I have a confession to make. It’s not going to be much of a surprise to any of you who know or have met me, but…. I’m fat. Yeah, I know, I’m not surprised, but there’s more to it. I’m also getting older and it’s definitely not in my favor. This Spring’s turkey season wraps up on Sunday and it’s been mighty hard on this fat, old fella.
It hasn’t been much of an issue in recent years when I began guiding out-of-state hunters professionally. We’ve had some remarkably easy seasons for 2019 and 2020 when most of my hunters scored on the first day of their hunt, allowing me plenty of time to rest and ready myself for the next client. But, 2021 went completely off the script! I offer my hunters, who come in from all over the country, three-day opportunities to bag themselves an Osceola turkey. Dedicated turkey hunters all over, want to harvest a grand slam, pitting their wits against each of our five native subspecies of wild turkey; the Merriams, Rio Grande, Eastern, Goulds, and our Osceolas. Osceolas, being the most difficult of each subspecies to hunt, lots of folks look for help. I try to lend a hand.
And I did lend that hand, with once again enjoying one hundred percent opportunities for my clients. But, it took a terrible toll on my body. The turkeys were completely off-script and we worked hard, employing every trick I had in my playbook in order to get the job done for my eleven clients. Thirty-three days of hard hunting wore me out and as soon as my last client headed back across the Mason and Dixon line, I found myself hospitalized.
I’m not going to go into specifics, but my body is just worn out. I’ll be on my feet soon enough, but am already making huge changes in my diet and will be back in the gym with one purpose in mind. To hunt better, hunt harder and hunt longer. I’ve got ten months until the 2022 Spring turkey season arrives and I intend to be quite a bit leaner.
I tell ya folks, it’s been an eye-opener. That’s why I encourage you all to consider a few of the issues old Doc has given me a fit about. One, Weight; I need to lose another seventy-five pounds to get the extra stress off of my joints, especially my knees. If you’re carrying a little extra around the middle, get to work shedding it. Two, Sleep; I’d been operating on an average of three and a half hours of rest each night and clearly, it wasn’t enough. Make sure you create a schedule whereby you can still find at least six hours of good sleep. And three, Conditioning; when you’ve got a big hunt coming up, or a long string of hunts, begin walking and exercising at least two months in advance. Cardio workouts will help assist in extending your endurance to prepare you to perform at your highest level.
So, keep an eye on me folks, or better yet join me. Let’s get fit, to better enjoy success! And know, as always, I’d surely love to hear from you if you have any feedback or maybe a story of your own you’d like to share, at [email protected]. God bless and good hunting!
