startle and audibly popped my left hamstring! Things happen and the better fit you are, the better you land.
 
I stepped in a badger hole up here in Montana 5 years ago, could hardly put weight on it, ended up having pickup driven to me, swelled up very badly, spent 2 weeks in a boot, sprained ankle, stretched ligaments and tendons. Funny part was, I was hunting with a Dr. , didn't help much that day, best defense in my opinion is great boots, like Danner Loggers, tie them tight, great ankle support.
 
I've hit badger holes a couple of times in SD. You're watching the dogs, looking for birds and down you go. Surprising how deep they are. I doubt there is any training one can do. Just hope to go straight down and cushion your fall. Each time as I was going down the only thought was, "Gun up. Gun up."
 
Advice from a 63 year old who still gets around reasonably well:

1. Slow down when in doubt - When I fall or make mistakes it is usually when I am overextending and pushing too fast.

2. Train in similar terrain - Walking on a treadmill or on a sidewalk doesn't prepare you for walking across rougher terrain. Those will help you aerobically, but the footing, balance and the hip movement is different. I try to train on some rougher dirt trails in a wooded park area near me, with the boots and extra weight I'll be carrying when hunting. I would like to carry a shotgun too but to keep from scaring people I carry hand weights instead but hold them out in the position of a shotgun.

Cass
 
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