CONDITIONING YOUR BODY FOR THE CHASE

Many people put in a fair amount of boot time to get to their hunting grounds. There is typically an early start, followed by a day of chasing quarry and moving over rough terrain to get in to those ‘hot spots’. By the day’s end, if the right opportunity has presented itself, we are walking back to camp under load with some meat over our shoulder. Many trips take place over a number of consecutive days so the body gets a thorough dose of exercise and can take a real beating.

Types of hunting in New Zealand can vary substantially, which will determine how physical any particular trip is.

Factors to take into account are whether the area is public or private access and how close you can get your vehicle to the hunting grounds for walk-ins and animal recovery. Is there a well-marked track or are you bush bashing? What