One of my friends said to me recently, “you just sit in a tree stand, right?” meaning that she did not think there is much physical demand to hunting.

She got me started! “NO, I said… there is so much more to it.”   Let me explain. …  Sitting in the stand  if you are hunting deer or hogs or sitting in a ground blind if you are hunting turkeys is just one small aspect of hunting.

Unless you are paying for a guided hunt where they drop you off at the stand or blind, you will have some walking to do.   If you are  hunting on private land, you may find yourself walking at least a half mile to get to your stand.  You will  need to park your truck a good distance away as a vehicle may signal that there is something out of place in their environment and will scare off your game.

You are walking with boots, heavy backpack, and your gun so you are carrying a pretty heavy load.  If you are in a tree stand, you need to navigate the steps with great agility and position yourself where you make as little noise and movement as possible.  Sometimes you are in the stand for 4-5  hours so it takes a lot of stamina.

If you are running and gunning as in turkey hunting, you may find yourself sitting motionless up against a tree for hours and then walking miles upon miles to get to where the Toms are located.

Dove and Duck hunting calls for repetitive shooting so you will be lifting up your shotgun to aim at the birds and after awhile, your arms can get fatigued and shoulders sore from the recoil.

So,  hunting does require some physical fitness!   I am obsessed with Pop Sugar especially the 8 minute VS workout for toned arms.   They have short but effective workout for every part of your body.   Hunting is an excellent way to stay in shape while enjoying the outdoors and the many rewards of the sport.