Go for a elk hunt in the mountains and then tell me being in shape does not help a hunter.
I stated that if I went elk hunting then pysical conditioning would play a major role. However, in my kind of hunting (treestand whitetail) it plays absoutely none. IMO
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
Actually, I have read a couple of studies lately that say that being overwight has very little to do cardiovasular disease, blood pressure, etc. The study citing that some people can be overweight and still be physically fit. Just, because someone has a pot belly doesn't mean they arent' fit. Also, just because someone doesn't jog doesn't mean they aren't fit. I think we have all known people that didn't "work out" that could walk or work "in shape" people into the ground. Also, my grandfather lived to be 92. He smoked and ate fired pork chops and eggs and sausage and would eat the fat from everyone at the tables steak and at 80 he could work most 20 year olds to death. So don't you think that maybe that's a generalization and not really a hard and fast rule and therefore has little merit in this conversation?