Should you hunt hungry or with a full stomach?
Explain why.
HUNGRY!!!!! A hungry hunter,hunts harder.....
I think it has to do with our predetory instincts. If your hungry,you need to eat.....TODAY!!!!!
If your full,you don't really need to eat today,so you really don't need to hunt.....
I'm with Chuckster here. Being full makes me want to sit and digest. When I do that, my waistband feels too tight and I can't breathe. So, I loosen that, might as well take the pack off so I can unsnap the snap...aahhhh. Stretch out the legs so that they aren't bunching up my stomach..put the pack under the small of my back and scrunch it 'til it fits...zzzzzzzzzzzz.
Yup, too tight a waistband and you lose flexibility and you aren't as light on your feet. All your blood is sopping up goodies from your stomach and there isn't much left for firing muscles or running the brain cells. No motivation. Just enervation.
Killdeer~I miss that snoring little gremlin.
granola bars and trail mix were made for bow hunters
and don't forget bear and elk or deer jerky
aim high shoot low
It`s hard to beat a hot meal after an evening sit.
Unfortunately, the thought of a hot breakfast, and some fresh coffee, has brought more than a few
morning sits to a premature end.
I am not A chow hound, I am THE chow hound.
If I`m hungry, I am far from my best at anything.
not full. but not hungry either. makes my stomach make LOUD noises.
ChckC
I eat a good meal about two hours before leaving the house and top it off with a granola bar before walking out the door. We have some long evenings out there I want my mind and muscles to be fully fueled.
Hunt Hungry...I stay hungry, so I graze a little bit while I'm hunting...Is it too late for a snack??
David
I've toyed with the idea of fasting for a day befor a hunt. Haven't done it yet, but perhapse some day. Don't know if it will help or hurt. I get kinda weak when I don't eat all day.
ch
I've always wondered if deer can hear your stomach growl.
I'm going to go the other way. I say hunt comfortable. If a light meal helps the comfort factor then that's the ticket. You will hunt longer if you are warm and fed. It's too easy to call it quits early if hungry and cold.
Mike
Hungry. The majority of Americans could stand to be a little more hungry. Fasting is a valuable tool for many things. If you fast, your stomach will not growl past the 12 hour mark or so. It is not something you should do all at once. Ease into it. Practice self control. If you have trouble concentrating without food in your stomach, you might be at risk of some sugar imbalance issues.
QuoteOriginally posted by wingnut:
I'm going to go the other way. I say hunt comfortable. If a light meal helps the comfort factor then that's the ticket. You will hunt longer if you are warm and fed. It's too easy to call it quits early if hungry and cold.
Mike
This ^^^. Same here
I go out with an empty stomach and it stays that way most of the time till I'm done hunting. If it's very cold, I might have a PB&J before I leave the house since I have time to digest that before getting to my blind. Just carry some water for a full day hunt.
I think the concept of hunting hungry has lost it's meaning in this country of prosperity. There's a difference between being hungry because you skipped breakfast before going out and being hungry because you don't have ANY food to eat period because you haven't provided it for yourself and your family in the last couple days/weeks. I've never been THAT hungry, thank God, and I pray I never am, But if I was, I wouldn't be hunting with a stick bow. Hand grenades would probably be more appropriate at that point. :D
I think Mike(wingnut) has it right. I tend to handle cold weather much better with a full stomach.
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
not full. but not hungry either. makes my stomach make LOUD noises.
ChckC
I second that!!!
Calories can help keep you warm in cold weather. It takes calories to generate heat. I eat breakfast before heading out in the morning and I carry water and some food in the fanny pack. I need energy in the cold wood, I can be philosophical when I get home 8^).
For me,
Too hungry = weak, shakey shot.
Too full = sleepy and unalert.
As with most things, moderation is likely best.
What George Stout said.(nut)
In cold weather I like to put a little bit of food in my tank. Generaly I hunt hungry, unshaved face....makes me try harder to make a kill. It's something primevil inside of me I guess. I do try to bring water with me though.
I always have food in my gut. Water in my pack, and candy in my pocket. I have been on too many hunts that somehow lasted longer than intended. Helping friends track deer, tracking my deer, etc. Being hungry and dehyrdated makes for a longer drag, colder sit, and a less enjoyable hunt IMO.
You don't want to be so full that you feel that you feel sluggish, but if I try to sit on stand on an empty stomach after a couple hours I won't be able to concentrate on hunting and all I think about is my stomach lol. If I'm not hungrey I sit and stay in the woods for longer periods of time.
Walking is a different story, usually if my mind is occupied by something I don't even think about food. Most of the time when packing a lunch rabbit hunting or trout fishing I never end up eating it until the end of the day because I just don't think of stopping and eating.
i never notice my stomach untill i get back to camp. thats a bit of a problem for me, i go fishing or hunting and get so into the moment that i forget about everything else, often meals included. so i gotta watch it with that. but i personally think my appetite has nothing to do with how well i hunt.
-cory
I like a snack or late lunch before afternoon hunts - food helps keep me awake - that and coffee.
Once cold weather hits I add a half a baked potato to my breakfast - helps a lot keeping warm. Then always taking a drink (pint of 1/2 tea, 1/2 lemonade) - a pint of hot coffee - salty snack (corn chips, smoked almonds) - and an orange. Yikes this stuff tastes amazing when in a treestand - and I can even stay till noon! Cold afternoon hunts for me are short - I go in with nothing but half a bottle of water ------ Pig Out when we get back to camp.
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I like hunting hungry. I learned as a wrestler you can do amazing things when hungry. Plenty of H2O though!
thats what coffee and doughnuts are for!!! i don't go ANYWHERE without a hot cup or 3 in the morning!! i like to bring Werthers candy and some kind of bread with me too.
I was walking down to check the mail box last evening; and saw some deer headed towards a spot I have ambushed them in the past; so I grabbed two arrows and my longbow- and my three legged double bull chair; and sat waiting in my ambush spot until dark. I had elk burger in the oven; and was going to sit down for dinner; but the deer gave me another idea.
Thing was I was hungry when I left; and good heavens did I get ~really excited~ sitting there while coyotes chased the deer off. I was indeed more alert; and although I didn't get a shot; that elk burger tasted mighty good when I got home.
I had read this thread before I saw the deer; and now I feel the expert on it LOL
I've fasted for multiple days before and am flirting with the idea of doing that before some hunt at some point, but not in the cold weather. Without some fuel in the tank, you get much colder much quicker - forget that.
Typically though - I like taking a pocket full of apples when I am out for a morning hunt. Mmmmm apples.
I need the energy from a good meal to get me through a days hunt, If I dont eat, my head starts pounding and I feel weak, plus a full belly is a warm belly =]
Think like Goldilocks...not too much, not too little, but just right! I like pasta the night before to carbo-load for morning energy, avoid the traditional and oh-so-yummy greasy eggs breakfast 'cause the fat makes me lazy while digesting, usually go with oatmeal. I carry hi-energy granola and chocolate for quick boosts during the hunt. Steak dinners are taylor-made for the end of long day's hunt. I always seem to regret having the 15-bean chili while in camp, too. Almost forgot...water water water (to offset the evening cocktails).