By Jeremy Koerber, MA, ACSM

For most of us the opening day of bow season is less than two months away and I bet that at this moment, your coffee table is loaded with Cabelas catalogs and Field & Stream magazines.  It’s a magical time of year for those of us who long to chase whitetails around the woods in the hopes of putting back straps in the freezer and Booner on the wall.  You are already going over your camo inventory, starting to tune up/shoot your bow and hurrying to get your game cameras hung but I bet there is one thing many of you are not evening considering.  It’s time to get in shape for bow season. 

My plea to you is simple and it is something your outfitter wants to tell you but probably won’t: Please do not enter another bow season pudgy and out of shape.   You may think there is nothing to sitting in a stand waiting for a big buck to stroll by but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  This article isn’t as much a “how to” as a “why” blog, so sit back and let me state the case why now is the time to add a fitness program to your pre-season preparation.

#1 Max out your overall enjoyment: 
Every Fall I have the same conversation with my grandfather.  Notorious for not being able to sit in a stand for more than 15 minutes, gramps is a stalker.   Unfortunately, as he approaches 80 years old, he doesn’t have the gas to get up and down the hills anymore, at least for the first few weeks of the season.  Once he has gotten out and walked up and down hills for a few days, something magical happens.  His fitness levels improve, he has more energy and his overall mood goes from grumpy to optimistic and positive.  Even if you don’t touch a dumbbell, make it a point to get out and walk prior to opening day.  Now, if I can just get to him to walk year round……

#2 Build your bow muscles: 
Simply stated, the stronger you are the easier it is to pull back your bow!  One of my favorite things to do is train clients for BIG hunts.    When my client, Joe, called and said “get me ready for an archery elk hunt” I was like “ALRIGHT, let’s get down to business!”  The stronger you are the more arrows you can fling accurately during practice sessions (and practice for longer periods of time without fatiguing).  It will also allow you to pull back effortlessly and hold steady when the buck you have been watching on camera all summer walks below your stand.  By the way, when Joe’s 6 X 6 came barreling down the mountain he was able to kneel, draw and fire in one glorious motion.  He still talks about that moment to this day and the value of getting physically strong for the hunt and he has the antlers on his wall to prove it.

#3 No bow shot in the field is anything like shooting at the range: 
Having a strong core and the flexibility to rotate your trunk is a necessary ability because your buck probably isn’t going to walk to 15 yards in front of your stand and turn perfectly broadside.  Bucks don’t get big antlers by being stupid so you have to be ready to turn, twist and shoot from a seated position if he walks in from behind.

#4 Getting in, out and all over the woods: 
I am a purist and hate driving ATV’s into the woods.   I just really enjoy the walk in the early morning with only the stars to light my path.  Likewise, I enjoy the trip out in the evening with the setting sun at dusk turning the sky into a kaleidoscope of pinks, purples and reds. To me, driving an ATV directly to my stand sucks the wildness out of my adventure and I take a lot of pride in slipping as quietly as I can from the house to my stand of choice.  There are also going to be moments when you are going to have to crawl on your belly, climb hills, traverse gullies and we haven’t even discussed climbing into and out of your stands.  For the simple action of getting from point A to point B on your property as quickly, quietly and as stealthy as possible, please consider scheduling some regular gym time.

#5 Hauling your deer out of the woods: 
I have had deer drop in wide open fields where I can drive the truck right up to load my kill but more times than not, I end up dragging them through ditches, briars and patches of honeysuckle before I can get them loaded up.  That takes muscular strength, endurance and good cardiovascular fitness but even if you can drive right up to the animal, deer are heavy.  Having a strong core, legs and back will allow you to load your trophy and minimize the risk of straining your back and ruining not just your hunt but potentially the rest of your bow season.

Don’t worry friends.  We can still have our mid-morning naps, biscuits & gravy and a few beers around the campfire to celebrate the day’s hunt.  We aren’t taking the REALLY good perks of deer camp away (I’m encouraging exercise not complete craziness) but we are asking you to think about your pre-season preparation in a different light this year.  Add some fitness to your hunting preparation and get ready for a whole new hunting experience this fall.

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My day ended up with me sitting in a chair due to an unfortunate accident with a beach umbrella.  A bummer, but if I have to sit in a chair due to a foot injury, it might as well be on the beach.   Still, it is funny how things turn out when your perspective changes from looking for shells and shark teeth to really observing your surroundings. Yes, a gash in the foot is no fun, but because I got to witness a precious moment between a mother and her son, I am going to say the foot injury was worth it.


I am no relationship expert but building strong relationships with friends and family is a big component of maintaining a high level of personal wellness.  As I sat in my beach chair contemplating when I had my last tetanus shot, I caught view of a gentleman holding the left arm of his elderly mother as he helped guide her across the soft and potentially treacherous sand to get to the water’s edge.  In her right hand was a cane and it was clear she was very frail.

I continued watching them for a few moments.   As they reached the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, they turned facing the water and just stood together in the surf letting the gentle flow of the water bathe her feet.  They stood there together, his arm being the stabilizing force for his mother to experience a simple pleasure in life and I wondered if perhaps she did the same for him when he was a little boy.  It was beautiful.  

I am glad my sunglasses were on because I did get misty-eyed.  Ironically, no one on the beach besides me and my wife noticed this event.  Everyone was off doing their own thing but Beth and I were privileged to witness a rare and precious moment.

I don’t know what the relationship between your mother and father is like but I do know that time is fleeting and while it seems like we have a hundred years to get this thing right, we never know when the next time we see our parents might be the last.  My suggestion: If you do have conflict, communicate and make sure you have more precious moments than tense.  Oh, and never miss a chance to tell them how you feel.

As I lead my boys to the water’s edge to watch the sunset, I now fast forward 60 years in my mind and wonder what it will be like when they lead Dad to the water. 

Before reading this blog, let’s set the context:

I have a lot of places in this world that help me tap into the spiritual side of wellness.  I love to hunt and be in the woods.  I also love to fish and float clear, cold Ozark streams.  Still, there is something magical about the Gulf of Mexico and this tiny, out-of-the-way island I am standing on that makes me feel as if I have  stepped back in time 50 years.  It makes me happy.

The moment I see the blue-green water, anything that was bothering me mere seconds before seems to disappear.  As my toes squish into the sand and the smell of the salt air hits my nose, worry is replaced with joy.  Finally, as the sun begins to set with the wind blowing through my hair as the waves crash into the shoreline, it sounds like a symphony about to hit its crescendo.  I feel something massively bigger than myself.  I feel peace.  There are many amazing places on this earth and this is one of them.  

Just try to watch this for 30 seconds without feeling more at ease and peaceful! I bet you can't do it!

We live in a fast-paced and stressful world and it has been said that uncontrolled stress can be as damaging to your body as smoking and obesity combined.  For optimal health, you need a happy place, but with careers, responsibilities, kids, deadlines and more, how do you get to your happy place?

Plan:  We aren’t just talking about marking some dates on a calendar.  The happy place I am typing from right now isn’t exactly cheap which brings into play the financial wellness component.  Budgeting and saving so you can get your toes in the sand or on a Colorado mountain top is absolutely essential.  If you don’t consciously make an effort to save for your trip, that trip may never happen.  Plan to get to your happy place.  As often as possible.

Phone Video: The little video you watched above is an easy way to visit your happy place anytime or anywhere you wish.  I have several little videos of various sunsets and moments stored on my phone so no matter where in the world (or work day) I am, I can instantly visit my little island for a 30 second break from reality.  Trips are expensive and you may not get to your happy place on an annual basis.  A short video allows you to visit (at no cost) anytime you wish.

When we were kids we could get lost in our own imagination but somewhere along the trail, we have forgotten how to do this.  All the more reason we all need our personal happy place; A magical place to get lost, to feel like a kid again and to dream.  It’s out there.  Where is your happy place?

Stay well, my friends,

Jeremy