How do I train for hunting season?
Pick your hunt and the weeks you have, then do one week at a time: Hunt Ready's whitetail track gives 8 weeks of fitness built on the CDC's 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and 2 strength days, shooting practice from a rest, and one field skill a week, free and with no account.
Data updated October 27, 2026. Free, no account, nothing to sign up for.
With fewer than 8 weeks, the track page tells you how to fit it in: the fitness stays gentle and the shooting and skills blocks double up. Never rush the fitness to catch up.
Which tracks are there?
- Whitetail deer
8 weeks: walking and strength, shooting from a rest, stand safety, wind, scouting, orange and carcass rules. - Elk and mountain hunts (coming)
16 weeks for steep ground, a heavy pack and thin air. - First hunt (coming)
For someone who has never hunted: from hunter education to a first sit. - Upland birds (coming)
Walking all day, shotgun practice and bird dog basics.
What is in each week?
- Fitness. Walking and simple strength work built up slowly to the CDC's adult guideline, with an easier week and a taper before the season. A line in every week to check with your doctor first.
- Shooting. The four safety rules as hunter education teaches them, shooting from a seated or elevated rest, finding your effective range and shot placement in a wildlife agency's words.
- Skills. Stand and harness safety, wind and scent, scouting public land, your state's orange rule, field dressing and carcass rules, each from an agency or safety body.
- Checklist. A short printable list at the end of each week.
Do I need hunter education first?
Most states require hunter education before your first license, and some classes fill up weeks before the season, so it is in week 1 of every track. Hunter education by state: Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Is it really free?
Yes. No account, no email, nothing stored. Hunt Ready is part of what FilledTag gives away to help new hunters, with the free map app and the learning pages.
Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have been inactive or have a chronic condition such as heart disease, arthritis or diabetes, as the CDC advises.