High Altitude Hunting

[Varmint Hunter]

It looks like I'll be hunting at high altitude for the first time and have a few questions for the guys who have been there and done that.

I live at sea level and always have. I expect to be hunting at 11,000 ft. I've never been above about 5,000 ft at any time that I can think of.

A. With regard to "altitude sickness" - have any of you guys experienced this and how did it affect your hunt? Did you take or do anything to prevent or remedy the problem?

B. With regard to bullet trajectory at moderate ranges (400-600 yds) - what change in bullet impact should be expected over a trajectory that was verified at sea level?

I appreciate any feedback that you guys can provide.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Don't worry too much about bullet impact out there, although it should be a little bit higher out there. Take enough time to get out there ahead of the hunt and take it easy doing a little each day until you start getting used to it. Going out there with no time to acclimate is an accident watiing to happen and although some may minimize it, those elevations can literally kill you if you go right out and try to do a lot of hard walking, etc. with no preparation. If you haven't done any cardio workout before now, get started, but that should have been started months ago.

 

[mtelkhntr78]

Like Top-Gun said, do some cardio. Get in good shape. That doesnt mean you need to be Carl Lewis but start and stay on a good work out regiment until you leave for your hunt.

When you get up at those high elevations often times it is much drier. So it is extremely important that you stay hydrated! That starts before you even leave. On your travels to the hunt, be it plane, car or train, keep drinking water. I know it sucks to have to pee on an airplane but if you plan on getting caught up on your hydration when you get there it will never happen. Once you get there and madness starts its easy to forget to drink and you dont want that compounded by the fact you have one serving of airline water the entire trip over. So stay hydrated the entire time! A good gauge for that is that your urine should be close to clear in color. if its not start drinking.
Hydrate! Hydrate! Hydrate!

Also it does good to spend at least one night at a mid elevation. So if you are going to 11k staying the night before at 6-7k will help greatly.

Lastly have some Ibuprofen on hand. It does a real good job combatting the effects. I love advil for elevation sickness. It works really well for me.


You may take all these precautions and you may still be affected by it. It happens, dont worry. Research and understand the symptoms. If you start feeling any of them stop, sit down, get a drink and chill out for a few seconds. Take in the country and it will pass. If it doesnt start thinking about going down.

I appologize if some of this is to trivial, obvious or you already know. I just wanted to brain dump all I know. Sometimes the devil is in the details

Enjoy your trip and I hope you have fun!

 

[Mike 338]

I'm affected by altitude. It starts with the drive up. It starts to feel like a sinus headache. Go to bed and wake up with a splitting headache & nausea. Your large muscle groups ache. Sorta like a migraine. If I charge hard the next day, it can be miserable and so will the next 2 days. If you shoot anything, your packing meat with a migraine.

11,000 is high. I've never found a preventative. What I do now, if time allows is just go up 3 days early including traveling. That's all it takes to acclimate. I've heard spending a day or so at mid altitude is a good idea but that seems like a lot of extra work. Set up camp and take it easy. Food, lots of water and as much sleep as I want. Not pushing it right away seems to be important. Symptoms are not nearly as bad if you just relax as you acclimate. If your affected, you won't want to charge up and down mountains anyway. There's no rhyme or reason who is affected. Physical conditioning has nothing to do with it but if your not in shape, you'll suffer from the hunting exertion and thin air on top of altitude sickness. Aspirin or pain killers can be helpful but you'll still feel like crap. Plenty of people have no symptoms at all and are fine at altitude. Don't let all the sitting from traveling bind you up. Take up some bran to keep things moving. I don't recommend eating a pound of cheese on the airplane while your in a forced sitting position for a full day. Nobody talks about it but if your digestive system isn't functioning normally you can add that to the list of why you don't feel good. Take a few mini hikes if your up to it as total inactivity isn't the answer either.

Another benefit of going up early is to decompress. Usually the week before a hunt, your scrambling like crazy. Tying up loose ends at work, getting gear together. Your out of your normal routine and then your traveling. Get to your spot and set up camp and get up early and your hunting hard. I like to bleed off some of that stress by loafing for a day or two and getting a good nights sleep before I find myself grinding up and down mountains or packing meat. Your supposed to enjoy it so feel good!

If affected, like I said, just go up a little early and get through it in relative comfort where you can lay down if your not tip top and when opening day rolls around, you'll be pert and strong like your old self.

 

[T3-OleMan]

Also, if you have Sleep Apnea it will get worse since you will be in thin air. My wife always told me (30 yrs ago) that I stopped breathing when I slept, OK. But in 1994 I started ELK hunting at 10k and 11K and sleeping at 9,500 and I could not make it but 3 days then I would have to come down to 7K and motel to sleep. The problem was I would wake my self up every 15 min. taking a deep breath! Never got to rest. Well 7 yrs ago I had the test and got a CPAP / 9 CM (of water) pressure and I am good to go at 10,000' now cause I sleep & recharge.

Did not have this prob. but was warned before my first trip by guy at work to take Vas. LIP balm to put in your snot box cause some people dry out real bad / as well as your lips.

Also, carry some med. fingernail polish / New skin etc. cause my fingers or thumbs crack at corner most years. Don't know why?

Good luckgun)

 

[bigbuck]

I have Elk hunted in Colorado not as high as you are going to hunt but I live in the south and our Mtn's range around 1200 feet so its fairly flat. My advice would be to get there 2 or three days early that way you can sort of get use to it. we would notice the air change it would get us winded just walking into the gas station to re fuel. Once we scouted a day or two we would get a handle on it but not like a local . Oh and it will make a big difference on your bullet impact so definately check you zero when your close to the altitude you will be hunting. You will be high more than likely.

Good luck on your Elk hunt.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'll be driving in with 2 other hunters. This may help with acclimation but we don't have the time to get there days ahead of the hunt. Hopefully we'll have a day of relaxation at altitude.

I heard there is a medication that helps acclimate your body faster. Anyone try it?

 

[Triple BB]

I have Elk hunted in Colorado not as high as you are going to hunt but I live in the south and our Mtn's range around 1200 feet so its fairly flat. My advice would be to get there 2 or three days early that way you can sort of get use to it. we would notice the air change it would get us winded just walking into the gas station to re fuel. Once we scouted a day or two we would get a handle on it but not like a local . Oh and it will make a big difference on your bullet impact so definately check you zero when your close to the altitude you will be hunting. You will be high more than likely.

Good luck on your Elk hunt.

This, best answer given so far. Show up a couple days early and hike. Takes awhile to acclimate. Also, your bullet impact will definitely change...

 

[KurtB]

MD Travel Health

Acetazolamide is the med. It is prescription so have you doc prescribe. I have had probably a dozen hunting partners take it and it works very well. No one had severe side effects.

We hit elk last year up at 11,500 in October. This drought will be interesting to see if it has changed movements or not. Get in the very best shape you can as the air is very thin. Regardless you will lose your breath, however if you are in shape, your recovery time will be much faster. Good luck.

 

[kraigwy]

I don't know what you are shooting, but my Model 70 in 270 Win with 150 gr Berger's drops additional 9+ inches between sea level and 10,000 feet.

Its about the Air Pressure. the normal air pressure for Sea level is 29.92 where as at 10,000 feet its 20.98

You can get a chart by goggling the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Also go to the the Berger Bullet web sight and down load their ballistic program (free) put the number in. Play with the pressure part and see what it does for your bullet.

I live at 4500 feet and hunt at 10,000. It kicks my butt but I'm old. (65 tomorrow) and lazy.

I use horses to do the heavy lifting. I can ride to the top of a ridge and peek over and shoot if I have to. If I had to walk up the ridge what ever critter I'm hunting would die of old age before I caught my breath.

 

[Biggs300]

I'm an older hunter (61 yrs old) in good physical shape and I live in an area were the altitude is less than 1.300ft. Last year was my first experience at hunting at altitude in CO from 8,600ft to 10,300ft. If you are in good shape, spend more time doing more cardio to prepare. The one single thing that I was not prepared for was climbing and descending through aspen falls (dead aspen trees). In the areas where we hunted, there were massive areas of aspen falls at altitudes from 8,000 up to around 10,000 feet plus and I was unprepared. The trees fall in all directions and stack up on one another and you end up climbing over 3 to 5 feet of trees. While it makes for great cover while still hunting, it is a killer when trying to stalk elk.

As tough as it was last year, I'm going back this year. Get in shape, take it slow and you will do fine. Have fun!

 

[XMC]

on your way up and while your there push as much water as you can handle; the more the better... it will help prevent altitude sickness from getting to you... like others have said get those lungs in the best shape you can prior and try for those couple of extra days early; you can spend some of that time locating a range or place to re-zero as well.

 

[aspenbugle]

I think folks have answered most things well already. However, what I'd add is don't just do cardio - sure you need the aerobic workout to get ready for the work/altitude...but do some leg muscle workouts too. I think it is in a recent Bugle (RMEF) article: do lots of lunges and squats, starting with just your body weight. I've regularly been doing several miles running on the treadmill, and my first day of lunges and squats kicked my butt - you'd think I hadn't been working out. You need strong legs to go with those lungs and lunges, squats, stairs will prepare them more than just treadmill running.

 

[mtelkhntr78]

Varmit,
Here is a great little article on what I had said in my previous post about staying hydrated. Granted your not climbing Everest but much of it still applies.

A little cure-it-all - climbers guide to Everest


Enjoy and have a great hunt!