Don’t Keep Hammering
“Embrace the suck.” No thanks!
Let’s be real– nobody enjoys being miserable. But there is a vein of hunters/hunting culture that likes to pretend that being miserable is fun.
The thing is, there are inevitable parts of hunting that are going to suck. Waking up before the sun does, for example, is one of my least favorite parts of hunting. Also, odds are you’re going to have to walk, hike, crawl, or otherwise maneuver around during your hunt, often across long distances or over difficult terrain (and if you’re like me, your body may have slowly forgotten the meaning of “exercise” over these past few COVID years). So if there are already “sucky” things that will happen during a hunt, why on earth would I “embrace” any more suck than necessary?
This, in my opinion, is one of the worst ways that hunting culture gatekeeps those who otherwise might be interested in learning to hunt. Each year, I am sure there are plenty of people who try their hand at hunting, only to be led astray by a mentor who doesn’t tell them how to layer properly, hikes in too far, or doesn’t bring enough snacks, all in the name of “the suck.” All it takes is one bad experience for people to throw up their hands and say, “This hunting thing isn’t for me.”
We all know that a good first experience is key in creating a lifetime hunter. So then why would we toss out that knowledge and trade a good experience for a sucky time once we become more experienced? It doesn’t make sense.
Truth:
You do not need to be an olympic athlete to be able to hunt
You do not need to embrace some kind of militaristic asceticism to be a real hunter
You do not need to like the same hunts that other people like, or enjoy them in the same ways
Instead:
Be yourself; you don’t have to emulate any other hunters you see, and you sure as hell don’t have to change or push yourself beyond your limits to be part of the hunting community
Invest in hunting gear that will make your hunts comfortable and enjoyable
Be honest with yourself and others about your physical limits, and know when to call it a day
Some things I recommend to make “the suck” suck less:
A good jacket: Y’all. Take my word on this one. This is my favorite item of clothing that I’ve ever worn. The Sitka Ambient Jacket is my second-to-top layer if it is windy or rainy, and let me tell you, it does the trick! Most of my big game hunts are done in the beautiful temperate rain forests of Oregon, with weather usually in the mid 60s-70s during fall mornings/evenings. That said, my most comfortable elk hunt ever was in 14 degrees in Wyoming with this bad boy on over my Fanatic Hoodie and Core Midweight LS bottom layer.
A good pair of boots: I am an old soul– or perhaps I should say “old sole.” In other words, my feet hurt. Always. And when my feet hurt, my hips hurt. When my hips hurt, my back hurts… you get the picture. LOWA Renegades have been a lifesaver. I (quite literally) shed tears of joy when I finished the Northwest Archery Challenge, after hiking 7 miles, without pain! I’ve had many hiking/hunting shoes, but none that have solved my problems the way these boots did. They even make wide and narrow boots so you can find the perfect fit. Danke, LOWA!
Superfeet Insoles: Gotta give a shout out to our buddies at REI for these amazing insoles! I have super high arches, plantars fasciitis, and in case that wasn’t sexy enough, I also have bunions. I wear the Trailblazer Comfort Women’s (go ‘Zers!) and couldn’t speak more highly of them. I even got a pair of wideGREEN for my casual shoes, and Easyfit High Heel inserts for the heels my doctor told me not to wear anymore (that I totally still wear).
Gator Waders: First and foremost, shout out to Gator Waders for making badass women’s gear! I wear the Shield Insulated Waders in a size 8 (mentioning the size only because the sizing calculator on their website was super helpful, since I usually wear a size 6.5-7 in regular shoes). While Oregon autumns might be pleasant, Oregon winters can get pretty cold, and my previous waders were uninsulated since I used them mainly for fishing. I learned REAL QUICK that there is no substitute for good waders if you want to be cozy while sitting still in a duck blind.
Mr. Heater: This one is pretty obvious, but I remember the first time I didn’t have a Mr. Heater and one of our mentors, Jayne, brought one with her so that she and her mentee could be warm in their deer blind and… mind. blown. They’re also a pretty cool company– when we told them that HOC would like to work with them, they said, “Sweet, what do you need?!” which is always refreshing in a world where we usually have to explain ourselves and our mission.
Plenty of water
Plenty of snackies
Prepping for hunts by exercising regularly*
*I put an asterisk next to this one because while I personally love weight lifting, I have a hard time getting myself to do cardio. However, I know that for me, cardio training really helps those treks into elk country suck less. So, I find cardio that lets me enjoy my time, rather than hating myself. Some days, this looks like walking my dog, or putting on a funny show and walking uphill on a treadmill. Other days, I put on some zumba hip hop dance classes on youtube and embarrass myself in front of my neighbors. And a lot of days, my cardio entails walking to the fridge *again* to see if my single ingredients have magically transformed themselves into some delicious meal. All that to say, you don’t have to be militant about working out. Just do what you can to feel healthy and prepared– that is more than enough. On your hunts, your body will tell you what it needs, and you can adjust your workouts (or your hunts!) accordingly! The most important thing is listening to your body and knowing your limits. Don’t push it too hard– in working out, in life, and in hunting. Instead, try enjoying yourself at your own pace. Life is too short to embrace the suck.
I would like to quickly point out three things:
If embracing the suck is your thing, that’s cool. I know some people are actually into that kind of thing, and as a weight lifter I can *almost* understand it. You do you. But don’t expect other people to keep up. (And probably consider therapy or calling your grandma more often).
None of the above brands paid me for my opinions. I just wanted to share with y’all how fun hunting can be if you’re warm, dry, and your feet don’t hurt!
My opinions are my own. I am sure that there are other people (even within the HOC team) that enjoy the suck. But I don’t. And you don’t have to either. :)