Supplements for Hunting the Backcountry: How to Elevate Your Hunting Abilities with the Proper Supplements
Supplements for Hunting the Backcountry
How to Elevate Your Hunting Abilities with the Proper Supplements
Written By: Stephen Miller, Bowhunting AZ
We all know that backcountry hunting can be extremely grueling in terms of conditioning. Being backcountry ready is more than just fine-tuning your shooting technique and having all the ultralight gear. On my early archery bull elk hunt my buddy Jake and I easily racked up almost 100 miles. What’s crazy is I wouldn’t even classify that hunt as a hard hunt, physically that is. It certainly was mentally grueling, but it wasn’t dozens of miles into uncharted backcountry each day. Still, having hit the gym regularly for weights, cardio and especially the stair master all before season gave me a huge amount of leverage over the average hunter that was out there. Recovery from paying your dues is equally as important. Taking care of your body and giving it ample hydration and protein to recover properly is probably more important than we’ll ever know.
Now I want to make sure I deliver this right. I don’t want people to think that supplements make you kill more. They’re simply enabling me to hunt harder because I go harder in the gym. It’s quite simple in my opinion. The harder I pound the weights and condition for cardio in the gym the more ground I’ll be able to cover and the less tired I’m going to feel. I want to be a machine out on the mountain. Giving my harvest a relentless pursuit is going to drastically elevate me as a predator. In theory, I’ll have more encounters and be able to get closer to wild game more often if I’m doing my part to cover ground without ceasing.
Proper supplementation is the catalyst that amplifies a stringent workout regiment. In the past, I’ve worked towards bulking up by utilizing heavy weights with low reps. These days to conquer my Dark Mountain I focus more on medium weights with a larger amount of reps. Often 3 to 4 sets of 15 reps. I strive to conquer fatigue and mental barriers versus using all the plates on my rack. After hitting the weights, one of my favorite techniques for a solid cardio session is to do a round of tractor tire flips with a weighted pack followed by a 15-20 minute session on Stairmaster with the weighted pack. Utilizing the weighted pack on both exercises makes for an ultimate conditioning workout. I’ve noticed very good results on the mountain from combining these two exercises with my weight regiment.
One of the supplements behind my success is none other than Dark Mountain’s Kodiak Pre-workout. Dark Mountain is a company centered around hunters and conservation. A member of the "2% for conservation" community, Dark Mountain brings their A-game when it comes to quality supplements. I absolutely LOVE their Kodiak Pre-workout powder over any other product that I’ve ever tried. I take this each time before I hit the gym. My methods of taking this have altered over time and I’ll divulge why. Some people prefer to take their pre-workout all at once with a small glass of water, while another method is to drink it throughout the workout. I’ve found methods to be extremely advantageous. If I have a day where I know I won't be in the gym long but want to hit the weights hard, then I’ll take an “all at once” approach to the Kodiak pre-workout. If I’m able to bust out a longer session that day then I’ll drink it over a prolonged period and I’ve found that I sustain a higher work ethic throughout the workout vs a shorter burst for a power workout. What’s turned me into a raving fan of the Dark Mountain Kodiak Pre-workout is that there is no crash at the end or later on post-workout. Many pre-workout powders leave with you an overwhelming surge of energy that feels uncontrolled. I’ve even experienced heart palpitations from other brands in the past before I found Dark Mountain. Kodiak leaves you feeling in control of your pump, gives you sustained energy and doesn’t leave you feeling wiped and useless for the rest of your beyond the gym. Another perk that I love is that Dark Mountain offers Kodiak in single-use packets. These are highly beneficial in the field, especially when you’ve downed a 6x6 bull elk and have a pack out in your near future. Trust me, I experienced this in September of 2019. Having the extra edge, added energy and pushing through mentally is all worth have some Dark Mountain in your pack.
Another VERY important cog in the success machine has been Dark Mountain’s grass-fed whey protein. Recovery plays a massive role in your ability to crush personal goals and physical barriers. I’m always striving to rise above personal records in the gym and Dark Mountain’s Grass-fed whey protein has most certainly played a huge role in my success so far. I’m a huge stickler when it comes to my protein drinks. Taste, not being bloated after consuming, no grittiness or powder clumps and high protein content are all standards that I require when looking for a protein powder I can rely on. Dark Mountain’s protein met every single one of those standards. The taste is absolutely delicious! I describe it as being almost like a pudding mixture before the pudding has chilled and settled. It’s tastes just like a chocolate pudding mix that my mom used to make when I was young. I remember always licking the spoon and bowl clean of all the chocolate pudding batter. A particular talking point I'm excited to mention is that Dark Mountain has utilized Stevia as their sweetener. This is a huge thing for me as artificial sweeteners are huge turn off when looking at products I want to ingest. Stevia is a plant-based sweetener from the stevia leaf and does not spike blood sugar levels. This is extremely important to me as well as I want to avoid any crashes after the gym. Hitting a specific recovery time frame during post-workout is extremely crucial. I’ve discovered my body reacts to protein intake during a very specific time frame. From the moment I get home from the gym until the following early morning hours are the best time for protein consumption. Every shake I take 2 scoops for a total of roughly 50 grams of protein. If I take my shake as soon as I get home up to before dinner I have a noticeable amount of vascularity, muscle firmness, and experience less soreness overall. If I miss that afternoon to evening mark on occasion then consuming a shake before work at roughly 5 am I still notice the same results later that day around 2 or 3 pm. One of the great perks for Dark Mountain’s protein is that I’m still able to consume a shake in the late afternoon and be hungry by dinner.
Hydration is another essential piece to this puzzle. I try my best to drink almost a gallon of water a day, but that doesn’t necessarily replace electrolytes. As well as in field hydration, being able to rely on the Dark Mountain Kodiak’s Recover is a huge relief knowing I'm not neglecting my body in or out of the gym. Giving my body what it needs to fully recover and replace that essential water is a must. Having a 40oz water bottle on me at all times has been very useful in ensuring I reach my hydration level goals. But coupling that with Kodiak Recover gives me peace of mind knowing I’m always top level. I’m not sure if any of you have experienced electrolyte depletion before. I know I sure have and it’s a terrible feeling. Weak, ready to collapse at the knees and feeling faint is no lighthearted experience. It was terrible and all due to a lack of electrolytes. I told myself, “never again” after experiencing that. Along with the electrolytes come BCAA’s and glutamine which all work together to combat post work out fatigue. These supplements in unison create a powerful stack that has proven itself for me time and time again. Remember, take care of your body so that out on the mountain your body will perform and take care of you!
If you’re looking to rent or purchase high quality optics for your hunt then Open Country Optics is your go-to source for all of your optics needs.
OTC season is just around the corner and spring turkey is rapidly approaching. Don’t go into season with a run of the mill broadhead. Check out Afflictor Broadheads and dominate in the field. Superior flight quality and unparalleled razor sharp edges make these broadheads the finest in the industry.
Go in to the woods prepared! Scent assassin offers a top notch laundry detergent with hunters in mind. Carbon clothing friendly, this detergent removes stains, kills odors and is high efficiency compatible.