Tough Buck
About this race
The TOUGH BUCK Hunt Giveaway Workout is where elite fitness meets the spirit of the backcountry. This event blends physical grit with hunting passion in the most authentic way possible—designed to push participants to their limits while rewarding them in a way few experiences ever could.
Our goal is to raise over $50,000 for the Mule Deer Foundation. Every registration directly supports that mission.
Complete the hunt workout and you’ll be entered to win a Sitka blacktail deer and sea duck hunt for two. In addition, participants have a 1 in 30 chance of winning prizes from their wave sponsors. All registrants also receive a free T-shirt, swag bag, and finisher buckle.
Every participant who completes the workout also earns an entry into a once-in-a-lifetime guided fly-in hunting package. This premier experience includes full outfitting, expert guiding, lodging, meals, and a complete gear package featuring packs, optics, and Weatherby rifles and shotguns. Everything is provided for an unforgettable adventure in one of the most legendary Sitka blacktail destinations on Earth. The winner will select their hunt window for the 2027/2028 season, with exact dates coordinated through Big Timber Outfitters.
Only 510 spots are available.
Finish the workout—earn your entry. The winner will be selected at random from all finishers.
Additional Perks
In addition to the hunt entry, every participant receives three months of MTNTOUGH+ training to help prepare for the event and beyond.
You’ll also receive a complimentary Mule Deer Foundation membership, joining a community committed to conservation and habitat stewardship.
That’s over $100 in added value on top of the opportunity of a lifetime.
Join fellow runners on February 14, 2026 for the Tough Buck. It's a fantastic Weatherby Wave 0800, Sierra & Barnes Bullets Wave 0815, Cole-Tac Wave 0830, Bridger Watch Wave 0845, Meat! Your Maker Wave 0900, HOYT Wave 0915, Sitka Wave 0930, MKC Wave 0945, GORUCK Wave 1000, KUIU Wave 1015, MDF Wave 1030, Bass Pro Shops Wave 1045, Leica Wave 1100, YETI Wave 1115, HUNTIN' FOOL Wave 1130, onX Wave 1145, MTNTOUGH Wave 1200 featuring a flat and fast course in Salt Lake City.
Pick your distance
Running
Weatherby Wave 0800
Join the Weatherby Wave Enter this wave to qualify for the deer hunt — and get a 1 in 30 shot at winning a Weatherby rifle*! The Weatherby team will be in the mix, training right alongside you. Just by joining, you’re automatically entered for the rifle giveaway. No extra steps, no catch. Train hard. Show up. You could walk away with a Weatherby. *Rifle available only to residents of the US or Canada. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Sierra & Barnes Bullets Wave 0815
Join the Sierra & Barnes Bullets wave! Every wave member receives an exclusive t-shirt and a 1-in-30 chance to win a $500 Sierra/Barnes gift card. You'll also have a 1-in-30 chance to win a pair of SIG SAUER ZULU Pro 14x50mm binoculars. On top of that, every wave member receives $500 off a Tenacity Arms rifle build! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Cole-Tac Wave 0830
You will have a 2-in-30 chance of winning the new Summit Bino Harness from Cole-Tac. Plus, each wave participant will get a custom-branded Notebook Keepers. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Bridger Watch Wave 0845
Join the Bridger Watch Wave Everyone’s in for the deer hunt, but this wave sweetens the pot: 30 people. 3 random winners. 1-in-10 shot at a $1,000+ Bridger Watch. Not bad math for breaking a sweat. Bridger Watch: The first performance watch built for the hardcore hunter. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Meat! Your Maker Wave 0900
Your chance to win a 1HP Grinder! Join the Meat! Your Maker Wave!, grind through the workout, and you have a 1/30 chance of winning the best meat grinder in the world! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
HOYT Wave 0915
Hoyt builds tough bows for tough bowhunters. Join the Hoyt Wave and get automatically entered for a 1 in 30 chance to win a Hoyt REDWRX Carbon bow – the ultimate bow for the backcountry. Plus, all Hoyt Wave participants will receive a Hoyt Swag bag. As a bonus, wear a Hoyt shirt or hat during the workout, receive a free Hoyt hat. Get Serious. Get Hoyt. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Sitka Wave 0930
Sitka is proud to sponsor the 0930 wave! One of the participants in this wave will walk away with a $5,000 Sitka Gear Voucher! Yup, you heard that right, $5,000 in Sitka Gear! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
MKC Wave 0945
MKC hats for everyone on the team, with one person having the chance to win a boning + breaking combo set ($725 value)! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
GORUCK Wave 1000
The GORUCK wave offers a chance to win a prize pack comprised of a GR1, a Rucker 4.0, and two Ruck Plates (1x30lb (Standard); 1x 45lb (Long)). Choose the harder path by rucking up and get stronger with every step. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
KUIU Wave 1015
Join the KUIU wave and have a 1 in 30 chance of winning a $1000 KUIU gift certificate! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
MDF Wave 1030
Win a Lifetime membership to MDF and the Knife and Print of the Year ($2,000 Value) along with MDF Swag for all participants. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Bass Pro Shops Wave 1045
Bass Pro Shops is giving each person in their wave a BPS hat and a $50 BPS Gift Card! Plus, they are giving away a Turtlebox Ranger Speaker to one lucky wave participant and a $500 MTN Ops gift card to another lucky wave participant! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Leica Wave 1100
Join the Leica wave and one lucky wave member will win the Leica Rangemaster CRF Max ($1,499) + 1-Year of onX Elite! Don't miss out on your chance to get your hands on the ultimate compact rangefinder with innovative technology. Also qualifies to win the deer hunt!
YETI Wave 1115
You know YETI gear is tough, and this wave is tougher yet! Join the YETI wave and have a 1:30 shot at winning $1500 worth of YETI gear! Also qualifies to win the deer hunt!
HUNTIN' FOOL Wave 1130
All Huntin’ Fool wave participants will receive a swag bag including a Huntin’ Fool trucker hat, a Huntin’ Fool Nalgene, a Gear Fool trucker hat, 100 WayPOINTS redeemable on GearFool.com, and assorted stickers. They will also receive an exclusive offer to upgrade to a Pro+ Membership for $50 at our booth (regularly $151). In addition, three winners from the wave—selected randomly—will receive a free Pro+ Membership valued at $200. Also qualifies to win the deer hunt!
onX Wave 1145
Get ready—this onX Prize Pack is stacked! Every person gets a full year of onX Elite, plus an onX hat and a few bonus surprises. Then we’ll pull one name from the group of 30 to crown the grand prize winner of a lifetime onX Membership. *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
MTNTOUGH Wave 1200
Join the MTNTOUGH Wave! Work out alongside some of the MTNTOUGH team and each of the 30 wave participants will receive a LIFETIME subscription to MTNTOUGH! *All waves qualify to win the deer hunt!
Weather Overview
These values reflect historical conditions on the race dates in Salt Lake City in 2026, from Open-Meteo archive data.
About Salt Lake City
Tough Buck takes place in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The local timezone is America/Denver.
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Race information has been sourced from the event's official website and other publicly available resources. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the official website directly. If you notice any incorrect or missing information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by email.