Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Should working on being in shape be anywhere near as important as working on making a mouth call sound like something a gobbler wants to come check out?

It's extremely important to me. More so than calling. I hunt mostly in steep mountains or river bluff country and the ability to move quickly, cover rough ground, and not be too winded by the time you get on a bird to call and shoot is vital. I've hunted with flatlanders and over weight people who would strangle me at the end of the day if only they could move. I'm on the treadmill every morning and pre season start working out on inclines and running stairs. Turkey hunting and bow hunting is really my motivation to stay in any kind of shape.

Quote from: RiverBuck on March 12, 2022, 05:57:49 PM
Should working on being in shape be anywhere near as important as working on making a mouth call sound like something a gobbler wants to come check out?

Absolutely in some instances.  Not so much in others.  Let's face it, you can often tell which guys hunt the places where no physical conditioning is necessary just by looking at them.   :D   ;D

Then again, there are some of us that are just such superior physical specimens that we don't need to work to stay in shape.  It just comes naturally!   :angel9:

In my opinion yes. I hunt mountains though. My hunting lifestyle is a major driving factor for this. However it helps immensely for just life in general. I feel the first line of defense as far as overall health goes is staying decently physically fit. I like that at 40+ years of age I still do everything I did in my 20's.

Since I have gone to TSS and don't have to run down any gobblers, I don't find it as important!
Seriously, I think it's important to be at least in reasonable shape. With turkey hunting popularity exploding, I find important to be able to hike out to those spots that aren't covered up with hunters.
Oftentimes, these spots are better because the birds haven't been fooled with as much.


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Fitness rates very high for me. I sent 32 years jumping in and out of a truck delivering packages and started working out about 10 years ago. My number one thought was that I wanted to continue doing things the way I want to do them. I feel that I stay focused and can put in multiple long days with no issues. I hunt river bottom and swamps to the mountains in PA (which will kick your butt) so fitness more than helps. At 61 I feel really good and hope for many more years in the turkey woods.

I'm into fitness.  FittiN' Niss  cheese burger in my mouth it's dinner time!  :funnyturkey:

56 now and try to take care of myself a lot better then I used too. The fountain of youth is definitely the treadmill with some salads in between. I know my limitations and don't push it like I used to. Slow and steady wins the race. I don't run and gun. It's more of a carefully thought out plan and a stroll.

Quote from: RiverBuck on March 12, 2022, 05:57:49 PM
Should working on being in shape be anywhere near as important as working on making a mouth call sound like something a gobbler wants to come check out?

Yes! For me being in shape is the most important thing, but I hunt out west and like everyone's favorite Tuber Dave Owens said, "these mountains ain't no joke."  ;)

Mouth calling is right there at the top of my priorities too. Before season when I'm hiking around the local hills, I'll have a mouth call in and pause every now and then to practice calling while out of breath. Train as you fight they say, same goes for me and hunting.

very important, i walk a lot and hunt some hills and public land that requires you to get way off the roads..

Very important,I like to keep moving


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Agree with what was said, but I work out for me and my health.   It just helps with the hunting.   Older I get do more stretching too along with workouts.

Its important enough to me that its been a lifestyle since I was a teenager.   

Fitness is everything with me regarding Turkey hunting. I hunt at least 25 days per season from daybreak till noon. I usually lose about 12 pounds from all the walking. I start training by walking in March. Works well....

Very important. In the area I hunt if your not in shape your probably going home empty handed.

Where I live and hunt everything looks like this. Everything. Grow up like that and you learn to side hill and switchback and cover three miles to get what should've took one. All that to say, about as important as water.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220313/b6d2440d03da8c681fcb915e8601f492.jpg)


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Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on March 12, 2022, 07:26:42 PM
Where I live and hunt everything looks like this. Everything. Grow up like that and you learn to side hill and switchback and cover three miles to get what should've took one. All that to say, about as important as water.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220313/b6d2440d03da8c681fcb915e8601f492.jpg)


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Looks like some of same terrain I am hunting chester.

Quote from: bear hunter on March 12, 2022, 07:35:26 PM
Looks like some of same terrain I am hunting chester.

There's plenty of bears.


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Very...I do stair climber with resistance bands or weights along with bike in my trainer,two hrs a day. When trails are dry,I mtn bike.

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I hunt the mountains so I have to be in halfway decent shape if I want to hike up and down to chase turkeys.


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Quote from: bear hunter on March 12, 2022, 07:19:54 PM
Very important. In the area I hunt if your not in shape your probably going home empty handed.

Where I hunt (very steep terrain), if you are not in some kind of physical condition, you will miss the chance to kill about half the birds you hear. Hearing them from three to four ridges over and being able to cover the distance to set up and kill them are two different things.

Calling is important enough I guess, but I am of the old school thinking that woodsmanship and patience kills turkeys. In steeper country woodsmanship requires pretty good conditioning to leave the truck an hour or two before daylight and often to still be at it as late as 3-4 oclock in the afternoon and going up and down ridges the whole time.

One thing I learned the hard way and most of you may be way ahead of me, but conditioning requires putting energy in your body. No matter how good of shape you are in you cannot pull ridges wide open for 8 or more hours at a time without plenty of water and food. Finally being willing to take at least four bottles of water and at least a sandwich and a couple of power bars and some nuts, boxes of raisins and a piece or two of fruit changed my physical ability to hunt long and hard big time. There were days when I thought man I was not be in good enough shape, but eventually I figured out the issue was more a touch of dehydration and possible low blood sugar (not talking about diabetes but instead a totally empty stomach), etc. after going for hours with nothing to eat.

At 66 years old I do what I can to stay in good shape. I walk , visit the gym and work around the family property.  I love hunting the mountains and  plan on continuing doing it for many more years, I would truly feel terrible if I was forced to quite hunting  because I could not physically   continue  due to being out of shape.

I think it's pretty important.


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  It is important. Lift weights 3 days a week- full body and daily Martial Arts. Hike at every opportunity.

I'm buying the new Sitka vest, I figure that'll give me another mile or two.

Round is a shape, so yeh, I'm in a shape. :toothy12:

As long as I can climb hills all day I'm good


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Hah, just recently chatting with a guy I met here at OG about this very topic. I told him at 53yrs I purposely stay out of shape to help slow me down. Give you whippersnappers chance!

Both are important fitness and practicing with your calls..

Very important,
The last few springs I have found myself hunting a lot of mountain birds. One such turkey at an elevation of 9,000 feet. Lots of public land hunting with far walks into the woods. I personally find it to be of more pertinence than calling. Am I work out junkie/ gym rat? Far from it. I live a pretty active lifestyle year round, but once January hits I'll start hitting the gym at least 3-4 days a week on the stairclimber for 45 minutes and stationary bike for an hour. Crank out some podcasts and it goes by rather quick, but I'd much rather be at home screwing around. Oh well, my body will be thanking me in 30 years.

It's highly important to stay in shape. I've found that out the hard way.  My wife loves to cook and before I knew it in the last couple of years I gained 25 to 30. Last season was a struggle. Fortunately I walk alot and 4 months ago changed my diet. Lost the 30. Feel great! Honestly feel better now than I have in 20 years.  So DEFINITELY it's very important to stay in shape to hunt these critters and places that we do here.

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If you're in the mountains and need to out work others ie public land it certainly helps to be in better shape than others. Honestly for hunting a much simpler routine is all thats needed to see the benefits.


I enjoy working out it, running, lifting, rowing, bike it's all a hobby/passion secondary only to hunting. I have a 400sq ft gym at my house that sees use 5-6 days a week.

I also want to be able to help make my kids be better at the sports of their choosing not just try and keep up with them. If my daughter wants to run cross country or my son needs to add strength for football I know how to help with that, I don't want to be a parent talking about what I "used" to be able to do.

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At 55 years old I try to stay in decent shape not only to chase gobblers or drag a buck deer . Chasing my 3 year old and 8 year old kids around also !

I don't even think about if for hunting. I've been into it for over 40 years now,  I'll get up at 2-3 if need be if that's what it takes to work out that day and it's at least 6 days week. 
Mind mindset is so set on this when I had surgery and couldn't walk I took my wheelchair over speed bumps in the parking lot of rehab place just to be physical. Bear in mind I couldnt even feed myself my dexterity was so bad. My mother had to bail me out of bushes more than once but all I knew how to help myself was go. Before surgery I even had veins showing in my quads. Fellas working out could help/save you in the woods or at home.  Just another part of life needs to be done. Turkey hunting imo can only benefit from it

Quote from: Howie g on March 13, 2022, 08:02:38 AM
At 55 years old I try to stay in decent shape not only to chase gobblers or drag a buck deer . Chasing my 3 year old and 8 year old kids around also !

God bless ya bud. Hope mama is young n sprite too!!

Quote from: Howie g on March 13, 2022, 08:02:38 AM
At 55 years old I try to stay in decent shape not only to chase gobblers or drag a buck deer . Chasing my 3 year old and 8 year old kids around also !

I'm 51 with a 5 year old...Getting old and out of shape isn't an option for us.

If it's hunting season, I'm hunting. It's been that way my entire life and learned early on the importance of staying fit. It's not uncommon to walk several miles up the foothills chasing birds and more during bow season chasing bucks to get away from everyone else. Besides the fact living healthy and working out feels better, hunting keeps me in shape.

The replies haven't surprised me... but I'm still waiting for Mr. Buffet Killer to chime in. I see him every season driving the dirt road calling out the window of the truck.

The replies haven't surprised me... but I'm still waiting for Mr. Buffet Killer to chime in. I see him every season driving the dirt road calling out the window of the truck.

I call opening day around here "the fat boy 500". There's a lot of dudes driving the roads trying to find an easy one close to the road.

Extremely important.  Not just difficult terrain and long walks, but surviving the grind of 2 months of 3-4 a.m. wakeups and still being able to feel Good and get out after it.  Most guys fold.  And a lot of that has  to do with health and what kind of shape you're in.

Quote from: aaron on March 13, 2022, 10:24:12 AM
Extremely important.  Not just difficult terrain and long walks, but surviving the grind of 2 months of 3-4 a.m. wakeups and still being able to feel Good and get out after it.  Most guys fold.  And a lot of that has  to do with health and what kind of shape you're in.

Exactly...  more of an 'endurance' fitness.  I find it very rare that I have to ramp up my heart rate to 150bpm to make a speed run around a bird to get into position.  But being able to slog all day long for miles at a slow pace, repeat day after day, still be able to do it at 200ft elevation or 7000ft elevation, and do it for 8 weeks straight on limited sleep is key... for most, not fitness, just torture.  For us... heaven.

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I killed birds last year ranging from 4 miles from the truck to a couple hundred yards.  I maintain fitness year round and always ramp it up just prior to any hunts!

Been rucking 25lb pack lately, will ramp it up to 35lbs, have a mountain I hike 10 minutes from the house, short but steep, I rotate that with longer less intense hikes.

I put on some crazy miles last year in Colorado, late season and quiet birds, saw some pretty country and virtually no humans!  Finally killed a bird on the last day of season on a gravy hike into water hole. Prior to that I bet I put on 35 miles!

Very important, but for life in general, not just hunting. I've never been one not to hunt a spot due to difficulty to get to or difficultly in retrieving game. In fact, I love spots that the average person won't go. Killed many nice bucks in places where a single obstacle or difficult retrieval made the difference between mediocre hunting and excellent hunting. I hope to be able to continue to do it for a long time.

Where I hunt there's not a lot of opportunities for slipping around to get in front of a bird because our woods are way too thick for that style. Mainly we hunt fields where they are ultimately going to feed and hunt where we may have roosted one from the afternoon before. My walks in are only from 400 to 1500 yards on flat ground without any artificial light. Nothing really sexy or demanding about this style but I do try to drop ten lbs. or so and walk around the neighborhood more often. I also give myself time enough to stop a couple of times if I start to break a sweat while walking in. No way I could keep up with some of you, but still manage to get my share on my Browning seat with Mrs. Glenda's cushion and the patience I have acquired after 47 years of marriage! Y'all have a great & safe season!

It's important, but I try to maintain an active lifestyle all year. I run a mile about once a month to make sure I can still do it in a respectable time without stopping...that's the extent of my running.

Turkey hunting doesn't test my fitness as much as deer hunting. Dragging out a deer, pulling it in the sled, or hauling out a butchered deer strapped to my pack is what tests me more than anything. A few years ago I got a buck back to my truck and could barely get it in the bed because I was so exhausted. Finally made it work, but those hints test me more than any turkey hunting ever has, and several turkey hunting days  have been 10+ mile days. Not frequently, but it happens if you chase all day sometimes.


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     There both important but for me calling is more important. It's really at the heart of why I turkey hunt. If turkeys didn't respond to calling, I wouldn't turkey hunt. I'm not very out of shape but I dont need to hike much and I never stalk, I'm strictly a call 'em in guy. So unfortunately for me,  I lose very little weight during the season.
     For those that have to hike the mountains then you need to get in shape but ultimately that's an added benefit to you. But I also like the fact that disabled hunters can and do regularly participate in turkey hunting through skillful stationary calling. What a great American game bird!

As it relates to age, I will just point out a few things you youngsters have to look forward to...  ;D :D 

The thing that I have witnessed in myself and others my age is that I really started to note a difference in my physical abilities starting around age 65.  Up until that point, I could still do most all of the physical aspects needed for hunting,...walking long distances, climbing steep terrain, and other physical exertion,...pretty much like I had all of my life.  I was just gradually getting a bit slower at it.

Since 65, I have noticed significant changes in my muscle strength and endurance,...and have seen the same in my hunting buddies that are my age (we are all in our early 70's and have all been fairly active physically all of our lives).  We have also noticed a change in our mental attitudes about things.  We sometimes have discussions about the "pro's and con's" prior to going to a distant gobble nowadays that we would never have had a few years back.

Having said that, we are all capable of climbing steep terrain at 8,000-9,000 ft, elevations and walking several miles when needed in the turkey woods.  Yes, it takes longer to get there, but we still can if we actually decide to do it. Often, overcoming that mental part of asking ourselves,.."is making the effort to get to that gobble important enough to us to do it?"...is the most difficult obstacle.  For the most part, the answer to that question is still "yes", but the debates about it seem to be taking longer nowadays...   :D ;D

I could care less about the fitness of the bird.  As long as he's got a beard and spurs he's a champion to me.  LOL!! 

It's paramount. At 42 I have a 2.5 yoa little girl so I'm always on my feet. With that being said, I take staying in shape very seriously. I hike the mountains, run, row, lift weights, etc. I can still run a mile in sub 7 minutes. But I also have a beat up body of many years or sports, dirt bikes, injuries, etc.

I cover many miles in the spring between a couple of states, and usually drop about 5-8 lbs.
I have to say though, more importantly than turkey hunting is the ability to drag a deer a long way on public land. I killed a large bodied buck three years ago on public land in Pennsylvania. My drag was 1.5 miles up a mountain. I had no other choice to get it to the truck before dark. It absolutely destroyed me but I did it. With that being said, it's a year-round thing and a lifestyle for me.

It's Important... I remember every spring on opening day that I wasn't going to be like this next year.

It ain't important at all to turkey hunt. 

I've been over weight my entire life but always active and in sports. Over the last 3 years do to work I've been less active and haven't made up for it with exercise. I can tell you those miles hurt way more than they used to especially with any topography.