Never again

[DoubleJ]

He's a hiker.  Over in Foster Creek, he did 28 miles the first day and 17 the second.  Yesterday, we did 9.7.

[Tim]

I had the exact same thing  happen to me and my son several years ago over at L T Murry it was awfully disappointing so now I only will walk in behind locked gates or go into Wilderness areas after elk.Just looking for locked gates is not fool proof but it eliminates alot of that crazyness.Good Luck
Tim

[bigpaw 77]

Did you say 28 miles the first day? I did not know someone could walk 28 miles in a day.

[DoubleJ]

Did you say 28 miles the first day? I did not know someone could walk 28 miles in a day.

That's what the GPS said.  I believe it too.  My legs hurt something fierce.

[PolarBear]

28 miles, you are doing too much hiking and not enough hunting.

[bobcat]

If you were walking an average speed of 3 miles per hour it would take about 9 1/2 hours of non-stop walking to walk 28 miles. Sorry to doubt you but I would say it's very unlikely that you and your son walked 28 miles in one day. If you really did do that, I can tell you right now,  you're hunting technique is all wrong.  

[woodrat]

when I was in Boy Scouts, one of the things I had to do for a hiking merit badge was take a 20 mile day hike. Not a problem. Now, these days, an awful lot of the people I see around don't look like they could easily walk from the end of the grocery store parking lot to the door without resting, but that's a whole different issue.

I don't doubt a 28 mile day hike at all, but I sure don't cover anything near that while hunting. This morning I covered 3.6 miles by GPS in about four hours, and most of that was just getting into the area, not hunting.

[bobcat]

I'm not saying a person can't walk 28 miles in a day. But to walk 28 miles while hunting? How would you find the time to stop and look for elk Anyone that does 28 miles in a day of elk hunting, is not hunting, they are simply hiking.

[Tony 270]

^^^ thats what I was thinking as well. No time to walk 28 miles in a day if you actually stop and glass, or hit the woods and move through slowly and still hunt, or actually stay in one place (like near a game trail) to hope something comes by, or take your time at all.

Sucks about everyone driving all over the place though, been there and experienced that.

[DoubleJ]

If you were walking an average speed of 3 miles per hour it would take about 9 1/2 hours of non-stop walking to walk 28 miles. Sorry to doubt you but I would say it's very unlikely that you and your son walked 28 miles in one day. If you really did do that, I can tell you right now,  you're hunting technique is all wrong.  

We were following game trails in Foster Creek.  We were chasing the deer that were pushed into the draws and valleys where we were at.

[DoubleJ]

I'm not saying a person can't walk 28 miles in a day. But to walk 28 miles while hunting? How would you find the time to stop and look for elk Anyone that does 28 miles in a day of elk hunting, is not hunting, they are simply hiking.

Sorry for the confusion, that day and the 17 mile next day were mule deer hunting in Central Washington, GMU 260

[bobcat]

Well, open country like that I could see hiking a greater distance than if you were over here hunting elk in the brush, but still I can't see going 28 miles, or even 17 miles in one day. Especially with an 8 year old along. Does your kid run marathons? 

[DoubleJ]

Well, open country like that I could see hiking a greater distance than if you were over here hunting elk in the brush, but still I can't see going 28 miles, or even 17 miles in one day. Especially with an 8 year old along. Does your kid run marathons? 

He's actually a bit on the heavy side and out of shape.  We just kept moving.  Took some small breaks.  He only complained a few times, and most of those was when we were going up a big hill.  I just figured it was easier to walk that far when you're distracted by finding deer.  Or maybe the GPS was wrong.  It is about the cheapest model out there.

[fisheral87]

Heavy side or not, 17 or 28 miles. sounds like the kid is into it. If you can keep him engaged he won't be on the heavy side for long. It sucks that some people don't subscribe to the (IMO) appropriate hunting philosophy. Hunting is supposed to be tough. Unfortunately some able-bodied individuals don't have the constitution for it and ought to chose another activity.   

[Alchase]

Wow, I hunted in one of my spots for 4 1/5 hours Saturday and only covered a little over 4 miles both directions. Just me, but any faster and I would not see any sign or animals. I always believed it is not how fast or how far you hunt, but how well you hunt a given area.

I only ran into one other hunter that far in that whole time, he was a nice guy and we had a good conversation about hunting.