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  #31  
Old 01-19-2019, 07:26 AM
RZR RZR is offline
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Oh boy! I’ve been doing sh!t wrong for a lot of years apparently. I’ve never really trained for sheep hunting. In August I usually start looking for sheep and that’s about all I do for training. I also do more glassing than hiking, there lots of guys who hike right past Rams because they have the mentality that you have to go right to the back of canyons. I just look at it this way when you spot rams 9 times out of 10 they aren’t going too far and you have time to get up to them. Work smarter not harder.
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  #32  
Old 01-19-2019, 09:12 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by RZR View Post
Oh boy! I’ve been doing sh!t wrong for a lot of years apparently. I’ve never really trained for sheep hunting. In August I usually start looking for sheep and that’s about all I do for training. I also do more glassing than hiking, there lots of guys who hike right past Rams because they have the mentality that you have to go right to the back of canyons. I just look at it this way when you spot rams 9 times out of 10 they aren’t going too far and you have time to get up to them. Work smarter not harder.
I will try and keep this in mind, even deer hunting I find it hard to wait and look - I want to keep moving all the time.
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  #33  
Old 01-19-2019, 09:28 AM
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Originally Posted by hawken View Post
Forget all the training. It's all in your head. If your mind can't push you over the next mountain, your body has no chance.
Anything you do in life is easier if the mind is strong and the body in great physical shape, everything from the easiest tasks to the hardest are much more simple and easier accomplished.

So if you think you can plug up a hill thirty pounds over weight with little to no cardio vascular endurance your poor brain will be mush by the time you settle down to glass because by the time you get back to a resting or near resting heart rate the day is over and you got to carry you overweight carcass home....now then there is the next day getting up....snap, crackle, pop....
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  #34  
Old 01-19-2019, 10:30 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by 58thecat View Post
Anything you do in life is easier if the mind is strong and the body in great physical shape, everything from the easiest tasks to the hardest are much more simple and easier accomplished.

So if you think you can plug up a hill thirty pounds over weight with little to no cardio vascular endurance your poor brain will be mush by the time you settle down to glass because by the time you get back to a resting or near resting heart rate the day is over and you got to carry you overweight carcass home....now then there is the next day getting up....snap, crackle, pop....
Yup. I am new to hunting, but not endurance sports or backcountry travel.

Mental toughness is something to be trained as well and a big part of this is having pushed your body passed its comfort zones many times before.

As well, training is where you identify the weak points. This could be pack chaffing points, foot wear, or your right knee that never got pushed enough to hurt before. I personally do not know my weak points yet for a 5 hour pack out in the mountains with 100lbs - so I am going to train. (lol, though my chances of success this year are pretty remote)
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  #35  
Old 01-19-2019, 10:38 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Stinky Coyote View Post
Yes your foot wear will make or break a hunt easy. Sidehilling sheep country with weight is as dangerous as painful with the wrong boots. My go to are lowa gtx...hunter model? Can’t remember exact name, about $400 bucks is easy to remember though.😉
Got a pair of Raichle Mountaineering Boots I have been hunting in and will scout in this summer to make sure they are good for the hunt. I am used to lighter weight footwear in the montains, so this is an adjustment for me.
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  #36  
Old 01-19-2019, 10:55 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by rem338win View Post
Get your pack and load 60lbs in it. Strap in on and then do lunges, like 100s of them at a time.

Then do single calf raises to failure.

Get a Bosu ball and pratice stabilzing techniques with the pack on.

Hill sprints and lots of them.

And take the 60lb pack and go hiking.

Core extension excercises and lifts (rockstar presses, wipers, cable twists etc.)

And stretch a lot.
That is flip'n full on. I haven't done lunges with weight like that since I was around 20... over half a lifetime ago, lol.

Would have to work up slowly. I am fortunate to live a block from a steep section of the river valley in Calgary and do not have to travel for an hour of running up and down hills.

Will look up those core exercises. My biggest concern for packing out are my hips.
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  #37  
Old 01-19-2019, 11:11 AM
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All I ever did was load up a pack with weight and climb the stairs in a high-rise, ........great work-out!
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  #38  
Old 01-19-2019, 11:30 AM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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All I ever did was load up a pack with weight and climb the stairs in a high-rise, ........great work-out!
Brings back memories, I used to run stairs in the 9 story condo I lived in. No pack though.
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  #39  
Old 01-22-2019, 06:47 AM
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That is flip'n full on. I haven't done lunges with weight like that since I was around 20... over half a lifetime ago, lol.

Would have to work up slowly. I am fortunate to live a block from a steep section of the river valley in Calgary and do not have to travel for an hour of running up and down hills.

Will look up those core exercises. My biggest concern for packing out are my hips.
Always work up. Injuries arwnt worth it and remember that you are youre the only competition that matters.

Glassing is key in this game. But that said you have zero control over where you will find sheep. If you do and you suddenly have 3km and a couple thousand feet to decend and gain again qith daylight pressuring you.....
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  #40  
Old 01-22-2019, 07:39 AM
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Become a member and Attend Wild Sheep Foundation Alberta’s sheep show on March 8-9th. Meet lots of like minded people
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  #41  
Old 01-22-2019, 12:02 PM
Mr. Dynamite Mr. Dynamite is offline
 
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Originally Posted by mattthegorby View Post
. My biggest concern for packing out are my hips.
What workout would target the hips, and what muscle does pain in the hips show to be weak? Had a lot of trouble with pain in the hips/at the ball joint the hast big hike I went on, what preparation would take care of that?
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  #42  
Old 01-22-2019, 12:17 PM
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What workout would target the hips, and what muscle does pain in the hips show to be weak? Had a lot of trouble with pain in the hips/at the ball joint the hast big hike I went on, what preparation would take care of that?
Just hiking with a well weighted pack will help build your hip muscles. The pain will normally go away with stretching and rolling out your muscles. Focus on your lower back, glutes, hip flexors, hamstring and IT ban. If you have knee pain from hiking it can also be caused from this group of muscles being tight
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  #43  
Old 01-22-2019, 12:52 PM
marky_mark marky_mark is offline
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Originally Posted by mattthegorby View Post
Got a pair of Raichle Mountaineering Boots I have been hunting in and will scout in this summer to make sure they are good for the hunt. I am used to lighter weight footwear in the montains, so this is an adjustment for me.
I don’t know if you need mountaineering boots for what your probably going to be doing
The Lowas that stinky suggested might be a bit lighter. I have a pair of them also and they are very sturdy
I found that the crispi’s fit me better and were more comfortable. The right boots will definitely help.
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  #44  
Old 01-22-2019, 12:53 PM
marky_mark marky_mark is offline
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Looks of great info here
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  #45  
Old 01-22-2019, 01:48 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by marky_mark View Post
Looks of great info here
Yup, I always hesitate before posting rookie questions as I realize many of these topics get rehashed every month, but I am always glad I did. Will likely reread all these answers a bunch of times in the next year.
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  #46  
Old 01-22-2019, 01:57 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by marky_mark View Post
I don’t know if you need mountaineering boots for what your probably going to be doing
The Lowas that stinky suggested might be a bit lighter. I have a pair of them also and they are very sturdy
I found that the crispi’s fit me better and were more comfortable. The right boots will definitely help.
I have some lighter boots that are good for walking in the woods, would like something kind of in between those and the mountaineering boots. Had some middle of the road Crispi's years ago, should have kept them but I never wore them in to the point where they got comfy.
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  #47  
Old 01-22-2019, 02:29 PM
outdoorsman12b outdoorsman12b is offline
 
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Hey folks,

As some of you have likely gathered if you have caught any of my past posts, I am a total rookie hunter that just ended my first season without harvesting. That being said, I am really keen and went as all out as I could with a family and full-time job. Got out most weekends solo backpack hunting in 412/316, including a bunch of overnights.

Next year I want to go on a 4 night / 5 day, probably solo sheep hunt. I realize that my chances for success are extremely low, but I am not getting any younger, tags will not get any easier to obtain, and I want to start down the learning curve. I am no backcountry god, but I have enough experience to know the level of fitness I require, have all the basic backcountry gear I need, and am comfortable sleeping alone in the mountains.

What I wanted to ask you guys is that if you had 8 months to prepare for a trip like this, and you were a total newbie, what skills would you work on and how would you go about it?
Being a newbie sheep hunter and learning alone is going to be painful. You already have fitness covered. I would try and prioritize:

1 - Find a mentor, or get in with a sheep hunting group. You will learn far more by going on a trip with someone who knows what they are doing than anything else because you can ask why along the way. If you don't know anyone than you may have to trade in. For example give up a good elk spot.

2- Shoot your rifle and learn the ins and outs of your equipment. I am still amazed at the number of hunters I meet that are not sure where there rifle hits beyond 100 yards or if they are even zeroed. You need to have verified drops for the ranges you want to shoot, or risk just watching that animal walk up and away.

3- Go over your gear list again and again. Only carry what you absolutely will use. This takes a bit of experience and will change over time. Don't cheap out on anything that will ruin your hunt. Primarily boots and rain gear. Last year we got hit with a snow storm in August and it was brutal. My group is a bunch of tough mofos though and we were able to weather it out while everyone else went running back to the trucks. There are quite a few posts on here that can help with gear.

4- Food is king. Make sure you have adequate food and meal plan. If you don't have enough you will lose steam and become demoralized. Everyone is different there is no one plan fits all.
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  #48  
Old 01-22-2019, 02:52 PM
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Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”
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  #49  
Old 01-22-2019, 05:06 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by outdoorsman12b View Post
Being a newbie sheep hunter and learning alone is going to be painful. You already have fitness covered. I would try and prioritize:

1 - Find a mentor, or get in with a sheep hunting group. You will learn far more by going on a trip with someone who knows what they are doing than anything else because you can ask why along the way. If you don't know anyone than you may have to trade in. For example give up a good elk spot.

2- Shoot your rifle and learn the ins and outs of your equipment. I am still amazed at the number of hunters I meet that are not sure where there rifle hits beyond 100 yards or if they are even zeroed. You need to have verified drops for the ranges you want to shoot, or risk just watching that animal walk up and away.

3- Go over your gear list again and again. Only carry what you absolutely will use. This takes a bit of experience and will change over time. Don't cheap out on anything that will ruin your hunt. Primarily boots and rain gear. Last year we got hit with a snow storm in August and it was brutal. My group is a bunch of tough mofos though and we were able to weather it out while everyone else went running back to the trucks. There are quite a few posts on here that can help with gear.

4- Food is king. Make sure you have adequate food and meal plan. If you don't have enough you will lose steam and become demoralized. Everyone is different there is no one plan fits all.
This is great, thanks.

1 - The mentor is a hard one, but I think I will check our the Sheep Foundation that the fellow in a previous post mentioned. I am actually interested in getting involved and volunteering for some kind of hunting/conservation group. My BIL is an experienced hunter and we will be looking at sheep hunting together, but this is new ground for him as well.

2 - I will take this to heart - I need to shoot more at distance. Also, I need to practice at angles!

3 - I am a bit of a gear and weight junky, so with this part I am well on my way. I may try and revive that old sheep gear list thread and post my gear list as it stands (have it all in excel with weights). I have a closet full of fleece, puffy jackets, and gore-tex. Still unsure of my boots, but I have a couple pairs I am good to hike in all day.

4 - Still working out the details for food, but I have a fair amount of experience to build on for this. I know what my body needs to thrive for a couple days backpack hunting or a day of trail running. What I am looking at is getting away from the mountain house meals and coming up with my own dinners. Have thought about ditching the stove, but man it is nice to have something warm for dinner.
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  #50  
Old 01-22-2019, 05:15 PM
mattthegorby mattthegorby is offline
 
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Originally Posted by Torkdiesel View Post
Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”
Ya, I want to be that guy.

For me the big attraction to pursuing sheep hunting is the mental challenge of being alone in the mountains with a lofty goal. I am much more a journey than the end result kind of person.

I realize that at my age that my days of being first up the mountain are over - but I am pretty determined at keeping on, keeping on.
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  #51  
Old 01-24-2019, 10:42 PM
Stinky Coyote Stinky Coyote is offline
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Originally Posted by Torkdiesel View Post
Your mind is always the weakest link in my opinion ! Staying committed and not giving up for some reason your mind has concocted is what gets most people out of the hills.
I’ve seen guys at the trail head looking at me like I was nuts putting on a pack and heading out. The next day when we passed their camp in the morning and went another 20 kms in further I know they couldn’t understand how it could be done.
In all the years hunting my body has only given out on me once, but my mind has faltered many times ! Sometimes I got it under control and sometimes I didn’t.
On day 5 of one sheep hunt about 40 km’s from the truck in Wilmore after we had climbed the second saddle that day to look into another bowl my brother in law who’s 5’10” and 165 pounds said you must really want a sheep ! I said “sure do, but what I want more is to prove to myself that I can climb this mountain, after I’ve climbed the one before it !”
The two a days are big days. You nailed it though, it’s more about you and the mountain sometimes.
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