Article #12: Backcountry Hunter Goes Urban, by Andrew Crow
Andrew Crow is an avid mountaineer, climber and backcountry hunter. His level of expertise, experience and passion for these ventures is hard to come by in “everymanland,” where limited parking space obliterates any consideration of open space, office space and expanded hard drives house virtual work, and connection is a function of bandwidth.
Of course, for almost a decade, Andrew had the advantage of living and working in Bozeman, Montana. There his vocation and that which he advocates were much aligned. Every day afforded an outdoor opportunity. The hunting season opener was more an expectation than a deviation from norm. His lifestyle was somewhat a fortunate byproduct of his work life and location.
Things are a little different this year. Andrew made a career change following the hunting season last year. Seven months ago, he and his young family moved jobs and moved locale to San Francisco, California. He calls it an “interesting transition;” Bringing a year round athlete’s perspective and passion to the everyman dilemma: how to balance life demands with life passion for the hunt.
With no less passion for the hunt, Andrew’s approach is quickly being reshaped. Because he is drawing on years of expertise, his insights are worth investigating. One thing that hasn’t changed is his commitment to high quality gear. “I developed appreciation long ago for how quality gear changes the experience,” he states. “There is so little margin of error between success and failure in hunting, gear dialed or not is often the difference. Those who skimp on gear don’t have as much success. You would happily depart with that $200 you saved in the store, when a trophy animal is walking away unscathed.” Seven months in, Andrew’s primary challenges fall into two categories: finding time for the hunt and staying in shape for the hunt.
He admits, “Until my son was born, I spent immense time pursuing my passions.” His focus now is on absolute quality, and that takes planning. Andrew still has a trip planned for Montana’s hunting season opener. He’s focused on research: He’s more focused on the blogs to stay abreast. He’s talking with people in the areas where he’s planning to hunt, and getting to know vicariously the patterns taking hold this year. Unlike many casual hunters, Andrew knows what he doesn’t know, and recognizes the impact of ignorance on success.
The harder part is staying in shape. Andrew calls it the “urban environment challenge.” “I’ve had to watch my diet and make training a priority,” he admits. “It’s taken more intense focus—being in shape used to be a byproduct of my lifestyle.” His preferred regimen involves plyometrics, strength training, and as the hunting season approaches, running with a backpack on two to three times a week.
“The culture of hunting is passed from generation to generation, by fathers taking their children hunting—whether you live in close proximity or not,” Andrew states. “For me, family is the most important thing.” From that perspective, the true test of his success as a hunter is in his ability to impart the same appreciation for family, outdoors and the ability to hunt to his son. That is something to which every man can relate.
