CO Kicked My A$$

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

This sounds like my backpacking trip this past summer - altitude whipped my ass and sent me out days earlier than anticipated. It was a real bummer and I can only imagine how I'd feel if I'd had the same experience on a hunt. Do you think acclimating a few days in advance would have helped? I'm toying with that idea, for when I get to go on my first elk hunt (hoping for 2021). Appreciate the honesty and trip report!

I thought I was breathing better at the end of the hunt, but my headache still hasn't fully gone away so I can't really say if getting a few extra days before hand will fix it or not. Logic would tell me yes, but I don't have any proof of such...

Sounds like a rough hunt, but one you'll remember.

I'm glad I don't get altitude sickness. I was worried about it last fall. We hunted at 10k and I've been living at 200ft for the last 10 years. We don't hunt very high here in AK, maybe 5500-6000 tops. Where I hunt in MT its rarely over 9k. I grew up at about 4500. I could tell when I hit about 8500+/-, it got much harder for me to breath, but luckily I never had any issues associated with altitude sickness.

I've read that people with higher red cell counts do much better with altitude. I'm not sure how you could increase them prior, but I eat a lot of red meat and dark greens, not sure if it helps or not? I know that people that live at high altitudes have higher red blood cell counts.

Honestly, I think I should start blood doping before my next hunts... haha! I do think it makes total sense to try and increase your red blood cell counts, I just don't have a clue how you would go about doing that without blood doping.

Also, not sure if I ever told you, I grew up in Chugiak, small world.

 

[elkduds]

Altitude sickness is the kind of misery that kills people, not to be trifled with. Any other state than would probably have lower altitude for elk hunting. Glad you found a bull to stalk, so you got a taste of how big the grand prize can be. I have heard of people getting moderate relief from altitude discomfort w Tums. Sleeping @ a lower elevation may help.

Oak brush! Elk know it is great security cover. So hard to see through, even when the leaves are off. It is worse than down timber to move through. If you are in it , try this to get a better look: Lie down and look under it. I shot a deer while lying on my back, spotted it 30 yds away when I slipped on an oak branch covered w snow. Oak branches get really slick w snow on them.

 

[Focus]

@SD_Prairie_Goat thanks for the write-up and the resulting thread. Lots of learning here. I hope you’re back after it in the high country next year.

Curious, how many days was your trip (travel and hunting days). I assume a one day drive from SD? Did you have time to add a day to the front end of the trip for acclimatization at an intermediate altitude?

 

[Nick_CO]

The part you mentioned about going in on 2 hours of sleep is what would personally destroy me. I can't function on that amount of rest, especially going into a strenuous activity like hunting. It takes me several days to recover from a lack of sleep like that. The combination of lack of quality rest, dehydration, and altitude is probably what had you feeling so ill. Next time you have a hunt like that I would recommend going into it as well rested and hydrated as you can be, even if it means losing a day of travel. Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[Rhino Hunter]

Welcome to elk hunting.

Reading your description brought back many memories about my past elk hunts.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

@SD_Prairie_Goat thanks for the write-up and the resulting thread. Lots of learning here. I hope you’re back after it in the high country next year.

Curious, how many days was your trip (travel and hunting days). I assume a one day drive from SD? Did you have time to add a day to the front end of the trip for acclimatization at an intermediate altitude?

Trip was officially Thursday after work to thursday before work the next week ( I did take Thursday off tho, so it was more like Thursday to the next friday). So zero extra days, hours, or mins really to get acclimated. Work has been hounding me about taking time off lately, so I had to do it with as little vacation days as possible. Not ideal, but I find staying employed important

The part you mentioned about going in on 2 hours of sleep is what would personally destroy me. I can't function on that amount of rest, especially going into a strenuous activity like hunting. It takes me several days to recover from a lack of sleep like that. The combination of lack of quality rest, dehydration, and altitude is probably what had you feeling so ill. Next time you have a hunt like that I would recommend going into it as well rested and hydrated as you can be, even if it means losing a day of travel. Thanks for sharing your experience!

Agreed 100% more travel time would be a good thing, but see above for why I couldn't this time. Life isn't always perfect, but I make due with what I got!

 

[Slm864]

I think a lot hunters who are traveling any length of distance disregard the effects of the trip on their bodies. You may not be exerting any physical energy into it but you will be mentally exhausted by the time you arrive and it will impact you physically. 4 years ago a group of us drove 34 hours straight and started hunting immediately upon arrival and it was tough. One guy in our group was suffering from mild altitude sickness and spent most of trip in camp. He was in awesome shape but felt as though the drive and not resting upon arrival set him back from the start. I’m sure the 2 hours of rest didn’t help in any way but I understand maximizing your time hunting. As others have said though altitude affects everyone differently.

 

[pre6422hornet]

I ran into altitude sickness back in 1998 during my first trip to Colorado as a 24 year old still in college athlete shape. Just as you described. The next 4 years I took Diamox and had zero issues. I then didn't head back out until 2014 when we moved to NM. Since I was living at 5300 feet I didn't take anything and was fine. Then in 2015 we moved back east to St. Louis. Went back out in 2017 and worked my butt off to get in shape as we would be back packing and camping in the Wimeneche Wilderness around 11,000 feet and hunting above tree line. I didn't take diamox, but I did take some Ginko and also drank two gallons of water during the 15 hour drive out, and drank alot of Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover during the drive. Every night at camp I drank a full Nalgene of Hydrate and Recover while the water boiled for dinner. I didn't have any problems, maybe a slight headache on day one, but after that I was great. Not sure if it was the Ginko or the Wilderness, but one of them worked. I spent every day above 12,000 and that was coming from 700 feet in St. Louis.

I am headed off to NM this Wednesday and plan on doing the same thing even though the altitude will be much lower for this trip.

 

[ntodwild]

I love the write up. Sooooo many people don't understand the west and it's difficulties/quirks. Those of us who live in the west and hunt above 6000ft on a regular bases kind of take elevation and the difficulty of the terrain for granted.

Whatever you do don't be discouraged by your trip. Definitely get out and do it again.

May I suggest something that can help on the expense side of things. If you're like myself and my good hunting partner (both retired on a fixed income) who love to hunt and have an amazing amount of time to do it the only thing that use to hold us back was the $$$$$. My wife came up with this particular strategy so I must give her credit. My partner and I have now been on 3 out of state elk hunts in the last 5 years with 3 bull tags filled. This on top of our state hunts (spring bear, archery deer, archery elk).

Find a few friend who are trustworthy and want to go on an elk hunt with you, purchase a "single" out of state tag under 1 of your names, all share in the expense of the trip and all go hunt (2 split the cost in half 3 in 3rds and so on). The split also includes the price of the tag even though only one will be the shooter. Only one of you will be able to pull the trigger/sling the arrow but all of you will find yourself on an elk hunt, all share in the experience, all share the meat, all share the meat hauling and all take in a western elk hunt on a single persons budget. If you all decide to do it again the following year, someone else gets the tag and has the opportunity to pull the trigger,,,and the rotation goes on..Those of us who hunt elk every year know that pulling the trigger is such a small/tiny part of the hunt.

The Kifaru Gun bearer also get my vote by the way. Fantastic product. Since I am primarily an archer you wouldn't think I would use it much but I spend over 70 days a year in the field scouting, and much more with a rifle in my bearer. Can't live without it. Great product.

my .02

 

[warmer]

Before you give up on elk hunting, try a SD elk hunt. No altitude problems and I would be glad to help you out.

 

[sdkhunter]

Lessons learned the hard way are often the best lessons learned... I’ve found while elk hunting, hiking, etc I have to drink copious amounts of fluid...

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Before you give up on elk hunting, try a SD elk hunt. No altitude problems and I would be glad to help you out.

When I finally hit that lottery I'll look you up. Not holding my breath for that day though....

 

[warmer]

Might have to get a cow tag, but cow elk hunting is still better than no elk hunting.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Might have to get a cow tag, but cow elk hunting is still better than no elk hunting.

True, though choices for sure. We'll see what next year holds. If you pull a cow tag, that only prevents 9 years of applying for just cow right?

 

[warmer]

You are ineligible to apply for that season for nine years. I drew Black Hills rifle this year. I cant apply for BH rifle for 9 years. I can, and do, still apply for archery, custer state park(rifle and archery) and prairie elk. You are also eligible to apply for any tags in the 2nd draw.

 

[Bluffgruff]

I asked my Dr for a prescription last year since I live at 600ft and camped at 10,000 for my hunt. He told me absolutely no. He wouldn’t prescribe them unless someone was going very high, 14ish and higher, because of the side affects. He said they could be more dangerous than the altitude. He’s not a hunter but does a fair amount of up high backpacking.

That doc seems like he doesn't live or go to altitude. I hate bad mouthing doctors, but diamox is more benign than severe acute mountain sickness, and you can get AMS from altitudes as low as 7-8000 ft. If someone asks about it and it's reasonable, write the Rx, educate on side effects, stop telling nature how it acts.

 

[GringoBling]

I use Recover ORS at high elevations. It's a high concentration electrolyte powder that you put into water. One or two of those per day work really well for me. Without them, I do get altitude sickness the 1st day or so in the mountains.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I use Recover ORS at high elevations. It's a high concentration electrolyte powder that you put into water. One or two of those per day work really well for me. Without them, I do get altitude sickness the 1st day or so in the mountains.

Good recommendation, I will have to try it out.

 

[ibehuntin]

You do have to drink twice as much H2O at that altitude than normal. Being an asthmatic you should avoid hunting at that altitude. Washington Oregon have great elk hunting and you’ll rarely go above 6k. I wouldn’t hunt in that oak scrub unless I lived in that area and could go in and blaze trails thru it. From my trip this year along the divide the forests are chocked in deadfall and little light is getting to the floor for grass growth. Tough to get close to elk under those conditions for archery. If I was going to hunt CO again it would be 2nd rifle.

 

[CTBowHunter]

Appreciate the honesty. It really is different in person than on YouTube. I went once 10 years ago and it was tough. Headed back out next year.