The Elk Mountain vs. You!

[fisheral87]

Decent. Hunted seven days in The Frank and had to take a rest day after a 16 mile 7000ft gain day in the middle of the trip.

Didn’t see any elk.

Going to increase my interval training days and hike with weight days. Maybe work up to two a days closer to season.

Al

[Mudman]

Well we went to Id for first time to hunt.  Honestly most "hikes" were not too far.  Maybe couple miles off the trail from RZR.  So not a big deal.  Benefit of a 50" and the trails is ya can get little deeper first then walk.  We learned a few things.  We cannot out hike the wolves!  Hills can destroy quick if ya didn't train with the weight of a pack.  Hunters on dirtbikes have a distinct advantage to the back country in some areas.  Elk are always being pushed by wolves, not staying in 1 spot long at all.  Wolves hunt the Bugles. I have been in better shape past years.  Most def would hunt differently next time.  I have been cutting my weight down as I realized I need to be lighter on feet.  Age changes things a bit I think and 10 lbs does make a big change.  Id mnts won with aid of the wolf!  Not easy hunting but rewarding none the less.

[huntnnw]

I did fine on a 15 day elk hunt and was pretty wore out by the last day. I did 3 months of walking up hill (1,100ft in elevation) 2 mi and back down with 75-90lb pack in all I logged 174 mi last summer. My hunt I hiked near 70 mi in the blues with somewhere around 25K feet in elevation loss

[coachcw]

sheer will power every day . just keep stepping, misery loves company !

[BULLBLASTER]

My conditioning was actually pretty good last year. Spent the season with coach and was actually able to keep up! Of course I wasn’t packing a bow most of it. 

The pack out wasn’t too much fun tho.

[fishngamereaper]

I accomplished my  goal... don't let the mountains beat you, the elk have to win fair and square. 12 days in the lil naches , 8-12 miles a day, felt great every day.

[fisheral87]

A multi-vitamin, Costco fish oil and a bunch of stretching and strengthening helped me with my knees.

[gaddy]

I remember when I was young and I could go anywhere I wanted on the mountain. Up, down, sideways, it didn't matter, even if I had to crawl up out of that hole loaded. Now I understand what that mountain was telling me all those years. Gave me challenges for sure over the years. Now, as I'm older, I can hear that mountain laughing. When the wind blows through those trees with a bit of snow swirling around and I'm about ready to leave camp to take up the challenge, I hear this.  "What you got now punk, I'm still here, Come get some" I then look at the places I used to go and I realize that the mountain won in the end. The last time I was at elk camp I swear I heard a challenge once again " Send those punk ass kid's of yours up here, in the end I'll kick there butts as well"
Enjoy it while you can , eventually the mountain is gonna win.

[KFhunter]

My elk hunting partner is like a little wood fairy, he weighs about a buck-forty-five soaking wet, he tips toes through the woods, hopping off logs and be-bops along without a care in the world...then here I come slogging behind him like a loaded water buffalo. 

Only way I can keep up is get him good and drunk the night before 

[Scho0558]

I felt mostly ready last year. I never really stop training thru combo of weights, running, mt biking, stretching. However, this year I am focusing more on core strengthening stuff as multiple days of heavy pack seemed to break me down a bit there first last year.

[Alchase]

Only way I can keep up is get him good and drunk the night before 

 

I tried that this year, did not workout the way I intended, probably because I usually hunt alone

 

[elkrack]

I get paid to stay in shape so I’m good to go every season. 

[nitroelk]

  The mountain got me this year, two days left in the season, left bugling bulls in the bottom (no bull tag of course) to go check out our favorite side valley. Get there nothing happening, drop back into main valley, elk still going crazy. Try to get close looking for cows or a spike, wind starts to get evil and decide to come back tomorrow and hope they are still in there along with a mountain of Chanterelle mushrooms I've been saving to pick with my partner who wasn't there for most of the season. While walking down a big log for the second time in twenty minutes because somebody dropped their binos and we had to turn around to retrieve them, my foot slips off the log and I go straight down and end up with my heal touching my butt cheek and searing pain in my left thigh. I was able to limp out about two miles to camp but done for the early season. Had to leave them mushrooms there and will never know what happened with elk for the last two days of early season.
We had never heard so many bugles in one day as that day, it should have been epic (especially had we had a bull tag)and who knows what that next day would have brought.
  It took more than a month to heal and my leg was black and blue all the way to my heal. Didn't miss any work but would come home and ice and elevate leg every day to keep the swelling down.
  Going to be a little more careful walking them logs in the future for sure. I was really lucky I didn't hurt my knee and it was just muscle and not the joint itself.

[Tbob]

I felt like I did pretty well out in the elk woods last year. We hunted the ID panhandle the first week of archery and only saw one spike and a few moose (lots of wolf tracks but never saw any). Moved our camp to the WA coast for the second week of archery season. Did much better there than ID if you can believe that?! I drew a multi season elk tag here in WA so I went out with my bow the entire week of Muzzy season solo and had a blast hiking around. Skipped the rifle season because being shot at scared the hell out of me! Went back out towards the coast and shot a cow during late season.. was i in great shape?? Nope, but I hiked anywhere from 4-10 miles each day and never really felt tired except for my shoulders every now and again ( I pack too much , just in case crap around in my day pack)! I’m in the bad knees group as well. I’m 44 and have had one knee replacement so far (from an accident) with a Tib/fib reconstruction. And now my other knee definitely starts to feel it when I hike down hill too much.. so for this year, I’m trying to lose 25 lbs before the season opener. Eating clean, only drinking beers once a week and working out regularly (also getting in a ton of hiking). I’m hoping between that and some bike riding the knee will feel a little better.. good luck to all you guys and your goals! I know for me it’s all just a crappy mental game plain and simple!

[HoofsandWings]

I have struggled for nearly 10 years now. Not going to change.