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Hunting
The Basics, Starting Out
First Elk/Muley Hunt (lessons learned)
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<blockquote data-quote="Adikted" data-source="post: 1367052" data-attributes="member: 91925"><p>One of the reasons I made this thread is that us low landers really have no concept of what will be tolerable until we get up there. Now that I've been up once I've got a lot better idea.</p><p></p><p>I've heard a lot of people preach physical conditioning but no one discusses the effects of altitude. The highest area I can hike to near my house is 3200 feet. I can carry a 40 lb pack there at a good pace for days on end without getting wiped out. At 8000 feet with a 25 lb pack plus gear in calf high snow I couldn't cut it. The snow also had a much larger impact than I was expecting, although in hindsight I should have considered it. On dry ground I believe I would have been OK, but the trail was completely snowed out, so picking our way over hidden logs and through blow downs really sapped energy out of us. I was carrying an Erblestock just 1 pack which weights 7 lbs empty along with everything I thought I needed to care for the game and pack it out. Even if conditions were better and I could have carried all of it successfully I still couldn't cover as much ground as I could without it. Going forward I'm thinking of hunting and packing out as two separate expeditions, taking a very light backpack or hip pack to hunt and leaving the frame pack at camp for the day after.</p><p></p><p>One of the trails we hunted was pretty heavily traveled and had been beaten down pretty smooth and then frozen over. It was easier to climb but the lack of traction kicked all of our butts on the decent. I figured some type of crampons would have been really handy there and I'd be able use them on either pair of boots. Those muck boots did a good job of keeping my feet warm and were very comfortable. The treadmill on them just isn't deep enough. I'll never use them boots at home, so they're basically going to last until the rubber oxidizes and they crack. So if a traction accessory let's me get my money out of those in the snow and serves dual purpose on icy trails with my hikers then it's a win. </p><p></p><p>One thing that I realized planning this trip that was really driven home while out, is that Elk hunting isn't a solo activity unless you have pack animals. You just can't do it responsibly by yourself.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Adikted, post: 1367052, member: 91925"] One of the reasons I made this thread is that us low landers really have no concept of what will be tolerable until we get up there. Now that I've been up once I've got a lot better idea. I've heard a lot of people preach physical conditioning but no one discusses the effects of altitude. The highest area I can hike to near my house is 3200 feet. I can carry a 40 lb pack there at a good pace for days on end without getting wiped out. At 8000 feet with a 25 lb pack plus gear in calf high snow I couldn't cut it. The snow also had a much larger impact than I was expecting, although in hindsight I should have considered it. On dry ground I believe I would have been OK, but the trail was completely snowed out, so picking our way over hidden logs and through blow downs really sapped energy out of us. I was carrying an Erblestock just 1 pack which weights 7 lbs empty along with everything I thought I needed to care for the game and pack it out. Even if conditions were better and I could have carried all of it successfully I still couldn't cover as much ground as I could without it. Going forward I'm thinking of hunting and packing out as two separate expeditions, taking a very light backpack or hip pack to hunt and leaving the frame pack at camp for the day after. One of the trails we hunted was pretty heavily traveled and had been beaten down pretty smooth and then frozen over. It was easier to climb but the lack of traction kicked all of our butts on the decent. I figured some type of crampons would have been really handy there and I'd be able use them on either pair of boots. Those muck boots did a good job of keeping my feet warm and were very comfortable. The treadmill on them just isn't deep enough. I'll never use them boots at home, so they're basically going to last until the rubber oxidizes and they crack. So if a traction accessory let's me get my money out of those in the snow and serves dual purpose on icy trails with my hikers then it's a win. One thing that I realized planning this trip that was really driven home while out, is that Elk hunting isn't a solo activity unless you have pack animals. You just can't do it responsibly by yourself. [/QUOTE]
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