Silent I am not saying it is a must for people but it certainly does help. Your buddy that has a big pot belly and is a great hunter when he is sitting in the hospital with a heart by pass on the menue and is no longer able to hunt. That guy that is now 4 or 5 on the list is going to still be killing deer. Not wishing anything bad on your buddy but just a example of what can happen down the road. That is great that you are able to pull and handle those draw weights but the average hunter can not and being physically strong does help them a great deal. Go for a elk hunt in the mountains and then tell me being in shape does not help a hunter.