Mental Toughness: The Cerebral Side of Hunting

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Mental toughness gets the best of hunters in a variety of ways, and if you spend enough time in the field, yours will eventually be put to the test. I’m fortunate to spend more days than most in the mountains, so this is all too familiar to me. With that in mind, I’d like to not only expose some common areas of weakness, but also how to handle them. The end goal? Help keep you in the field longer. You can’t fill your tag by going home.

Distractions from Home

One of the biggest hurdles I have personally experienced, as well as witnessed others experience, is distractions from home. Family seems to be the biggest in the arena. I miss my wife every minute I am gone on hunting trips. That pull has brought me out of the field early more times than I can count. So, believe me when I say, “I get it.” My wife used to write me a note for each day I’d be gone and put them in my backpack for me to find. It made home feel a little closer than it was.

Throw kids into the mix? Now, that is a whole different level of challenge. Knowing my daughter is at home asking, “Where is daddy?” and saying, “I miss daddy.” That crushed me mentally, knowing I was missing so much time with her while chasing a passion. I questioned if I was being a good father or if I was leading by example.

There are a few things I’ve come up with through the years to help alleviate these distractions. One is bringing something sentimental from home. I carry a photo of my wife and daughter printed on a small key chain that hangs from my pack. My daughter has also started to make me a bracelet to wear on my hunts. I should also mention a solid means of communication. The Garmin inReach mini 2 has always treated me well since it came out.

These hunting trips are not just good for your freezer, but they are good for your mind. The 9-5 rat race is something that can slowly eat away at someone, and breaking away from it is all too therapeutic. And as far as the kid front goes, I want my daughter to know that I am out chasing my passion. With any luck, she’ll apply that to her own life. Life without passion is not life. Lead by example.

Sleep and Lack Thereof

Sleep deprivation is truly a form of torture. Without adequate sleep, our motivation plummets, cognitive functions decline immensely, and we can start to hallucinate, just to name a few downsides. On a hunting trip, these can not only have ill effects on the results of your hunt, but they can also be downright dangerous.

The best way to deal with sleep deprivation is to get ahead of it as much as you can. Invest in your sleep. One thing you can do here is to make sure your sleeping system(sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc.) is comfortable. Get the right temp rating/size for your bag and the right R-Value for your sleeping pad.

Oh, and use a dang pillow for goodness sake. There is a fine line between tough and stupid.

A few other things to try are falling asleep to a book or a relaxing podcast. I know folks who will bring their headphones into the field for this very reason. Also, consider taking Valerian root or Melatonin before bed. These will help you unwind, relax, and get the deep sleep that you deserve.

Lame Food Equals a Lame Mood

After 15 days of elk hunting, my brother was done eating another bagel with peanut butter. As the sun set on our last day, he hurled his bagel into the depths of a nearby canyon. A fine dinner for a squirrel, and my brother was happy to oblige.

You are what you eat. If you are eating crap food that you don’t like, you are going to be in a crap mood. This is especially true if you are backpack hunting. You don’t have the luxury of jumping in your rig and heading to the nearby burger joint. Because of that, it’s important to bring food with you that you actually like and will look forward to eating.

Having little things to look forward to on the calorie front really goes a long way. Whether it’s a cup of hot chocolate, a favorite candy bar, or a satiating freeze-dried meal to end the day. These little things can lift your mood. In a group, they also have a tendency to drive conversation, which is also a nice touch. Show me a group of hunters having a cup of coffee who aren’t chatting. Not gonna happen.

Food is fuel. If you aren’t in the mood for anything in your food bag and fail to eat, you’ll bonk. I don’t care what anyone says on this front. I’ve seen it happen too many times. Fasting has no place on hunting trips, especially backpack hunting trips. On that note, be sure to add variety to your food. Eating the same thing every day can lead to not wanting to eat at all. EAT!

Failure Is Not Final—Positive Mindset

Hunt long enough and you will inevitably experience some form of failure.

That isn’t necessarily confined to the lack of a dead animal on the ground. Another form of failure is showing up at a favorite spot and finding someone already there. Or maybe the honey hole you once had is now void of animals. These things are discouraging and can take you out of the game mentally. If I had to pick one thing for hunters to possess that will keep them on the path to success, it’s a positive mindset.

Staying positive means staying in the field. The best hunters out there are ones who are good at adapting to new situations. Because the fact of the matter is, you can’t put your money on what events will play out during a hunt. You don’t know about the freak snowstorm that will hit or the hunter that beat you to your spot until confronting them head-on. It’s ok to acknowledge that these things suck, but you need to then move on.

I like to look at these situations as opportunities to grow, no matter how frustrating they may be at times. Focus on the positives of whatever situation you encounter. You will come out of them a more educated hunter if you choose to endure them. Take finding another hunter in your spot. That’s an opportunity to go learn some new country. And if the weather moves in, use that as an opportunity to rest fully knowing that when it passes, the critters are going to be out and moving. Stay positive.

Mental Toughness Always Wins

If you gave me the choice between someone who was physically fit or someone who was mentally tough to fill a tag, I’d put my money on the mentally tough every single time. Put the two together? Now, that is a dangerous hunter. Your mind can either lift you to the heights you desire or break you entirely. I’ll take the lift, and I suggest you do the same. And never ever forget that what you are doing out there is a privilege. Hunting is supposed to be fun. Enjoy every ounce of it, because time waits for nobody.

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