By Nick Simonson

Second perhaps to the day after New Years, the Sunday following the Fourth of July is one of my most dreaded days of the year.  I know it’s just a number, and I know that health and fitness overall is more than the red-line numerals on the readout in the dim light of my bathroom on that inevitable morning; but man is it disappointing to see where a holiday week’s worth of bratwursts, chips, snacks, parade candy, and less than healthy beverage choices have put me when it comes to that weigh-in.

However, I also find that same Sunday to be one of the most optimistic of the year as well.  With the completion of the holiday, summer’s unofficial midpoint has come and gone and that means without regret, those of us eyeing up bird counts, awaiting a deer license in the mail, and firing off salvos of arrows at the foam block in the back yard, can begin thinking of the hunting seasons to come.  The first of which being the early Canada goose management take in mid-August, is really just four weeks away, with dove opener being a couple weeks after that on Sept. 1.  Then grouse, and pheasants, and then deer.  And then the holiday eating season begins.  And I’m back where I began, staring at the red numbers on the display on January 2.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, as usual.

The combination of disappointment and optimism at this point in the calendar actually works to my advantage, and to that of many hunters.  It’s a great time to reset and see what is needed, physically and otherwise, to prepare for the upcoming fall.  Looking across the region, things are setting up for a stronger upland season, which means being able to hike through the hills and over long distances of prairie will be important.  For those waterfowlers too, Canada geese are as numerous as they’ve ever been, and duck populations saw a slight increase this spring as well in the breeding counts, meaning multiple hauls of the decoys from field to trailer will make for a pre-dawn workout on many occasions this autumn.  No matter how you do it – bow, rifle or muzzleloader – deer hunting is always made better by a hike into the hills or out to the stand and being fit for that walk or even just a sit on high, is always to your advantage.

So with the idea that all of these great opportunities sit before us and that no matter what shape we’re in after joining Joey Chestnut in a record-breaking hot dog eating extravaganza yet again, we’re ready to work toward those goals.  Whether they’re just easy strolls behind an older hunting dog, or a dead sprint after a pup on his first running rooster, now is the time for the preparation that pays off in just a few weeks.  The nice part of wanting to drop a couple pounds, or a few seconds off a mile time, or some extra kilometers in a running journal is that doing so will make you a better hunter, but the best part is that you can do it any way you choose, and at any fitness level.

Simply walking around the block, on a nearby nature trail, or around a local track is a great way to start getting more active, but don’t stop there!  Outdoor-focused activities like hikes through the wilderness, or paddling a kayak or canoe, burn calories and help you get to fun, fishable places that integrate the back half of summer’s best recreational activity with some physical activity as well. Don’t overlook weight training either.  Pumping iron helps burn fat over the long haul as muscle gets added, and making sure not to skip leg day and work in a quick shot of abs will have your lower section ready to charge up that favorite hill which holds grouse and partridge, or plow through that deep slough to pheasant nirvana with ease.  Additionally, the added strength makes setting up that new ladder stand for archery season a whole lot easier.

By the time Labor Day weekend rolls around, with a few steps in the right direction, those numbers on the scale will have faded from memory and you’ll be ready to make some far better ones this autumn.  Work walks, runs, and weightlifting in, along with those workouts in the outdoors which may be less monotonous and more adventurous, and you’ll be all set to get to those places where birds and deer are found and set yourself up for better health, fitness and ultimately more success…in our outdoors.