tomengineer
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Also I like how we are both holding great lakes fish in a western hunting forum.
Practical Hiking Slope/Vertical Gain Limitations While Hunting
- Thread starter tomengineer
- Start date
westbranch
Well-known member
2020 will be my 4th year out west. I was always a map guy and spent a lot of time in the woods off trail, most of it in thick woods/alders/willow brush, etc. also peat bogs of MN which required some high stepping to get through. But dealing with the vertical while off trail is tough, and I think being able to read the topo and route finding is a big help.
I think I am better than most at navigating off trail, but last summer while scouting I accidentally came up through the purple spot on this map. 40-45+ degrees and it ended up being the worst 200 yards of hiking all year. It was thick trees and required crawling at times. So follow watch the map better than I was that day. 50 ft topo lines can hide a lot.
I think I am better than most at navigating off trail, but last summer while scouting I accidentally came up through the purple spot on this map. 40-45+ degrees and it ended up being the worst 200 yards of hiking all year. It was thick trees and required crawling at times. So follow watch the map better than I was that day. 50 ft topo lines can hide a lot.
beginnerhunter
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Shoot, someone posted a link to those maps before but I cant find it. Can someone post it again?
westbranch
Well-known member
MITCHMO
Well-known member
I had to West to catch that fish....does that count?
Not sure if this will help you:
-- at work, during my lunch break, I take my pack and it's contents as if I'm going for an overnight, up and down our 5-story parking structure. I'll go up and down for half hour. I started with two rounds. Now, I'm good for 4 rounds. Each way up gets harder on the hips, knees and back. I still need to work on my core to further strengthen it.
On flat, I'm good for 5 miles loop with same pack.
When we vacationed to Honolulu, I had no problem dealing with the switchbacks and elevations of Diamond Head Trails (link)...minus the pack...but, it felt good and felt redeemed on what I'm doing to stay fit.
-- at work, during my lunch break, I take my pack and it's contents as if I'm going for an overnight, up and down our 5-story parking structure. I'll go up and down for half hour. I started with two rounds. Now, I'm good for 4 rounds. Each way up gets harder on the hips, knees and back. I still need to work on my core to further strengthen it.
On flat, I'm good for 5 miles loop with same pack.
When we vacationed to Honolulu, I had no problem dealing with the switchbacks and elevations of Diamond Head Trails (link)...minus the pack...but, it felt good and felt redeemed on what I'm doing to stay fit.
tomengineer
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Ok sounds good, thanks for the input.
tomengineer
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Yes that's my plan as well. Walk around town with my pack making sure to hit stairs and as much elevation as I can find. We have some small local hikes that have steep sections so I plan to just go up and down those under load.
Lasiocarpa
Active member
Too many variables to really answer this question. The human factor, vegetation, soils, topography, etc.
An experienced mountain traveler isn't going to get too worked up about heading up the average 75% (37 degree) slope assuming it's not covered in snow or very loose scree. It's hard work but it's also reality if you want to hunt a lot of the mountainous areas in the west.
Above that is where things start getting interesting and there is a good chance you might start running into cliff bands.
Mileage is even more subjective. A 30 mile day on trails might be easier than 5 miles of bushwacking in the Cascades.
An experienced mountain traveler isn't going to get too worked up about heading up the average 75% (37 degree) slope assuming it's not covered in snow or very loose scree. It's hard work but it's also reality if you want to hunt a lot of the mountainous areas in the west.
Above that is where things start getting interesting and there is a good chance you might start running into cliff bands.
Mileage is even more subjective. A 30 mile day on trails might be easier than 5 miles of bushwacking in the Cascades.
Bluffgruff
Well-known member
Also consider this.
en.m.wikipedia.org
Most slopes over 35 degrees are likely to contain cliffs of some height of some kind of rock in order to overcome the maximum limits of angle of repose.
Angle of repose - Wikipedia
Most slopes over 35 degrees are likely to contain cliffs of some height of some kind of rock in order to overcome the maximum limits of angle of repose.
D
Deleted member 28227
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Your average mogul course is 20-28 degrees, so there's that.
D
Deleted member 28227
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I mean, if you spot and stalk hunt in the mtns, you do often have to consider time and distance. You may not be thinking can I hike 2 miles in 30 min... but you may have to consider if you can cross a basin to get to a herd of elk before it gets dark.
I assume @Bambistew is constantly trying to glass up sheep and then planning long stalks that may take hours or days depending on terrain.
"I have never gave much thought into how far I could hike in a certain amount of time other then the hike in in the dark. "
This seems only to be relevant if you are hunting from the truck, hunting somewhere flat, still hunting, or hunting from a blind or stand.
Time management during a hunt takes some time to figure out, no reason to act like it's a stupid conversation, especially for a new hunter.
D
Deleted member 20812
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Context of location is key. In the country @antlerradar is hunting in, if you walk 15 miles in a day, I absolutely guarantee you walked by a number of animals.
D
Deleted member 28227
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D
Deleted member 28227
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Far more than I do, no doubt.
But it's more fun to razz someone than politely ask for a clarification
antlerradar
Well-known member
I don't mind being razzed one bit.Far more than I do, no doubt.
But it's more fun to razz someone than politely ask for a clarification
While it is true that the hunter need to plan out a stock. A stock is not something you can plan out days or months in advance. I was just trying to point out that once the stars disappear in the eastern sky even the most well thought out plans often fall apart. If you are trying to make way points by a certain time you are likely taking your rifle for a hike and not really hunting.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
I am way out of shape and pot bellied now but when I lived in Colorado, what I did was hike up and down a hill that had a distance of about 500 yards or so. Then I went back down and back up a couple times. Once I got used to that I put a pack on with 30 pounds and then with 50. You should also practice a recon shuffle if you know what that is because you sometimes need to move rather quickly to get in front of where the elk are headed if you can do that and stay out of the wind. The hill I used had a 4 degree slope on the east west direction but 8 degrees on the north south direction. Then before I went hunting, I want on a 5 mile hike in the mountains to test my ability. I am 65 now and no where close to the shape I was in back then. But that is what I did.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Far more than I do, no doubt.
But it's more fun to razz someone than politely ask for a clarification
LOL razing I can handle and dish it out myself sometimes, especially in person once you know me I wished I had more elk experience that I do myself. I consider myself a novice still but I have hunted with some guys that really helped me improve on finding and shooting elks. I have learned a lot from true experts. I have been a deer and antelope hunter all my life since I was 13 and could legally hunt with my dad but I didn't start hunting elk seriously until I was in my 40s. So I definitely want to hear from the real experts myself. Though I did get a nice bull on my first deer hunt. I bought a license and got chewed out by my dad when I turned 16 because he didn't think I was really seeing elk when I was up there before hunting wabbits while the big guys went after deer. I still got a nice four point bull then. Least I thought it was on the big side back then. I am an old guy now, but I can still learn from those who got the experience.
D
Deleted member 28227
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Fair point... everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face... hunting can do that do you.
