high altitude hunting?

[md126]

Hello all,   got an elk hunt planned for CO in sept.  hunt is up around 10,000ft.   I've been training regularly and am in excellent condition.  but...

aside from the usual issues due to thinner air has anyone had adverse complications or problems with existing medical conditions like athsma, allergies, arthritis,  high blood pressure, etc?  in other words, does the lack of oxygen make preexisting conditions better or worse or no real effect?  I know its an odd question but Ive never been that high and altitude effects everyone differently.  

Thanks

Last summer I went up to Grasshopper Ridge, where Howard Hill filmed iced up grasshoppers.  I had to breath in a lot more than breath out. My knees and back hurt a lot,I got a headache, and I developed a problem with my inner ear,the world felt tilted. It is quite possible that blood pressure will increased with less oxygen.

[ron w]

Everyone is different.....I have high BP, arthritis, and coronary issues. I camped at 9,000 feet a few years ago, and hunted at 10,000 + with no issues. I kept hydrated and paced myself. Very important to get the best rest you can get every night. Pre hunt prep in very important as well. The only thing that changed was that I lost 10 pounds in a week on the hunt!......have fun!

[Roadkill]

I find flat landers at that altitude do not drink as much as they should.  They do not feel thirty, but really need to drink a lot more than they think.  Watch your urine-if it does not run clear, you need to drink more. Serously! If you are running and doing real cardio work you are ok on that end.  Hidden defects are always a possibility so handle the knowns.

I live at 5800 and hunt at 8000, and I can tell the difference in how fast I tire (66 years old).  It will take a guy in very good shape about two days to acclimate.  Do not push too hard for the first day or two, drink a bunch, and if you feel dizzy sit down.

You, Sir, are in for a treat.  Dawn at 10K is spectacular-every single day....

[Michael Pfander]

I find that electrolites are at least as important at 10k as they are here in the summer.  Be sure to drink some as well as your water.
MAP

[Caughtandhobble]

The only thing that my TX group experienced was a headache for a day or two.... If you are riding horses I highly recommend spending some time in the saddle before the trip. This will get your backside acclimated, and help to keep your mind in the middle on those steep trials.

[Orion]

Good advice already.  If possible, try to acclimate a day or so at lower elevation, say 5,000 to 7,000 feet.  It will cut down on  headaches the first few days.

[monterey]

Can't overemphasize what Roadkill says about hydration.  Dehydration sneaks up on you in the high country.  Altitude alone causes dehydration and the dry air whisks away your perspiration quickly so that you do not realise how much you are losing.  If you are a big coffee drinker (like me), start cutting back a couple weeks before you depart.  The caffeine dehydrates you quickly.  Don't go cold turkey when you get here, you will then have withdrawal headaches!

I can't speak to the preexisting conditions, etc.  

A longtime hunting companion wears hearing aids.  He has found that his batteries only last a few days at high elevations.  

I live at 5600 and hunt from 8500 up to 10500 and it gets harder every year!  Set a pace based on your a heart rate.  A rate that is elevated, but one you are able to maintain for long periods.  If you go by your breath rate, you will usually end up in oxygen debt before you realize it.  A pace too fast will increase your dehydration rate and require more rest stops.

[Joe2Crow]

Had a similar situation some years back. Two buddies and I went to Colorado to hunt elk with muzzleloaders at 10,000 ft. We trained our butts off all summer and were in great shape.  Still took several days to get acclimated. Lots of headaches and nose bleeds.  The next time we went I had an ophthalmologist friend prescribe Diamox 125 mg to relieve pressure.  It helped.  Have fun and enjoy. Those Colorado night skys are like nothing we see in the east.

[jhg]

Originally posted by md126:
...  I've been training regularly and am in excellent condition.  but...
 

Thanks

How old are you?
  My advice is plan your hunts so that at the end of the day you are camping lower than you are hunting.
 Not a big deal? This one little detail can make a huge difference in how fast you acclimate and helps avoid lots of problems that build up over several days when you camp same elevation or higher than you hunt. The night in camp at lower elevation gives your body time to adjust and rest from its new challenge.
 Fit or not, you will be taxed at 10,000+ feet if you are covering ground, hunting hard physically just because of the altitude difference.

Plan your hunt to have hard days with easier days in between. You will be glad you did and in the end may even see more elk because it forces you to see a bigger hunt  picture.

Joshua

[Pat B]

I hunted between 9k and 10k in Colorado twice with very little adverse effects. I live at 2600' and could train up to 6200' so that probably helped some. I did have a shortness of breath but I just walked slow(when I walked) and took a break whenever I felt out of breath.
 Drink lots of water, LOTS!

[wingnut]

Spend some time on the stair climber and take it easy the first three days of the hunt and you should be good.  If you feel flu like symptoms get to lower elevation.

Mike

[nleroux2]

Take Rolaids when you go up. It's in the kit of every high altitude search and rescue team and they give it to lost flatlanders for altitude sickness. I live at 9000 about (Florissant Co.) 1/2 the year and it helps with the headaches.

Running stairs is about as good an exercise as you can do. I get up to 30 min by the time I hit the woods hunting.

[NBK]

Originally posted by nleroux2:
Take Rolaids when you go up. It's in the kit of every high altitude search and rescue team and they give it to lost flatlanders for altitude sickness. I live at 9000 about (Florissant Co.) 1/2 the year and it helps with the headaches.

Running stairs is about as good an exercise as you can do. I get up to 30 min by the time I hit the woods hunting.

What do the Rolaids do?  Just curious as I've never heard of this before.

Hunted with my Dad and brothers at 9000-10000' several years ago.  Dad has high BP and asthma and takes meds and was sure to bring his inhaler.  His daily walks all year round proved beneficial and he had no issues.  We spent the first day in camp basically just loafing around the immediate area to begin to acclimate, something we always do when heading to CO for skiing.  
I kept the pace slow and steady during the week.  If our lungs started to burn, we stopped for a few moments.  I kept reminding him, "The turtle won the race."
I also carried two hydration bladders in my pack, one for me, one for him and we sipped regularly all day.  Being from Wisconsin, we also like our beer, but rationed it to one a night!  Alcohol and elk hunting don't mix and I can't think of a better way to put yourself in a world of hurt at elevation.

[duck85]

use to get terrible headaches started taking Diamox a few days before we go to Colorado elk hunting haven't had one since while hunting

[habujohn]

I do use Diamox when I hunt above 7k.  Most issue I have is with me surgically repaired knee side hilling.  Push it too hard and can get a lot of swelling in the knee.  Love hunting the mountains with the stick bow.

[KenH]

Can't agree more with Roadkill. Ditto on Rolaids.

Also.  Being in shape and training below 5000 feet (or even AT 5000 feet) means you are NOT in shape "around 10,000".  Get up to 10,000 at least 3-4 days early and stay there.  Try...just try... to do your normal daily workout without passing out.  Even jogging 3 strides across the road to avoid an oncoming car will put you out of breath!

[ShadeMt]

I live at 1,000 feet above sea level but have hunted a good bit between 10,000 and up to 12,000 ft.  While not an issue at home I have noticed that I get indigestion at altitude, so I typically carry an over the counter antacid to counteract that issue.  Other than that, I train a lot and have also had good luck with Altitude Advantage on the past half dozen trips out west.  While it might be that I train a lot harder now for climbing the mountains I have noticed a lot less soreness on my hunts after taking that herbal concoction.

[bowslinger]

If there is anyway you can swing it, go a few days early and stay at a higher elevation of 6,000  to 7,000 feet above MSL and go on several short walks or hikes each day to help get acclimated.  I know it is extra vacation time if you are still working so may not be an option.

Also, I found that deep breathing exercises when I crawl into the tent at night seems to help lower my heart rate that first few nights.  If you have any trouble with allergies, take a small bottle of your favorite nose spray to keep nasal passages open at night so you will breathe easier.

[DWT]

Ive had some gusher nosebleeds hunting elk from being dried out, I now take vicks and lightly coat the inside of my nose at night and it not only keeps nasal passages open but moist also, has really helped me. Also take your time as has been stated the first couple days to get acclimated, Im going into my 18th year hunting colorado and find (easing) into the hunt is the way to go, maybe spend the first morning glassing or in alot of cases ares where there are no other hunters.Dont forget the blister kit