Steve & Mark discuss how to effectively use time in the final weeks leading up to a big hunt. They share what they are personally doing, as they find themselves 5 weeks out from their Alaskan Caribou Hunt, and they also provide general guidance for making the best use of the limited time available before any big hunt. If you want advice on finding time, making time, and effectively using time to prepare for any hunt, you will enjoy this episode.
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Topics Discussed
- You need to find time and make time, but you can’t waste time
- Do as much planning and preparation as you can in the off-season, so that have as much time available in the final few weeks before your hunt
- Start setting gear aside weeks before your hunt; it will help ensure that you have what you need and will free up mental energy to focus on other things
- Make a list…for everything. A gear list, a list of things you need to do for the hunt, a list of things you need to do for home life, etc.
- Make physical training a priority, and make it specific to the demands of the hunt
- There is no shortcut to endurance training, so you have to make the time for some longer-duration training events
- Stacking back-to-back hard training days is a solid strategy that replicates multi-day hunts, but you also have to ensure that you allow yourself to recover from your training
- Training and shooting practice develops confidence, and that mindset is as beneficial as the physical benefits of the training and shooting
- Tinkering with your weapon is not shooting practice, so try to finalize your bow/rifle setup as soon as possible and then start focusing on actual shooting practice
- Shooting practice shouldn’t be stable and “square”, so get off the range and shoot at angles, shoot from various positions, and anticipate what a real-world shooting opportunity may look like
- Why you need a daily food bag, plus food packaging tips to save weight and space in your pack, and how much food you should consider taking on your trip
- A better home life creates a better hunt, so take care of your wife, kids, work, and other responsibilities before you leave for your trip
Additional Resources
- Free Gear List Spreadsheet
- Free Nutrition Guide
- Free Training Plan
- Rifle Dry-Fire Tips
- Rifle Shooting Position Practice
Header Photo: Steve hiking off-trail on a mountain trip with Mark.
