I'll just say, I'm happy to see so many contributors on this thread. I'm of the opinion that the most successful hunters are those that are "balanced". I think we are all guilty of over-prioritizing one aspect or another, I'd guess that there are a few of us that over-value our shooting/equipment capabilities and under-value scouting/E-scouting (could hit game on the other mountain, if only they knew how to find them).
I see guys every fall, $2,000 worth of boutique camo clothing, $500 boots, $2,000 spotter, $1,400 binos, $5,000 rifle setup..... stopped half way up the mountain and asking me if they are "almost there?" or "are there any animals in this unit?". I smile and respond "yup, keep on going, you are half way there". Sometimes I'll take the time to show them a pic from last years animal to encourage them. More often than not, I'll come back down to camp that night and they will either be packed up and gone or have resigned themselves to drinking every night and road hunting. There are so many hunters out there that "invest" in the wrong things. If you can't get to the arena, with enough juice to execute a shot and complete an arduous pack out, then all of your other efforts are just a gear-gathering hobby (which is okay, lots of folks take great satisfaction in looking the part and chalking up an unsuccessful season to unfavorable weather/migration patterns).
My preparations have changed over the years, last year I feel that I (personally) overtrained. I was rucking 3-4 times per week and running or biking in the off days. Physically I felt on top of the world, but I started this routine in early March and carried it through the start of archery elk. I burned myself out mentally and it was a struggle to maintain that routine for such a long time.
This year I've dialed back to rucking 1-2 days a week and I'm going to start biking July 1st. I had planned on amping things up earlier until I compared my rucking times to last years results. I set a new PR 5 weeks into rucking this year, as opposed to having "overtrained" for 6 months last year (I attribute it to allowing for better muscle recovery during the initial build phase). I'm expecting even better performance once I ramp up my cardio.
Anyways, long rambling post, just to say, "keep it up everyone!". You will very rarely notice your physical preparations up on the mountain, but you will assuredly notice a lack of preparations when you admit to yourself that you are suffering physically and mentally during your 5 day hunt that you've looked forward to all year and spend a lot of time and money on.
Physical limitations are unacceptable for anyone that is "able-bodied" and knows I'm advance that they are hunting the mountains that fall.
