Shangobango
Well-known member
Had the privilege of spending 10 days in Wyoming hunting mule deer with a close friend. Just getting settled back in at home. I have to be back at work Monday. Real excited about that.
To sum up the trip and hunt in a word, the word would be challenging.
We were not prepared physically for the elevation. We both work for the same company and to say that work has been crazy the last 6 months doesn’t do the situation justice. Our training regimen for HIIT and strength training were drastically under performed.
My buddy found out his wife was pregnant with their 3rd shortly before the trip. She had bad nausea pretty much the whole time we were gone. To the point that I got an InReach message informing us of her being on the way to the emergency room one night. She was released a few hours later with meds that helped so that is good.
I had no idea that high altitudes could cause sleep apnea, imagine my suprise.
Got to sleep in a tent during a hailstorm. That was a first. The Alaknak stood up like a champ. The rain cap on the stovepipe, not so much.
Found out folks that deer “hunt” in that particular part of Wyoming really don’t like getting out of the truck. I was amazed at the number of trucks and ATV’s driving around at sunrise and sunset and the lack of parked rigs we saw in comparison with the ones beating down the road.
We saw a little over 200 mule deer while we were hunting. Many more while driving in the unit. Got to spend many hours observing mule deer behavior.
We enjoyed the trip immensely despite all of our issues.
When it comes down to it we failed at our primary objective which was to get my buddy his first mule deer buck. We acknowledge that is on us for not being in good enough shape to get to spend time where we think the bucks we wanted were hanging out.
My main takeaways are:
Coming from near sea level to anything over about 8000 feet requires me to be in the best shape I can be in to perform like I want. Period. To hell with work I am working out.
Wyoming is a beautiful place. I appreciate the hospitality of the people of Wyoming.
I don’t have to punch a tag to have one hell of a good hunting trip.
I will be returning to the same elevation in Colorado next season if the point creep doesn’t get me. I am going to kill a good mule deer buck or die trying one of these seasons.
I will add pics sometime next week after I am forced back to my computer. Probably be mid week before I am caught up on emails…
To sum up the trip and hunt in a word, the word would be challenging.
We were not prepared physically for the elevation. We both work for the same company and to say that work has been crazy the last 6 months doesn’t do the situation justice. Our training regimen for HIIT and strength training were drastically under performed.
My buddy found out his wife was pregnant with their 3rd shortly before the trip. She had bad nausea pretty much the whole time we were gone. To the point that I got an InReach message informing us of her being on the way to the emergency room one night. She was released a few hours later with meds that helped so that is good.
I had no idea that high altitudes could cause sleep apnea, imagine my suprise.
Got to sleep in a tent during a hailstorm. That was a first. The Alaknak stood up like a champ. The rain cap on the stovepipe, not so much.
Found out folks that deer “hunt” in that particular part of Wyoming really don’t like getting out of the truck. I was amazed at the number of trucks and ATV’s driving around at sunrise and sunset and the lack of parked rigs we saw in comparison with the ones beating down the road.
We saw a little over 200 mule deer while we were hunting. Many more while driving in the unit. Got to spend many hours observing mule deer behavior.
We enjoyed the trip immensely despite all of our issues.
When it comes down to it we failed at our primary objective which was to get my buddy his first mule deer buck. We acknowledge that is on us for not being in good enough shape to get to spend time where we think the bucks we wanted were hanging out.
My main takeaways are:
Coming from near sea level to anything over about 8000 feet requires me to be in the best shape I can be in to perform like I want. Period. To hell with work I am working out.
Wyoming is a beautiful place. I appreciate the hospitality of the people of Wyoming.
I don’t have to punch a tag to have one hell of a good hunting trip.
I will be returning to the same elevation in Colorado next season if the point creep doesn’t get me. I am going to kill a good mule deer buck or die trying one of these seasons.
I will add pics sometime next week after I am forced back to my computer. Probably be mid week before I am caught up on emails…
