“fitness”

With one of America's greatest outdoor traditions almost upon us—the opening day of dove season—it's the perfect time to review the prevention and symptoms of canine heat stroke.

Summer can be used to ensure that you’re fit enough to enjoy outdoor pursuits safely and without discomfort—you don't want to fall behind your buddies, do you?

The basis for mountain hunting is a strong enough body to be able to keep steadily going at a reasonable pace for several days at a time. For hunters age 40 years or more who live as sedentarily as most do, a “reasonable pace” is not the equivalent of the pace of a 30-year old that has been guiding in the mountains since he started shaving and does it for months at a time.

Training can be boring—and often is. Whether you are a TO responsible for getting a group to a certain level of expertise, or you are an individual working toward sharpening your skills, if the training bores you, it isn’t going to be effective. Training for professional operators and enthusiasts now often includes integrating physical fitness training with shooting.

Strange things occassionally happen in this industry, and that's what the Wilder World Outdoors is here for. So enjoy these four actual stories from around the country, and keep an eye out for more "From the Wilder Side" recaps in the future.

Waiting until one's 60s to hunt mountain goats in British Columbia’s Spatsizi Wilderness may not be ideal, but it's better than not going at all. Read John Zent's story of a successful "red goat" hunt.

Every hunter questions her limits when tackling the backcountry. But when you’re pursuing that trophy of a lifetime, there comes a time when you must believe in yourself and handle what comes your way—because you trained for it.

We’ve all been there. Opening day. The sun is shining, birds are calling and our over-eager dogs are racing through the cover, thicket to thicket, horizon to horizon, sucking air, searching for scent. They point. They flush. They fetch. They collapse. It’s not even noon and they act as if they’re on their last legs because—they are.