It’s that time of year to get SERIOUS about getting in shape for the fall hunting seasons! Lose that off season padding around the middle. Start getting those old meat-packing muscles back into hiking trim.
If we’re being honest with each other, there’s never a good time to get Out-of-Shape. Much better to just stay in shape, year round instead of having to lose weight. But I’ve got to confess, I let the years laziness get the better of me, and I paid a typical price, for a typical 60 year old, American male. I’m overweight, with high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. I know, too much information, in these modern days of Hippa regulations and Privacy.
Thing is, I’m not trying to hide anything. I’ve always believed that Honesty is the best Policy. And the fact is, I’m doing something about it. If what I’m doing can motivate you to get yourself in better shape for hunting season and Life, I’m more than happy to do it!
I’ve been trying to get in a couple of 2 mile, ½ hour walks per day, minimum, and I just took the next step. I started out with my lighter weight clothes, and my light hiking boots. I’ve graduated to my heavier, winter appropriate hunting boots, and the typical clothing I’d wear on an October deer hunting or bird hunting outing.
The Heavy Weight
Today, I got out my heavyweight, and got it packed with my typical ‘survival’ gear. Water bottle, alcohol stove, fuel sticks, bivy sack, down quilt. Insulated inflatable pad, silnylon tarp, stakes, cord, GPS, map, compass, small cook kit – you know, the usual stuff. With this pack and frame, I can bone out a deer, and pack up to 180 lbs. of meat, for as far as I can carry it. I’m working on that. About the most I’ve packed so far, was about 120 lbs. of salmon. That was back in the days of dipnetting on the Kenai River, back when I lived in Anchorage.
Obviously, although I didn’t mention it, I’ve got the knives and sharpeners that I usually carry. They’re packed, along with rain gear, garbage bags to line the pack and prevent blood soaking through, and gallon ziplock bags for heart and liver.
Right now, I’ve got an AR in the rifle sleeve, along with a 5 rd., 20 rd., and 30 rd. magazine. Generally, that is adequate. Depending on the hunt, I will have my 25/06, my 30/06, or a shotgun in the sleeve.
Binoculars, handgun, and a few other misc. items ride in separate spots on my anatomy, and aren’t in my pack, so I didn’t mention those.
12 Down, 25 To Go
So far, I’ve lost a dozen pounds in the last three weeks, and hope to drop another 25 pounds before the October start to deer season. I head up to my cabin in Alaska in just short of three weeks. I’ll be there for about 3 weeks for log peeling, so I expect to keep up the ‘exercise’. Slowly but surely I’ll get in shape before hunting season is upon me.
I’ll keep you posted on forward, or backward progress, as we inch closer to that ‘best season of the year’. Hunting Season.
Any questions, Fire Away!
Well, Good Bye for now! I’m heading out on a two mile hike, packed.
May the good Lord Bless you richly in all that you do.
Good Hunting!
