Sometimes there's no choice but to wait--whether for weather, game movement or logistics problems.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONING
It's important to be in the best shape possible for your age and physical condition, but it's also critical that you recognize your physical capabilities and limitations and then hunt within their boundaries. It isn't necessary to be an Olympic athlete to be a successful hunter, but some hunting situations require a great deal more physical effort than others.

I am no longer in the kind of shape I was in 30 years ago. That is impossible. Climbs that were easy back then are much more exhausting now. But I can still make most of them because, year-round, I work hard at staying in the best shape I can.

Many of you are older than I am, and many of you have medical problems that I haven't had to deal with, but remember that the issue isn't who can climb the highest mountain the fastest--I hate people who feel obligated to prove how tough they are. The real issue is self-knowledge--knowing whether it's sensible to climb that mountain and, of equal importance, knowing whether you can get your game back to the road if you're successful.

There's one thing more. Everything is easier if you're in shape, and everything is harder if you're huffing and puffing each step of the way. By keeping in shape you can go farther afield on hunts that require it; you can also climb into a stand more easily and, under all circumstances, shoot better.

FIELD SHOOTING SKILL
In the course of my wanderings, I see an awful lot of really horrible shooting. Sure, everybody misses. I've missed difficult shots, and I've missed easy shots, and I will again. So will you, and while it's critical that we learn from our mistakes, an honest miss is nothing to pout over.

However, the vital zone of a game animal is usually a relatively large target. Missed shots should be the exception. If they aren't, then more time on the range is definitely called for. Successful field shooting is simply a matter of putting the shooting fundamentals--sight alignment, breath control and trigger squeeze--into practice.

There are differences between field shooting and shooting little tiny groups at the bench. Consistently successful hunters have learned dozens of ways to get steady, and they can do it quickly. They know the unsupported shooting positions, and they know how to turn almost any solid object encountered in the field into a steady shooting rest. They also know their own limitations. In other words, when not to shoot as well as when to shoot.

It's easy to say, "I would never take a shot beyond X yards," and I get a lot of mail suggesting the ethical "X" lies somewhere between as little as 200 and as much as 400 yards. Hogwash. An ethical shot is a shot that you know, based on practice, experience and self-knowledge, you can place in the vital zone of the game you're shooting at. You must keep your field shooting within your capabilities, but, over the course of a hunting lifetime, the more you improve your shooting skills the more successful you will be.

DETERMINATION
I've saved the best for last. Nothing is as important as determination, which I define as the desire to be there and the will to stay there, despite the elements, despite fatigue, despite setbacks such as blown stalks and missed shots. You won't always succeed, but if, deep down, you really, really want to be there and you want to make it happen, you've got a leg up.

This does not mean you should take unnecessary chances, whether with your health or with weather and terrain. That uncommon virtue of common sense always applies. But sometimes you must be able to push yourself--mentally, physically, both--in order to succeed.

An Army unit I worked with overseas had a curious habit of signing all its correspondence with "DFTQ," and I eventually asked someone what it meant. It was the abbreviation for the unit motto: "Die First, Then Quit."

I'm not suggesting that any hunt is worth the ultimate sacrifice. Obviously this is not true. But within the confines of safe, sane and sensible (and legal and ethical) conduct, sheer force of will--right up to the last hour of the last day--can make up for a lot of shortcomings in the six preceding traits. And, when all is said and done--win, lose or draw--the only way you can end a hunt with good memories is with the knowledge that you gave it your all.