Get Ready — Birding and Wildlife Watching with a Guide

Elk are the second largest deer, next to Moose: A bull can weigh 900 pounds.

Most people prepare for an outdoor activity by hitting the Stairmaster or working on the back muscles for an upcoming paddling trip. Bumping up your fitness level before undertaking a wildlife-watching trip will help you keep up with guides and other group members whenever that scarlet macaw calls just deep in the Costa Rican jungle. And a strong heart will help you hold binoculars or camera steady.

But just as critical is getting a good night's sleep. Wildlife watching calls for a kind of sensory fitness. You'll be relying on sight, hearing, even smell, to "bag" your quarry. You want to be well-rested and alert so you can hear the faintest melody of the rose-breasted grosbeak. So you can pick out the mere glint of sunlight on a single antler tine, far across the Colorado meadow. Then, in your binoculars, that magnificent bull elk will emerge.

It's also a good idea to track down a few of your target critters on an online search engine. Spend a few hours in the local library. You only need to learn enough to ask good questions. Your guides will appreciate it.