Does spending hours in the car drive to get to your hunting camp cause your stiffness? Do your knees start to bother you as you trudge through the varied terrain in the woods? Is your shoulder strong enough to draw back your compound bow? When you bag that trophy buck, how will your body hold up as you drag it out, or will you strain your back?
Rifle season is upon us, so hunters are prepared with their gear, clothing, and other necessities. They do a great job of ensuring that all of their equipment is in good working order. They spend all that time ensuring their equipment is functioning correctly, but often they fail to put the same amount of effort into their body’s function activity level.
Heart and Lung issues
Walking through the woods is taxing, not to mention if you have to drag out a deer while you do it. This activity level can raise your heart rate and blood pressure and cause shortness of breath. Getting in shape ahead of the season can help. It is recommended that healthy adults perform 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5x/week. This activity can include walking, jogging, swimming, or cycling. Regular exercise can help improve the strength and endurance required for a long hunt.
Muscles and Joints
Limitations in muscle flexibility can contribute to difficulty when hunting. Drawing a bow requires spinal and shoulder mobility, as well as strength. Dragging a deer requires both upper and lower body strength. Maneuvering over or through obstacles in the woods needs a certain degree of flexibility. General mobility and strength exercises can be beneficial in targeting these deficits. Hunters are generally tight in their upper back, pecs, and shoulders. These are usually good places to start, but not every stretch is good for everyone. So it’s good to see a physical therapist for more specific recommendations and guidance.
Balance
Stepping over fallen trees, crossing logs, and negotiating through rocks can be tricky. Then add rain or snow into the mix, making things even more difficult. Balance is a function of our inner ear, vision, sensation in our feet, and joint position. If these systems are impaired, that further increases the risk of falling. Walking into and out of the stand in the dark compromises your visual system to some extent, which puts hunters at a greater risk of falling. This is where physical therapists can come in to help get all of your balance systems in working order.
If you are having trouble in any of these areas, or if you’ve noticed other problems that impact your hunt, then make an appointment at WWS Physical Therapy and Vestibular Rehabilitation for evaluation by one our expert therapists.
Note ***
In Pennsylvania, the Deer problems are not defined by the number of deer. They are determined by the impact of those deer and the values of the residents they affect. Communities do not manage deer because there are several deer per square mile. They work deer (Caul the herd) because residents agree that the number of deer-vehicle collisions, the damage to gardens, parks, and landscaping, or backyards that look like barnyards are unacceptable.
Image from Rothman Orthopedic
