Most physically demanding hunts?

[H&Hhunter]

The obvious ones are the various high country Mt sheep and goats. Spending days in the high country climbing and descending on uneven, loose, steep and slippery terrain is tough on the mind and body. Mountain hunting has some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows that you can experience in the field of hunting.

One of the not so obvious toughest hunts is ether bear or lion in the high country behind hound dogs. Lion are tough, bears can be tougher as they tend to travel much further than lions during the chase. Lion and bear hunts are the few hunts that I've spent an unplanned night or two out in the wild.

High country elk can be a back breaker too.

 

[oneounceload]

Besides the sheep, in certain areas, chukar can be just as demanding, slopes just as nasty and elevations almost as high. I know chukar hunting in NV made my lungs and knees curse those little so-and-sos every time I chased them!

 

[H&Hhunter]

I've never hunted free range Chukar. But I've heard the same.

 

[jmorris]

Before GPS chasing coon dogs through a swamp or marsh was less than fun.

Women would be up there too

Guess that is why I always have enjoyed Dove hunting so much.

 

[urbaneruralite]

turkey in the mountains on public land

 

[MCgunner]

Ever walk in to a public marsh where you're stepping on cow tracks everywhere, tripping over salt grass (Spartina alterniflora or worse, Spartina spartinae), and having your waders pull part way off due to getting stuck in the mud, being waste deep in muck putting out the deeks you just hauled in on your back along with your marsh chair, ammo belt, and shotgun (a 12 gauge, of course)? THEN, after sitting in 40 degree drizzle until at least 2 hours after shooting time, you pick up the deeks, strap everything on, and walk your way out?

At least I have a dog, now, don't have to tromp out in the muck to get birds anymore.

But, ya know, even though I'm getting too old for it, I still love it.

 

[Captcurt]

Keeping the bushytails out my bird feeders is getting to be too much these days. Sorry guys, but I had a birthday this week so I'm feeling a little down.

 

[MCgunner]

Keeping the bushytails out my bird feeders is getting to be too much these days. Sorry guys, but I had a birthday this week so I'm feeling a little down.

Why feel down? You just defied death another year.

Happy birthday. And, my new outside kitty runs the squirrels off the bird feeder, birds, too. Well, it was the wife's idea.

 

[gspn]

I'm from west TN. We are known for two things:

- mosquito's

- fairly flat land

I hunted public land in Montana this year and the hills about killed me. I hunted with a buddy from Idaho...he didn't even thing these were really worthy of being called "hills". I'd always be trailing him going up the hills...he always beat me to the top.

The exhaustion was cumulative. By the end of day 4 even a slight rise in elevation would have my legs screaming.

So for me...anything that rises or falls more than 80 feet at a time is a challenge. I just have no way to really train for it.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Sheep easy. Not the hunting, getting the meat and horns out on your back. Unless you confine your hunting to a super cub strip that's the only way.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Before GPS chasing coon dogs through a swamp or marsh was less than fun.

Women would be up there too

Guess that is why I always have enjoyed Dove hunting so much.

Women... I didn't see that coming LOL. Come to think of it, I have all the desires to do awesome adventurous hunts... but I have no desire to take the little lady 100 yards down the trail!!!

Edit: yes, I know this is generalizing and it's more a joke than anything. I am well aware there are plenty of women who can do anything better than me

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I'm from west TN. We are known for two things:

- mosquito's

- fairly flat land

I hunted public land in Montana this year and the hills about killed me. I hunted with a buddy from Idaho...he didn't even thing these were really worthy of being called "hills". I'd always be trailing him going up the hills...he always beat me to the top.

The exhaustion was cumulative. By the end of day 4 even a slight rise in elevation would have my legs screaming.

So for me...anything that rises or falls more than 80 feet at a time is a challenge. I just have no way to really train for it.

More than a few flat landers get there mountain legs running up and down stadium steps.

 

[Captcurt]

Sheep easy. Not the hunting, getting the meat and horns out on your back. Unless you confine your hunting to a super cub strip that's the only way.

I did some work for a doctor who had several goat mounts. One was a full mount. When I asked why he didn't hunt sheep he said that he would hunt sheep when he was too old to hunt goats. He took a Leica camera on his hunts and I was amazed at how rugged the terrain was. Another doctor told me that his first goat hunt was his last. In fact it was nearly his last hunt period. He lost his footing on a Talus slide and almost went over a cliff. His guide caught him at the edge. Said he gave the guide a pretty tip at the end of the trip.

 

[Art Eatman]

A dozen miles in this country will be a tad wearying:

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=543&d=1042925259

I like to walk ridges, but there ain't none.

 

[oneounceload]

So for me...anything that rises or falls more than 80 feet at a time is a challenge. I just have no way to really train for it.

If you can't find a stadium, go to a local gym and set the treadmill on max incline (usually 15%). Start slow and wear gym clothes and over time, add more clothes and weight like you would have while hunting and increase the speed. It isn't perfect because you can't factor in elevation, but your legs and lungs will get a workout!

 

[AirForceShooter]

There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.

Hemmingway.

AFS

 

[gamestalker]

I've had some deer and bear hunts that left me hating the hunt, as much as I loved it.

In fact, this last couse deer hunt was something like that. The rugged and remote country down south here nearly killed me this last December. Slopes that were nearly vertical, I went down hard and thought I was going to have be medivac'd out. but we got the bleeding stopped, (head injury). I rested for a couple days in camp to make sure I didn't have a serious concussion, and was back at it for the remainder of the hunt.

Turkey can be extremely demanding also. I've been hunting them for many years in the mountains, something those who hunt with have referred to as, "going vertical". Sprinting up a near vertical slop to get above them to call, then descending it several times each day is more than just a little taxing. Nearly killed myself a couple times, and if not for the large pine trees that brought me to a screeching halt, I might have been even more seriously injured, ha, ha.

GS

 

[rbernie]

Most physically demanding hunts?

Listening to the guys talk about falling into the water and damn near dying of hypothermia on each duck hunt led me to conclude that duck hunting was closer to cheating death than anything I wanted to try.

 

[Captcurt]

There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.

Hemmingway.

AFS

I beg to differ. While hunting the human species is a challenge, they are surprisingly easy to kill. I doubt if Hemmingway ever pull the trigger on anyone.

 

[MCgunner]

Listening to the guys talk about falling into the water and damn near dying of hypothermia on each duck hunt led me to conclude that duck hunting was closer to cheating death than anything I wanted to try.

Well, if you ever do, shoot me a line and I'll try to set something up.

 

[Patocazador]

3 hunts stand out. 1) Packing out an elk from a canyon at 11,000 ft (no horses just my wife and I.)
2) Chukar hunting in Selah Canyon, Washington.
3) Hunting bluebills and cans while stuck in tidal mud in Mobile Bay.

If I tried any of them now, it would kill me.

 

[jmr40]

I'm not aware of any stats to prove it, but wouldn't be surprised to find more hunters die while waterfowl hunting than any other species. The hunts can be physically demanding, but usually are not. But when you combine cold weather, lots of hunting gear, waders and deep water one mistake could be deadly.

I've hunted a bit in Colorado. Spent more time there and some in Wyoming hiking in the back country and it can be physically demanding for deer or elk. Never have, and never will sheep or goat hunt, but that has to take it to another level. Even folks who live in the west struggle at that altitude.

From a personal point of view the mountain hunting here in GA was tougher than Colorado. That may have been partly due to the exact location I hunted in Colorado, and the fact that I was unsuccessful. Bringing out 1 deer shared by 2-3 hunters was pretty easy. A much larger elk might well have changed my mind or if I'd hunted another part of the state.

It is every bit as steep here and the undergrowth is a lot thicker to get through. Early season here can be in the 90's with single digits later. Even in July and August in the Rockies it is far cooler with less humidity to deal with.

The altitude can be a concern in the west, but I've found that if I give myself 2-3 days above 5000-6000' it doesn't bother me any more than here in GA. The first few days have always kicked my butt, but so far I've been able to acclimate in a couple of days and have no further problems.

 

[elkhunterCO]

It depends on how hard someone is pushing themselves, wherever they are. Elk hunting at 10,000 is a lot different from 6,000, however a guy can really push himself at 6,000 and work harder than a guy sitting under a tree all day at 10,000.

Now when I'm at 10,000 and see a herd of elk several ridges away with a couple hours of daylight left, that is as physically demanding as it gets.

I have found that snow as much as elevation is a big factor to any mountain hunt.
6 inches doesn't slow me down much.
2 or 3 feet with drifts and things get a whole lot tougher.

I completely agree with H&H in another thread that it doesn't much matter how much your gun weighs on a grueling mountain hunt. When you factor in the snow, all your gear and those pounds around your belly, a 7 lb vs
8 1/2 lb gun is the least of you're worries.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

I did some work for a doctor who had several goat mounts. One was a full mount. When I asked why he didn't hunt sheep he said that he would hunt sheep when he was too old to hunt goats. He took a Leica camera on his hunts and I was amazed at how rugged the terrain was. Another doctor told me that his first goat hunt was his last. In fact it was nearly his last hunt period. He lost his footing on a Talus slide and almost went over a cliff. His guide caught him at the edge. Said he gave the guide a pretty tip at the end of the trip.

I see goats here that are impossible to hunt. I don't mean hard, I mean impossible. On shale slopes that are only a few degrees from vertical. Yet on the coast, say Kodak island, they hunt them right on the beach much as you would a bear.

 

[ChefJeff1]

Yep, high elevation Idaho elk, chukar and grouse. Sometimes it's so steep that you can stretch your arm out straight and touch the ground!