The Sportsman's Corner

To hunt turkeys the way I do, I must be in good physical condition. At 70 it has become increasingly difficult to remain in the type of condition I need to be in so that I can pursue wild turkeys over several miles of difficult ground during an autumn day of hunting.

When the Y was still able to host morning basketball for players 60 and over, I got a good workout two days a week while trying to chase other players around the court. The ageless Galen Bickel from Altoona really forced me to work hard when trying – unsuccessfully – to defend him. Gary "Team Player" Bechtel from Martinsburg "took me to school" any time I tried to defend him in the key. With basketball now on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, I have had to use other activities to help stay in shape for turkey hunting.

My days on trout streams are helpful. I normally fish for about two hours when I am out; and while wearing a fishing vest that weighs more than 12 pounds, I typically cover about a mile of water during this time. The mile walk back to my parked truck adds up to a two-mile workout while wearing heavy boots.

However, I do not fish every day, especially during hot weather. During the days I do not fish, I've had to find other ways to get some exercise.

Occasionally Donna invites me to accompany her and her dog, Sage, on morning walks along the local rail trail. Typically Donna and Sage cover about two miles. They walk a lot faster than I normally do: I tend to hold them back. Sometimes they get so far ahead of me that they have to stop and wait a minute for me to catch up to them. Since they go early in the morning, I'm not invited to go when I choose to get a little extra sleep.

On mornings I sleep in, I've begun to use the best non-basketball workout I can get for preparing for rigorous autumn turkey hunts. I spend 30 minutes of this exercise time alternating between working out on a hydraulic stepping machine and an old stationary bike. The stepper provides a challenging workout and brings out the sweat (not like basketball, though). I then do some back exercises and end the program by doing 50 military-style push-ups. This, however, is drudgery.

Anyway, until the Y re-opens for age-level basketball, I will continue to use several activities to stay in shape for hunting.