New breed of hunter combines archery skills with fitness

Rob Parkins’ moment of grit came halfway through the “Meat Pack” course deep in the mountains outside of Missoula.

The 46-year-old Victor, Idaho, resident was competing in his first ever “Train To Hunt” challenge on June 4-5, and he was running on empty. Digging deep, Parkins ground his way to the finish line of the 1-mile course while carrying both his hunting bow and 100 pounds on his back.

The grit paid off. By the end of the two-day event, Parkins – a manager at JD High Country Outfitters in Jackson, Wyoming – had finished second in the Master’s Division.

“Trying to run and compete with 100 pounds strapped to your back is incredibly hard,” Parkins said. “These events may be tougher than normal hunting scenarios, but they are a great test of your skills and they will absolutely get you in top shape for the real thing.”

Train To Hunt is the brainchild of Kenton Clairmont, of Edwall, Washington, who combined his passion for both hunting and fitness. These two-day competitions combine 3-D archery shoots, obstacle courses and CrossFit-inspired fitness challenges that place competitors into the most extreme bow hunting simulations ever created.

On Day 1, competitors shoot at 20 full-body targets at ranges from 3 to 60 yards, without the benefit of rangefinders and in situations – such as across ravines – meant to make it difficult to estimate distances. Afterward, they compete in the “Meat Pack” course, a 1- to 2-mile run carrying their bow, three arrows and 100 pounds of sand on their back. It’s meant to simulate carrying a load of freshly harvested game off a mountain.

On Day 2, competitors carry their bow, six arrows and a weighted pack (20 pounds for men, 10 for women) as they travel up to two miles more. They tackle six obstacles, from dragging tires to climbing up and over 20-inch boxes to crawling under nets. Stopping at the end of each obstacle, they shoot another target from their knees, a sitting position or after drawing their bows and holding the draws for up to 30 seconds.

“Hunters need more than just strength and power. They need mobility, agility, flexibility, endurance and stamina,” said Clairmont, a farmer, avid bow hunter and fitness coach who grew up in Bonners Ferry. “That’s what this program focuses on – getting prepared for the challenges of forests and fields.”

Scores are based on time and how well an archer shoots. Putting an arrow in a target’s 10-ring knocks 30 seconds off the competitor’s time. Putting one outside the 8-ring adds a half minute. And if a shooter misses a target completely, he or she is required to do 20 burpees – dropping from a standing position to the stomach, then standing back up again – before moving on.

“It’s pretty taxing,” Clairmont said. “We don’t do that because we’re looking for marksmanship. We’re looking for guys who can calm down, slow their heart rate, then shoot accurately – like if you walked up on game and had to shoot while your heart was beating out of your eyeballs.”

Clairmont hosted his first challenge in Idaho in 2011. Since then, the company’s schedule has expanded every year, with events happening all over the United States.

“The demand was crazy after the first one, so I just kept creating more challenges until eventually I had to hire a team of regional directors, “ Clairmont said. “We now have 14 national qualifiers around the country and a national championship at the end.”

Clairmont started his venture at a time when bow hunting, and hunting in general, has seen an increase in participation over the last 10 years. The popularity of Paleo diets, and people choosing to source their own organic meat, has raised national interest in a sport that had been losing ground in years past.

These events are also attracting a new breed of hunter – not the stereotypical road hunters of the past. They are serious mountain athletes who cover miles on foot for days at a time. They approach training and diet in the same way as triathletes. Celebrity bow hunter and Under Armour athlete Cameron Hanes is the new prototype.

“Cameron was someone who bridged the gap between athletes and hunters,” Clairmont said. “I was definitely inspired by him and others before him who were out there pushing the envelope. It dawned on me that serious athletes can also be serious hunters.”

While most of the competitors are die-hard bow hunters, others are just fitness buffs who also enjoy archery. The events have both men and women competing individually and in teams in various age categories.

“We get all kinds of people. Some want to win. Some just want the experience. Some want to see how hard they can push themselves,” Clairmont said. “And sometimes, it’s just about getting together with other like-minded people who enjoy hunting and being outdoors.

“Watching them form lifelong friendships has been the most satisfying part.”