How do you prepare for elk?

[xXLojackXx]

I take a few shots of Cow In Heat. It really wakes you up for the hunt.

[RadSav]

I smoke cigarettes though, so i should probably work on quitting that if i want to actually reach a decent peak in cardio performance.

Easier said than done for sure!  On my NWT trip I took E-Cigs with me.  That seemed to help out a lot.  Plus you don't smell like an ash tray.  Quitting being the best option, though I understand the difficulty there!

[Fullabull]

I start my season by finding a place to do lunges, I go to the local high school, do lunges for 50 yards walk fast around the field to the same point on the 50 yard line and do another 50 yards of lunges. I do this until I can do 100 yards of lunges, walk the end zone and then another 100 yards. I do this until I can do about 600 yards of lunges at 100 at a time. In the evenings I do 100 push ups, situps and stretching.

I also have a 3 mile trek I take where I walk fast up a steep hill and down the other. I then try and jog/run back up the back side which usually kicks my but. Then, once the kids are home from college we go once a week to a trail that is 2 miles up so 4 total. They are young and I tell them to just go and I try and keep up. At 55 this year it's getting tougher to keep up.

Can't wait for my son to get out of school in two years so he can carry quarters

[kbrowne14]

I would say that put a bunch of weight in the backpack and go to the gym and do the stair climber.  All the elk hunting I do is up and down all day long.

[Mtn.Ghost]

Get in the best shape you can in the time you have.
Walking, jogging, biking, hiking, ect.

Know the area you hunt like it's your backyard.
Don't overload yourself with weight and pack it tight so it's not a loose awkward pile of meat on your back.
Fighting a poorly backed load will wear you out as fast as the terrain.

Make more trips not heavier ones, sounds like there will 3 people in your party....share the load, work "smarter" not "harder" run a relay system between the three of you in a rotation to get the meat to the road. That way the meat is always being looked after and everyone is able to rest while still getting the job done in a fairly nonstop manner.

Consider packing down hill to a lower road if at all feasible. In any case take the path of least resistance use your brain to lessen the pain

The relay rotation works great, It may seem to take a little longer but it is pretty much a sustainable nonstop action and if you may be packing multiple animals during your trip you wont be nearly as beaten down from it        

[HoofsandWings]

I do not see anything about seeing the doctor for a physical. Make sure you don't have any blood vessels that need attention. Also, have the doctor check you for hernias. They don't have to be just in your groin and they can be small and not noticeable.

[Fullabull]

forgot to add, If you can find stairs climb them 2 stairs at a time as many times as you can without stopping and only on the balls of your feet, this will also help get you calves good a strong which is as important as your upper leg muscles.

[Bean Counter]

My old mizunos have about 1750 miles on them. 

  ... 

i used to run marathons in college though I never sold shoes. widespread teaching amongst coaches (who are not shoe salesmen) is to replace your kicks every 500 miles or 6 months.

[WSU]

Carry less weight?  Making an extra trip, especially if its only a mile or two, is better than carrying so much you can barely move.