First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
04-10-2003, 10:28 PM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NW Montana / SW Alberta Rockies
Posts: 3,258
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
Welcome BigTK to our electronic campfire. Some great imfo you got here from some well seasoned Elk hunters. I myself am not familiar with your hunting area, but was wondering how your going to be packing in and out? Is there a chance that the game is going to be left overnight? I know a few guys who have lost game to ole Griz. I think your going to be in for an experience, but when you pull that trigger, thats when the fun stops and work begins. Be prepared to deal with it ASAP. I had a couple of flatlanders hunting up here with me last year from back east that were supposely in good shape, but the altitute about beat them and slowed me and my partner up but I really don' t know how anyone can actually condition themself to the higher altitude, but I saw these folks fatigued fast and met them back at camp at the end of the day. As some of the others have said, " Ya better get in shape" . Enjoy, Bobby
04-14-2003, 06:52 AM
#12
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 6
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
Again...all I can say is WOW!
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and all of your advice. By and large, this is just the type of information that I was looking for.
I would just like to PERSONALLY THANK ElKampMaster for calling my house last Thursday night. We had a very, very good conversation. I hope someday I' ll be able to further the chain of knowledge by passing along my very own firsthand experiences. ElKamp...thank you.
Response to some other questions/issues:
Getting in shape...
This is another of my chief concerns...altitude sickness. I' ve never been in the mountains doing any type of strenuous activity. I' m in decent shape, but nothing like I have to be before October. One training method that I' ve read about is to find the nearest hill, put on a backpack loaded with 20 lbs of rocks and then tie a bandana over your mouth...hike up the hill about 10 times and this would give you some idea of what' s in store both from a physical standpoint and from a lack of oxygen standpoint.
txbowjunkie -
Thanks for the advice. My buddy and I have no preconcieved notions about laying down a monster. I think our strategy is for one of us to drop the first cow that we have a shot at. Then, we' ll go for horns.
Robert Scott -
Wool. I have to remember that...I keep reading about it and I need to go get some.
BeaverJack-
I hear what you' re saying re: comfort. that makes sense. We weren' t really planning for much in the way of comfort, but you' re right, if a person isn' t comfortable, then he/she ain' t gonna have as enjoyable an experience. I' ve got a rollup foam pad, but I" ve heard that those inflatable ones are very nice.
elknut-
I' m still bringing the bugle man. THanks.
121553-
Well, we' re planning on packing out any meat by ourselves. We each have external pack frames and we think we' re gonna try that Alaskan Method of skinning and boning the meat. Then we' ll pack them in game bags and head out. We figure 2 trips each should do the trick. As for leaving the meat over night, I talked to ElKamp about that on Thurs night. If we have, we have to. He said to make sure we use some logs or sticks to prop up the animal...he mentioned that if we don' t, the backstraps and other meat that' s laying on the ground has a good chance of spoiling. Other than that, no plans.
As ElKamp told me... the first day will be the longest. Hunt hard and hunt long!
Again, thanks for all your advice.
Big TK
Thank you all so much for your words of encouragement and all of your advice. By and large, this is just the type of information that I was looking for.
I would just like to PERSONALLY THANK ElKampMaster for calling my house last Thursday night. We had a very, very good conversation. I hope someday I' ll be able to further the chain of knowledge by passing along my very own firsthand experiences. ElKamp...thank you.
Response to some other questions/issues:
Getting in shape...
This is another of my chief concerns...altitude sickness. I' ve never been in the mountains doing any type of strenuous activity. I' m in decent shape, but nothing like I have to be before October. One training method that I' ve read about is to find the nearest hill, put on a backpack loaded with 20 lbs of rocks and then tie a bandana over your mouth...hike up the hill about 10 times and this would give you some idea of what' s in store both from a physical standpoint and from a lack of oxygen standpoint.
txbowjunkie -
Thanks for the advice. My buddy and I have no preconcieved notions about laying down a monster. I think our strategy is for one of us to drop the first cow that we have a shot at. Then, we' ll go for horns.
Robert Scott -
Wool. I have to remember that...I keep reading about it and I need to go get some.
BeaverJack-
I hear what you' re saying re: comfort. that makes sense. We weren' t really planning for much in the way of comfort, but you' re right, if a person isn' t comfortable, then he/she ain' t gonna have as enjoyable an experience. I' ve got a rollup foam pad, but I" ve heard that those inflatable ones are very nice.
elknut-
I' m still bringing the bugle man. THanks.
121553-
Well, we' re planning on packing out any meat by ourselves. We each have external pack frames and we think we' re gonna try that Alaskan Method of skinning and boning the meat. Then we' ll pack them in game bags and head out. We figure 2 trips each should do the trick. As for leaving the meat over night, I talked to ElKamp about that on Thurs night. If we have, we have to. He said to make sure we use some logs or sticks to prop up the animal...he mentioned that if we don' t, the backstraps and other meat that' s laying on the ground has a good chance of spoiling. Other than that, no plans.
As ElKamp told me... the first day will be the longest. Hunt hard and hunt long!
Again, thanks for all your advice.
Big TK
04-14-2003, 12:10 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Kerrville, Tx. USA
Posts: 2,722
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
As hard as I train before a hunt, I don' t usually catch my " wind" until about the 3rd day in the mountains. Sounds like you are going to get there soon enough to get to that point before opening day. I also have problems with altitude sickness. I will tell you the things that have helped me in that regard besides getting in shape.
If at all possible get a hotel/camp at lower elevation the day you arrive and don' t do anything really strenous. I have trouble following this becuse I want to BE THERE.
Avoid caffeine at least until you are adjusted.
Drink twice as much water as you think you need.
Take one of the over the counter antacids (Rolaids, etc.) with you. Taking 2-4 tablets 3 times daily for the first few days has been shown to help prevent/treat altitude sickness. Your body tends to create more acid byproducts while it is getting used to the altitude.
If you want to be really sure, talk to your doctor and get him to prescribe Diamox (acetazolamide) to have on hand in case the other things don' t work. I have to take this to keep my symptoms to a level I can hardly notice. Be warned, this is a diruretic (makes you pee more) and it makes any carbonated drink taste AWFULL. I take this at home the day before I leave, the day of travel and 2 days after I get there.
Also, I know a lot of people who get their drinking water from a " spring" and drink it without any treatment and have never had any problem. I also know of people who have tried this and got Giardia (hikers diarrhea). Not something I ever want to get. I recommend taking a filter pump.
Good hunting
If at all possible get a hotel/camp at lower elevation the day you arrive and don' t do anything really strenous. I have trouble following this becuse I want to BE THERE.
Avoid caffeine at least until you are adjusted.
Drink twice as much water as you think you need.
Take one of the over the counter antacids (Rolaids, etc.) with you. Taking 2-4 tablets 3 times daily for the first few days has been shown to help prevent/treat altitude sickness. Your body tends to create more acid byproducts while it is getting used to the altitude.
If you want to be really sure, talk to your doctor and get him to prescribe Diamox (acetazolamide) to have on hand in case the other things don' t work. I have to take this to keep my symptoms to a level I can hardly notice. Be warned, this is a diruretic (makes you pee more) and it makes any carbonated drink taste AWFULL. I take this at home the day before I leave, the day of travel and 2 days after I get there.
Also, I know a lot of people who get their drinking water from a " spring" and drink it without any treatment and have never had any problem. I also know of people who have tried this and got Giardia (hikers diarrhea). Not something I ever want to get. I recommend taking a filter pump.
Good hunting
04-14-2003, 03:37 PM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Rocky (by God!) Mountings
Posts: 572
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
For a texan, thet feller makes purdy good sense. I' ve seed a lot of altitude sickness. Sometimes its mild, sometimes the victim has to go down NOW! Even doctors that bring cases of mediceens ain' t immune to having a trip ruint. Drinkin' water is the simplist way to minimize the effects. Also helps with fatigue. Gettin' there early will help some, but you gotta git to altitude where yer huntin' , which ain' t easy. Now I got this injun friend who swears thet he can bleed you an' make you immune to altitude sickness. He takes ' bout a pint of yer blood, mixes it in with some dogmeat an' trout stew, cooks it for hours, then makes you eat it all. Seems reasonable to me.
04-14-2003, 03:45 PM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cedar Valley Utah
Posts: 977
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
Definitely don' t want to drink the water out of streams, lake or rivers without filtering it. Even if you don' t get somethin serious you' re guaranteed to be behind a tree every five minutes with the burnin runs.
04-14-2003, 03:46 PM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: meridian idaho USA
Posts: 429
RE: First elk hunt coming up this fall!!!
Big TK,
The only way to really get in shape for walking in the mountains is to walk hills.
Running lifting weights etc are great for going up hills but when you turn around and start going down for extended periods carrying weight there is no substitute for actually working out walking hills up and down carrying weight.
I believe most experienced in shape western hunters will agree it is the downhill that kills you.
Work your way up to carrying a 30 lb pack up and down a steep hill (appx. 45 degree slope). When you get to where you can go uphill 80 to 100 yards and then back downhill 80 to 100 yards for about 1 hour continuously at a good pace you are getting in the ballpark.
Walk hills for an hour 3 days a week for three months before your hunt. Work in at least one day of serious weighlifting and one day of serious cardio (running or biking) a week during the three months and you should be ready. This is for an on foot pack meat on your back hunter public land hunter who want to be ready to cover 5 to 10 miles of rough mountain country a day if necessary locating the elk, and then be ready to backpack it out. If you get to where you can do this workout you will be in great shape, ready for the mountains. This is the workout that works for me.
Some of my friends only run to get in shape and they seem to do just as well in the mountains for the first couple days but then they start to get worn out by the third of fourth day of hard hunting.
If you have horses and/or don' t plan to get more than half a mile from the road then conditioning does not need to be so extreme obviously.
Lots of people shoot elk every year without doing any conditioning at all. Each person knows their own limits, just get in the best shape you can and go for it.
You will have great time either way.
The only way to really get in shape for walking in the mountains is to walk hills.
Running lifting weights etc are great for going up hills but when you turn around and start going down for extended periods carrying weight there is no substitute for actually working out walking hills up and down carrying weight.
I believe most experienced in shape western hunters will agree it is the downhill that kills you.
Work your way up to carrying a 30 lb pack up and down a steep hill (appx. 45 degree slope). When you get to where you can go uphill 80 to 100 yards and then back downhill 80 to 100 yards for about 1 hour continuously at a good pace you are getting in the ballpark.
Walk hills for an hour 3 days a week for three months before your hunt. Work in at least one day of serious weighlifting and one day of serious cardio (running or biking) a week during the three months and you should be ready. This is for an on foot pack meat on your back hunter public land hunter who want to be ready to cover 5 to 10 miles of rough mountain country a day if necessary locating the elk, and then be ready to backpack it out. If you get to where you can do this workout you will be in great shape, ready for the mountains. This is the workout that works for me.
Some of my friends only run to get in shape and they seem to do just as well in the mountains for the first couple days but then they start to get worn out by the third of fourth day of hard hunting.
If you have horses and/or don' t plan to get more than half a mile from the road then conditioning does not need to be so extreme obviously.
Lots of people shoot elk every year without doing any conditioning at all. Each person knows their own limits, just get in the best shape you can and go for it.
You will have great time either way.
