Whitney Tramel, MS, CSCS*D, TSAC-F*D
I had the chance to talk to Matthew Wiswesser, a board-certified and licensed athletic trainer, about his work as the human performance lead at a nonprofit that teaches Special Ops Veterans how to bowhunt.
WT: What are the benefits of hunting and being outdoors on mental health?
MW: Hunting can provide a therapeutic and purposeful activity that allows Service Members and Veterans to reconnect with nature, engage in physical activity, and develop new skills. Many Veterans find solace in spending time outdoors, and hunting can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
WT: What are the benefits of hunting and being outdoors on physical health?
MW: The use of human performance sensors shows that being in nature improves key physiological markers: Resting heart rate and breath rate drop, and heart rate variability (HRV) increases—indicating your body’s readiness to react more quickly and energetically. By tracking these metrics, Service Members and Veterans are able to see how life stressors impact their physiology—and that spending time doing an outdoor activity can help them reset those measurements back to normal, resting levels.
WT: How can hunting help Veterans, or even active-duty Service Members, better integrate into civilian life?
MW: Hunting can provide opportunities for social interaction, camaraderie, and a sense of community, which are crucial for Veterans as they transition back to civilian life.
WT: What aspects of Human Performance Optimization go into preparing for a hunt—and even into the hunt itself? How do you tie HPO and hunting together?
MW: Hunting aligns with skill sets that Veterans already possess. It requires discipline, patience, situational awareness, and the ability to adapt to changing environments, which are all skills honed during military service. Service Members and Veterans can use the hunt and the preparation similarly to how they prepared for missions and deployments. They’re becoming physically fit through a regimented training program, scouting the area, building a plan on the best possible approach for each hunt, etc. Using Human Performance Optimization allows them to prepare in a much more responsible way. Instead of “embracing the suck” and just grinding through, they can train at appropriate levels for what’s needed that day. On days that they should train hard, maybe it’s time for a hard workout or a long pack-out style walk. If the day calls for an easier day, they can just pick up their bow and shoot and hone in on that skill.
WT: Can you give an example or 2 of Veterans you’ve seen change in the course of learning to hunt?
MW: One Veteran has gone down the rabbit hole of hunting—daily preparation of shooting his bow and hiking miles, planning out hunts during the entire season, and perfecting his craft. He says it’s exactly like his former job, but with less stress and a more calming experience.
Another Veteran has talked about how he had lost his identify because he was no longer in the military with his community of similar people. He was trying to find a new community with like-minded folks, but found it very hard to relate to civilians. It wasn’t until he got into hunting, found people who took it seriously perfecting their crafts, and spent time with them that he felt he was able to build similar bonds again. Hunting allowed him to find his new community, where he’s thriving. He said it has saved his life because he was having thoughts of taking his own, but hunting has given him a community and a purpose again!
WT: How did you get involved with training Vets through hunting?
MW: My boss, who I was working with teaching human performance, posted a story on Instagram about a nonprofit he’d helped stand up that was taking Special Operations Veterans and teaching them bowhunting. They were going to also use Human Performance technologies to get real-time feedback on the benefit of hunting and the outdoors had on these individuals. I reached out to him and said “Hey, not sure what this is, but I love human performance and bowhunting, so whatever way I can help, I’m down!” That was the start of it, but I have seen the benefit firsthand, so I try to help many people—not just Veterans—get into hunting.
WT: What would you want to highlight that most people might not know about hunting and human performance for the Veteran or Service Member?
MW: Hunting has so many benefits in general, but for Veterans and Service Members, their ability to learn it happens at a much faster pace. Many military skills translate over to hunting that they’ve already been taught, with just a slight difference. So the learning curve…it’s amazing to see how quickly it can be picked up. Working with Veterans, they can start shooting bows as well as I can within 1–2 days as long as you can translate it to shooting a pistol or rifle. But they also have taught me how to prepare in a more systemic manner.
WT: How did you learn about HPO and get involved in HPO training for military populations?
MW: I was in the fitness industry for over a decade, and a friend had reached out to me about a job opportunity in human performance. I was brought in for my knowledge of rehab/prehab/fitness, but have grown into understanding the bigger picture that is Human Performance Optimization. Now I get to train organizations and agencies within the government.
WT: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
MW: I think hunting is a great addition to anyone’s life, but I have seen a more powerful impact on Veterans. Hunting may not be the ultimate fit for Veterans though; finding activities that get them outside and with a community is probably the most important. So as much as I promote hunting for Veterans, I also recommend hiking, camping, mountain biking, or surfing—whatever fits best for the individual!
