Venturing into the backcountry or scaling a mountain in pursuit of game is no easy task. The physical and mental preparation required can feel like a mountain of its own. Both body and mind are put through intense demands, not just during the hunt, but in the weeks and months leading up to it. Discipline is essential across every area of preparation, but so is the ability to adapt when plans inevitably shift. While most hunters out there have their own approach to preparing for this kind of challenge, some don’t even know where to begin. In this article, we are diving into the ways a hunter can prepare both physically and mentally for a backcountry hunt.

We’re doing something a little different for this article, as we’re excited to bring in a special guest, Tim Lesser. Tim is the Vice President of Product & Marketing at Leupold & Stevens in Beaverton, Oregon. In 2023, Tim had the good fortune, or as some might say, the right amount of horseshoes in his pocket, to draw a once-in-a-lifetime California Bighorn Sheep tag in southern Oregon along the Nevada border. What makes this tag particularly unique is that it’s a straightforward draw system with no priority points, just pure luck for anyone who throws their name in the hat. And to raise the stakes even further, if you’re successful in being awarded the tag, you can never draw it again. So, when people talk about a “once-in-a-lifetime hunt,” this is exactly what they mean.

For Tim, drawing this tag was a dream come true, a real bucket-list achievement, but once the excitement settled, preparation time was the biggest challenge. With only a couple months between learning he had drawn the tag in June and opening day, which was August 15th, Tim had to radically shift his daily routine to begin training. This was no easy feat on top of a demanding career and busy family life. The preparation Tim underwent for this hunt is the kind of preparation any hunter must seriously consider when planning for a backcountry or mountain hunt, no matter the scale. We were fortunate to have Tim break down a series of questions surrounding this topic, sharing his real-world experience and insights on both physical and mental preparation.

When you started preparing for your this hunt, what physical areas did you focus on first, and why?

"If I had to pick a spot to focus on for a hunt like this, it is my feet, period." Tim emphasized without hesitation. Taking care of your feet is absolutely critical in a backcountry hunt, he explained, because they are what carry you in on the journey and back out. A blister, foot injury, or boot failure can quickly derail the entire hunt. To prepare properly, Tim made sure to train in the exact footwear he planned to use in the field. This provided him with real-world experience, helped his feet adjust and toughen within that equipment, and gave his gear time to break in before the hunt. “I put on all the gear that I think I am going to wear for that hunt and start training that way,” Tim shared, reinforcing his belief that the best approach is always to practice how you play.

For Tim, preparing for this hunt meant focusing on the unique physical challenges he’d be facing like carrying a heavy pack to extreme elevations (over 11,000 feet) under intense sun and heat, sometimes reaching 105°F. Fortunately, Tim already maintains a strong baseline of fitness, regularly incorporating cardio, weights, and conditioning into his routine to support his backcountry hunting lifestyle year after year. But this hunt demanded something more. “This hunt made me become hyper-focused on what it was going to present,” Tim explained, describing how it pushed his training to the next level.

Did you do any specific training procedures that helped with preparing for extreme real-world conditions?

Since his training took place in the summer, Tim took advantage of the seasonal heat to train in conditions similar to those he’d face during the hunt. He did all his workouts wearing his hunting gear, boots, and a fully loaded pack, aiming to mimic real-world scenarios as closely as possible. While he couldn’t physically train in the southern Oregon desert, he found an accessible alternative near home, a local high school football field, where he climbed the stadium stairs every day, geared up, to simulate as close as possible the physical demands he’d encounter. It required intense discipline to stick with this routine daily, but it was critical to conditioning his body to handle the punishing conditions of the hunt.

Because of the tight timeline between drawing the tag and opening day, Tim couldn’t get out and hike trails or immerse himself in real-world mountain conditions as much as he would have liked. “I did some of it, but not as much as I would have hoped,” Tim admitted. Instead, the bleachers at the local high school football field became his primary training ground.

Had more time been available, Tim emphasized that training directly in the mountains would have been the best preparation, exposing himself to as many realistic conditions in his gear as possible like loose, rocky terrain, uneven slopes that require climbing and descending, tripping hazards, and natural obstacles that force you to duck or step over. Just as important as the physical training, Tim pointed out, is also practicing your shooting in these kinds of unpredictable conditions. Shooting from a stable bench or prone at the range is one thing but executing an accurate shot when you’re out of breath, balancing on uneven ground, or awkwardly positioned on a steep slope is an entirely different challenge. For any hunter, learning to shoot confidently and accurately under these real-world stresses is a crucial part of responsible preparation.

How do you train mentally for the physical grind and discomfort of a hunt like this?

“For me, whether it’s in business or something physical like this, mental toughness really is this idea of discipline and dealing with discomfort, and that is something we can train every single day,” Tim explained. Preparing for the mental demands of a backcountry hunt meant deliberately pushing himself to develop discipline and the ability to stay in control and committed even when things get uncomfortable. “If it’s the right thing to do, getting your brain used to being in control even when the task is uncomfortable is something that I try to train regularly,” he added.

For Tim, it was about building a mindset where, once you commit to a task, you follow through, no matter how you feel, physically or mentally. “Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” he stressed. Whether it was waking up early, staying out late, or forcing himself to train at the end of an already exhausting day, breaking out of his comfort zone became a central part of his preparation. The more you condition your mind to handle stress and exertion, the more natural it becomes to face hard challenges head-on. Hard things seem easier to do when you are used to doing hard things…

What role did nutrition and recovery play in your physical preparation and what foods/supplements did you focus on?

For Tim, proper hydration and fueling his body with the right foods were key pillars of preparation. “Staying hydrated was a big one,” he emphasized, “I wanted to make sure that I was fully hydrated for a while going into the hunt,” especially in the couple of weeks leading up to the hunt. He wanted to ensure his body was consistently hydrated before setting foot on the mountain so that it wouldn’t dehydrate quickly once the physical demands ramped up. Alongside hydration, Tim focused heavily on eating clean, prioritizing lots of protein to support muscle recovery and endurance.

What were some of your recovery strategies – rest days, stretching, hydration, etc.?

“I was trying to find the right balance between not breaking myself before the hunt and sucking it up,” Tim shared, describing the careful line he walked between pushing his limits but avoiding injury. His goal was to progressively increase his training intensity without setting himself back or risking burnout before the hunt even began. While recovery included obvious elements like hydration and rest, the real key was knowing when to push through and when to back off. “If it felt like fatigue and not injury, I would keep going,” Tim explained, but he also stressed the importance of recognizing where fatigue ends and injury risk begins. Striking the right balance between exertion and recovery allowed him to train hard and stay healthy right up to opening day.

Was there anything you wish you had done differently in preparing for this hunt?

Looking back, Tim shared that one key area he would have focused on more was evaluating his shooting capabilities. “Just before the hunt, in some form of my preparation, I would have a serious evaluation of my shooting readiness, if you will,” he reflected. This means conducting an honest, detailed assessment of your true capabilities as a shooter, not just guessing or relying on past experience, but knowing exactly what distance you can confidently and consistently make a clean, ethical shot, 100% of the time.

It’s about factoring in all the real-world variables like distance, shot angle, terrain, wind, body position, and physical condition. Tim stressed the importance of identifying the furthest shot you can take under the hunt’s conditions that will result in a 100% success rate, every time. “It boils down to knowing your actual capabilities as a shooter and having the discipline to stick to that plan,” he explained. This discipline isn’t just about personal performance, it’s a fundamental responsibility we hold as hunters, ensuring that we show the utmost respect to the animal, ourselves, and the land by avoiding poor shot placement and the risk of losing a wounded animal.

For hunters who work full-time and can’t train like an athlete, what’s the most efficient way they can prepare physically for a demanding backcountry hunt?

Tim’s advice here is simple but powerful: “Have a baseline for fitness and taking care of your body and health.” He emphasized that maintaining a consistent level of fitness year-round is far more efficient than scrambling to get in shape only once you’ve drawn a tough tag or planned a challenging hunt. By having a solid foundation already in place, you save valuable time and energy when the hunt approaches. Time that can then be focused on other critical preparation areas like gear, scouting, or shooting practice. Staying generally fit ensures you’re always ready to elevate your training when needed, without starting from scratch or risking burnout trying to cram months of physical prep into just a few weeks.

Preparing for a backcountry hunt is about more than just gear or fitness — it’s about discipline, grit, and respect for the challenge. As Tim’s story shows, success comes to those who train with purpose and know their true limits. Every bit of preparation reflects your commitment to the hunt and the responsibility it carries.

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